eli5: Is there such a concept as adding essential vitamins and minerals to potable water? If so, does it happen in a large scale anywhere in the world?
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Vitamins would decay too fast they are also too expensive.
For minerals, fluoride (to protect teeth) is added in most English-speaking countries. It’s unpopular in non-English speaking countries, however.
Calcium, magnesium, and fluoride are naturally present in water. Some other minerals can be present too. Many people choose to have a water softener that removes calcium and magnesium (and increases sodium and potassium) to improve the taste and improve the usability of the water to wash things with soap. Since most people consume too much sodium, it’s actually bad for them.
Adding more minerals to the water would also convince many people to stop using tap water or to soften it for taste or washing purposes. If people aren’t going to drink the minerals because they don’t like them, adding them is a waste of money.
The minerals that are the most often lacking are iron and calcium. Both of them taste a lot, so adding them would be very unpopular and many people would not drink them by using bottled water or softened water.
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