Mountain Valley’s source, near Hot Springs, Arkansas, is protected by 633 acres of company-owned, pristine forest land. The water’s unique taste is the result of a natural 3,000-year cycle* where the water filters through layers of shale, sandstone, and limestone. As the water travels through layers of rock, it acquires its distinctive mineral composition, which includes calcium, magnesium, and various trace elements. (Mountain Valley Spring Water is recognized as sodium-free by the FDA.)

*That’s how long it takes for the rain to percolate through the geological strata under the spring before rising back up to the surface.

The original owners of the property recognized the special qualities of the water, and an area pharmacist began to market it in 1871. The successful venture was purchased in 1879 by W. N. Benton of St. Louis, who expanded the business nationwide, promoting its health benefits.† Benton claimed Mountain Valley was the cure to many common ailments such as liver and kidney problems.

†From prehistoric times until the modern era of medicine post World War II, many people “took the waters” to cure their ills. Hot Springs was a major therapeutic destination where many came to bathe in, and drink, the waters.

Benton claimed that those who could not travel to “take the waters” were “frequently speedily cured by the use of the Mountain Valley Spring Water alone.” By 1917, Mountain Valley Water had become well known as a remedy in the treatment of diabetes, gout, kidney disease and rheumatism. Some even believed the water to be radioactive because of its unexplainable curative properties.

In 1921, the first clinical studies were conducted to discover the secrets of the water and its therapeutic effects. Many hospitals, doctors, and medical journals claimed that their patients improved considerably after taking the water. Medical studies continued into the 1930s until interrupted by World War II.

In 1955, after suffering a heart attack while in office, President Dwight D. Eisenhower said in a news conference that he was drinking Mountain Valley Water on the advice of his physicians. Thirteen U.S. presidents have enjoyed Mountain Valley while in The White House, and the water has been served in the United States Senate since the 1920s.

Does the water have curing properties? Modern science will only tell you that drinking eight to twelve glasses of water today is good for your general health...and that taking supplemental calcium and magnesium every day doesn’t hurt!