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Essentuki No. 4
Essentuki No. 4 from Essentuki, Caucasian Mineral Waters, Stavropol Krai — a label mineralisation of 7 000–10 000 mg per litre. Hardness, what a litre contributes against the EFSA reference intakes, and the EU label claims the analysis supports.
Where it comes from
Essentuki No. 4 is drawn from the numbered boreholes of the Caucasian Mineral Waters field, where each well was catalogued in the nineteenth century and the numbers stuck. It is a hydrocarbonate-chloride sodium water with a labelled mineralisation of 7 to 10 g per litre — seven to ten times the 1 g per litre ceiling that separates an everyday table water from a medicinal-table one. The whole culture around it is therapeutic: a measured glass, warmed, at a set interval before meals, for a course of a few weeks.
Source: Essentuki, Caucasian Mineral Waters, Stavropol Krai · Category: Medicinal-table water · Carbonation: Naturally carbonated
This is a reference table, not a diagnosis and not a prescription. If a clinician has put you on a sodium, calcium, potassium or fluid restriction, that number comes from them and overrides anything here. Analyses are revised as sources are re-tested, so the label on the bottle you are holding always outranks this page.
The published analysis
| Constituent | mg per litre | What a litre of it means |
|---|---|---|
| Dry residue at 180 °C | 7 000–10 000 | the figure EU law uses for the mineral-content claims |
What EU labelling law lets this water claim
Annex III of Directive 2009/54/EC fixes exactly which indications a natural mineral water may print and the figure each one requires. Applying those rules to the analysis above:
| Indication | Criterion | This water |
|---|---|---|
| “Very low mineral content” | not above 50 mg/l dry residue | does not qualify |
| “Low mineral content” | not above 500 mg/l dry residue | does not qualify |
| “Rich in mineral salts” | above 1 500 mg/l dry residue | qualifies |
| “Contains bicarbonate” | above 600 mg/l bicarbonate | no published figure |
| “Contains sulphate” | above 200 mg/l sulphate | no published figure |
| “Contains chloride” | above 200 mg/l chloride | no published figure |
| “Contains calcium” | above 150 mg/l calcium | no published figure |
| “Contains magnesium” | above 50 mg/l magnesium | no published figure |
| “Contains fluoride” | above 1 mg/l fluoride | no published figure |
| “Contains sodium” | above 200 mg/l sodium | no published figure |
| “Suitable for a low-sodium diet” | below 20 mg/l sodium | no published figure |
Analyses: the figures each producer publishes on the label or in its technical sheet — see the basis line on every water page. Reference intakes: EFSA Dietary Reference Values. Label claims: Directive 2009/54/EC, Annex III. Mineral-water constituent limits and the fluoride labelling rule: Directive 2003/40/EC. Tap-water parametric values: Directive (EU) 2020/2184. Checked 2026-09-06.
Frequently asked questions
What is in Essentuki No. 4?
Essentuki No. 4 is naturally carbonated from Essentuki, Caucasian Mineral Waters, Stavropol Krai, medicinal-table water. The published analysis is a label mineralisation of 7 000–10 000 mg per litre.
Waters with a similar mineral load
Borjomi
Georgia · Naturally carbonated
Essentuki No. 17
Russia · Naturally carbonated
Donat Mg
Slovenia · Naturally carbonated
Vichy Catalan
Spain · Naturally carbonated
All waters compared
The full table, grouped by mineral content.
Water hardness explained
Degrees, millimoles and parts per million, converted.
Know what you drank, not just what you bought
TempoLife logs hydration alongside food and sleep, so the litre you actually drank is in the same picture as everything else.