Is Drinking Distilled Water Good or Bad for You?

Can you drink distilled water?

Distilled water is water that's been purified using the process of distillation. Whether it comes from a natural source or a regular tap, water contains impurities like minerals, pesticides, and bacteria harmful to human consumption. Distillation gets rid of these contaminants by selective boiling and subsequent condensation.

But can you drink distilled water? Learn about what it is and how distillation works, as well as its side effects, potential benefits, safety, and more.

The water distillation process boils the water into steam, leaving the impurities behind. The steam condenses on a cold surface, forming drops of pure water, which is collected in a container.

Drinking water is considered fit for human consumption and food preparation, and it comes from many sources such as springs, rivers, or water supply networks. The chances of infestation with bacteria, parasites, and chemicals are very high.

Distilled water is considered the purest form of water. Collecting the steam from boiling eliminates salt, minerals, and other impurities. Primarily, all distilled water is condensed vapor collected by boiling water, however, distilling companies employ sophisticated techniques and superheating processes to distill the water and call this highly purified water "vapor distilled water."

Distilled water is safe to drink as part of a balanced diet. However, you may not like the taste. Because it's stripped of minerals such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium, distilled water lacks the flavorful taste present in tap and bottled waters. Distilled water in this pure form only contains oxygen and hydrogen, hence the flat and unappealing taste. Make sure to get the minerals you need from other sources, if you drink distilled water.

Distilled water may be a better option for patients undergoing cancer treatment, to prevent electrolyte imbalance during treatment. Doctors advise cancer patients to look for words like distilled or reverse osmosis filtration on water bottles, indicating how the water company cleaned the water.

Distilled water has been studied to see if the purity and lower mineral content have a positive effect on the body. Though most studies show only a minimal or modest effect on overall health, distilled water may have potential benefits that could include the following:

• Potentially helps arthritis: Drinking water purified by distillation has less mineral content than tap or well water. The lowered mineral content may play a role in preventing damage to joints.
• Potentially reduces the risk of heart diseases: Observational epidemiological studies have linked water hardness and cardiovascular disease risk. The hardness or softness of water is determined by the mineral content of both calcium and magnesium. When distillation eliminates these two, the result is soft water.
• Cleanses the body: Staying properly hydrated can detoxify the body, help with weight loss, and improve health.
• Possibly prevents kidney stones: Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals that form in the kidney and are painful when passing. Drinking distilled water decreases calcium and sodium levels in urine and may prevent build-up that can lead to kidney stone formation.
• Possibly prevents teeth discoloration: Distillation removes minerals from water, thus protecting children's teeth from too much fluoride exposure, which is responsible for teeth discoloration called fluorosis. However, developing teeth in children need fluoride to stay healthy and prevent tooth decay, so discuss fluoride use or avoidance with your child's dentist before using distilled water for this purpose.

While distilled water is the purest form, it is molecularly unstable.

In addition to helping with food breakdown, minerals like magnesium and calcium go a long way in strengthening teeth and bones. Demineralized water lacks these nutrients, posing substantial health risks due to its inability to replace the electrolytes our body needs.

Common potential risks associated with drinking distilled water include:

• Poor taste characteristics: Demineralized water has a flat and unappealing taste, which can lead to reduced water consumption.
• Electrolyte imbalance: The lack of minerals in distilled water may cause an imbalance between sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, and other nutrients in the body, though you may have to drink distilled water in excess to cause this to occur.
• Dehydration: Small amounts of electrolytes present in water are essential for healthy body functions. They help regulate and control the distribution of body fluids.
• Fatigue: The most common symptom of magnesium deficiency is fatigue. You may notice spasms, weakness, or stiffness in the early stages.
• Headaches: Researchers believe that a lack of calcium and magnesium may cause migraine attacks.
• Muscle cramps: Studies have associated twitches, tremors, and muscle cramps with magnesium deficiency.

Distilled water is used in many industries because of its purity. Some of the major uses include:

• For cosmetic use: Ingredients used in cosmetic products need pure and toxin-free water to act as a solvent so that the ingredients can safely transfer their benefits to hair and skin.
• Medical uses: Hospitals use distilled water to sterilize medical instruments, prepare food for their patients, clean wounds as it is pure, and prevent new infections.
• Food canning process: Distilled water is used in the food canning industry to ensure the color and taste of food remain the same, as added salts could alter the original flavor.
• Used in lead-acid batteries: When your car charges, the cooling system must work hard. Mineral deposits in water could corrode the engine, causing it to overheat.

Some of the home uses of distilled water include:

• To fill the water chamber in the CPAP machine
• To add to infant formula for babies with a weak immune system
• To fill a neti pot
• To use in the iron box
• To rinse your hair, especially if the tap water is hard

While distilled water is the purest form of water, if you drink it daily, it should be accompanied by a balanced diet to ensure that the body is not deprived of essential minerals like calcium and magnesium.

Can drinking distilled water improve skin health?

Drinking water, distilled or not, hydrates you, flushes out toxins, and is beneficial for your health. Distilled water has no impurities, so it is good for your skin health, however, you do need the minerals that normal drinking water contains. Make sure you balance your nutrient needs well if you choose to drink distilled water. The use of distilled water in skin care products is good for your skin health.

Does distilled water lack essential minerals?

Distilled water does lack essential minerals such as iron, fluoride, sodium, calcium, and magnesium, unlike regular drinking water. Our bodies need essential minerals to function normally, and we get them only from dietary sources. So, does distilled water contain any minerals at all? No, it doesn't. Along with bacteria and other impurities, all minerals are leached out of distilled water. Consider distilled water benefits and drawbacks before deciding to drink it instead of normal drinking water.

What is the pH level of distilled water?

Th pH scale measures the acidic or basic nature of water and water-based (aqueous) solutions. “Potential of hydrogen” or “pH” is the measure of hydrogen ions in water. When hydrogen ion concentration reduces, the pH increases and the solution is basic or alkaline. Inversely, an increase in hydrogen lowers the pH and makes water acidic. The pH scale is measured from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral, anything below acidic, and anything above basic.

Technically, pure distilled water should be neutral, with a pH level of 7. However, it is impossible to obtain 100% purity in water even when distilling in a highly controlled environment. Usually, distilled water is just below 7, around 6.9, immediately after distillation. It can retain its pH for a long time if stored in an airtight container, although, temperature can also affect the pH. Also, an increase in temperature increases hydrogen ions in distilled water and makes it more acidic.

If left open, distilled water absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and releases hydrogen ions into the solution, increasing hydrogen concentration until the pH level reaches an equilibrium with the atmosphere, which is around 5.8, slightly acidic. This happens because distilled water has no buffering capacity with all the minerals removed. Normal tap water, filtered water, and bottled drinking water have around 7.5 pH, slightly alkaline.

Can distilled water help with dehydration?

Distilled water can only partially help correct dehydration because it does not have any of the electrolytes you also require. Normal water is better for preventing dehydration, or you may require electrolyte solutions if you are already dehydrated.

What is purified water vs distilled water?

Now that you know all about distilled water, let’s understand purified water. Purified water is free of chemicals, toxins, bacteria, and other contaminants, including heavy metals and some of the minerals. It is not entirely devoid of minerals like distilled water. Purification involves a process different from distillation known as reverse osmosis that passes the water through a membrane to remove impurities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations permit up to 10 parts per million of dissolved solids (solutes) to be present in purified water.

The choice between distilled water vs purified water is use-specific. Some uses require the purest form, but for drinking, purified water may be a better choice because it still contains some of the electrolytes you need. However, tap water, if it is safe in your region, or water that is boiled or filtered at home to remove bacteria, chlorine, and some chemicals, are the best types of water to drink regularly for a normal healthy person.

How to distill water yourself at home

Small compact water distilling machines are available in the market for home use. You can also try the following method, although, this is not efficient and unlikely to yield much water.

1. Half-fill a large pot with water.
2. Tie a cup to the lid so that it can hang inside the pot above the water, and cover the pot with the lid.
3. Make sure the lid has a vent to allow excess steam out because too much pressure buildup from the steam inside the pot can be dangerous and cause it to explode (think pressure cooker). At the same time, all of the vapor should not escape.
4. Boil the water for 20 minutes. Steam will condense on the underside of the lid and drip into the cup.