Distilled water is used in pharmacies and laboratories due to its purity. A water distiller can effectively eradicate 99.9% of water’s bacteria, dissolved organics, and chemicals.
However, the removal of harmful contaminants is the removal of essential minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, and sodium. So the big question is: is distilled water safe to drink?
The short answer is yes.
It is safe to drink distilled water. Distillation is a natural process that cleanses water comparable to the earth’s hydrologic cycle. There are no harmful chemicals or disinfectants added to the water. What’s left out of the water is the source of concern.
Why we need water
We all know that consuming water is vital to our health due to several reasons:
- Lubricates the joints
- Serves as protection for cells and organs
- Aids in waste removal
- Dissolves nutrients
- Prevents body overheating
While our body can get essential minerals from water, it should never be the primary source because it won’t be enough. One of its main jobs is to dissolve our food for easier digestion. Water also balances the concentration of solutes and maintains homeostasis within the body. As a result, every cell in our body contains water!
- Intracellular fluid (ICF): ⅔ of water inside the body
- Extracellular fluid (ECF): ⅓ of water inside the body
Minerals
Electrolytes are vital to our health as these are essential minerals that transport fluids into your muscles and carry signals between cells. Fruits and vegetables are a useful source to get our minerals.
According to the World Health Organization, “Individuals who would receive the greatest benefit from the presence of minerals in drinking water are those with marginal intakes from food sources. In the United States, the 50th percentile dietary intakes from food appear to be adequate in most cases, except iron intakes by women”.
In the U.S., the lack of minerals is not the problem but the excess. Many people consume up to 130-160 mmol/day of sodium when our bodies only need 1-2 mmol daily. This excess in sodium can pave the way for hypertension or high blood pressure.
Now, what happens with these excess minerals? The kidneys flush them out. To help your kidneys, you have to drink more water because hydration prevents the kidneys from being exhausted. Let’s say you had way too many chips on a family day out; here’s what takes place:
- Sodium gathers in the ECF.
- The ECF takes water from the ICF.
- The brain receptors find out that there’s too much sodium concentration.
- You start to feel thirsty!
To our point, you’d want to drink distilled water since you don’t need more sodium in your body.
Distilled water
Distilled water is water treated using a water distiller. A water distiller turns water into steam to leave the contaminants and minerals behind. Once the steam cools, it undergoes condensation to return to a liquid state. This is similar to how nature recycles water through a hydrologic cycle.
So yes, distilled water is safe to drink since there are no added chemicals or disinfectants that can potentially harm you during the distillation process. Just consider if you need that extra minerals in other types of water or if you can source them from whole foods instead.
Uses of distilled water
Since it’s almost mineral-free, distilled water is great for household appliances and other device processes:
- Steam irons
- Watering of plants
- Aquariums
- Car cooling systems
- Laboratory experiments
- Medical devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for sleep apnea
What can a water distiller remove?
The distillation process eradicates total dissolved solids (TDS) from the water, just like reverse osmosis (RO) and deionization (DI). To remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a carbon postfilter is added to a water distiller.
Contaminants took out
- Algae
- Arsenic
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Chlorine
- Copper
- Cryptosporidium (crypto)
- Fluoride
- Lead
- Mercury
- Nitrates
- Pesticides
- Rust
- Salt
- Sulfates
- Foul tastes and odors
Electrolytes removed
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Bicarbonate
- Phosphate
You don’t have to worry since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the maximum level of contaminants to keep drinking water safe. However, too many contaminants may harm your body, so distilled water is always a good idea as it cleans your drinking water without changing what water is.
However, mineral-free water can be more soluble and may absorb metals from old pipes. For that very reason, distillation is not recommended for city water treatment.
Benefits of distilled water
- Removes 99.99% of dissolved solids and bacteria
- No extra sodium
- Prevents the development of scales on appliances
- Reduces waterborne diseases from occurring
- Reduces the risk of consumption of harmful chemicals
Risks of distilled water
- Lack of essential dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium
- Flat taste leading to reduced consumption
- Decrease in the body’s metabolic function
- An increase in urine output leads to electrolyte imbalance when too much
- Cannot replace minerals lost through sweat
- Distilled water fasting can be dangerous since it has no minerals and may lead to acidosis.
- Leaves behind highly salinated or hard water, which may disrupt our environment
Other water types
Tap water
Tap water is the untreated water that comes out of the faucet. Sometimes, it may have been disinfected using chlorine and filtered to eliminate the sediments. Fluoride may also be present, which helps prevent tooth decay.
Filtered water
This tap water has run through filters to take chlorine, bacteria, and chemicals out of the way.
Purified water
There are different means to have purified water: reverse osmosis, ozonization, or distillation. The EPA has required that all purified water should not contain more than 10 ppm of TDS. In other words, purified water is free of chemicals and microbes.
Distilled water
As discussed, this is a type of purified water with no presence of salt, minerals, or other organic substances.
Alternatives
Of course, there are other options other than distilled water!
Carbon filter
If your tap water does not have a lot of TDS, an activated carbon filtration system should do you enough. It removes chlorine, chemicals, and contaminants that may otherwise give you bad-tasting and smelling water. There are also filter types that can remove cysts or lead.
Reverse osmosis system
While the reverse osmosis system can’t remove minerals from tap water, it requires no extra energy. It can eradicate VOCs and dissolved solids. You can opt for systems with a remineralizing filter to put in minerals that were lost. You can also buy one with a permeate pump to increase efficiency by up to 85%!
Ultrafiltration system
An ultrafiltration system eradicates microscopic contaminants while keeping the dissolved minerals in. It can effectively block particles that are 5,000 times smaller than a human hair. However, the pores are not big enough to remove the dissolved solids. This system does not produce any wastewater, which is great!
FAQs
Can distilled water go bad?
Is it safe for babies to drink distilled water?
Can distillation remove volatile organics?
Can I distill water at home?
There are distillation kits available for you, and you can find some online. If you’re feeling extra resourceful, you don’t need any kit! All you need are:
- A large pot of boiling water
- Bowl
- Ice cubes
There are various tutorial videos online you can try to come up with your own distilled water at home!
Conclusion
Yes, distilled water is safe to drink! If you get enough minerals from your diet, then consuming this should not be a problem. In addition, it will give you water that’s pure and free of any bad smell or taste. You can even use it around your home to ensure that your appliances stay in their best shape.
Jay
Self assessed Germaphobe, specializing in everything water, water filters, health and nutrition. Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I've acquired immense amount of knowledge when it comes to natural, biology, and everything about human anatomy.
