When water is purified through distillation, it is called distilled water. While there are different types of distillation, they all work by separating components of a mixture as per their boiling points. In other words, the process involves heating water to its boiling point to separate chemicals that boil off at a relatively lower temperature. There may be some substances left after evaporation, but they are also discarded to get a purer form of water. Many people believe distilled water is a lot more beneficial as compared to regular tap water. Is it true? Keep reading to find out.
Is Drinking Distilled Water Good?
There is nothing wrong in distilled water, but it offers no health benefits. In fact, distilled water has no natural minerals. If you want to drink water to get magnesium, calcium, iron, and other nutrients, you may actually want to avoid distilled water. Drinking spring water or mineral water is a better choice in this case. If you are fasting using distilled water, you may have to deal with heartbeat irregularities and hypertension because of the rapid loss of trace minerals and electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and chloride. Similarly, cooking food in distilled water lowers the nutrient value of your food.
What Are the Disadvantages of Drinking Distilled Water?
Here are some other disadvantages to help you decide if you should opt for it or look for other alternatives.
1. It is Not Energy Efficient
Using a distillation system to purify your water is not a great idea, especially if you are a bit concerned about energy efficiency. The distillation process takes a lot of time and this will not be a great choice for an energy conscious person.
2. It Tastes Flat
People who support other types of water always argue that distilled water tastes flat. This usually happens due to the lack of minerals.
3. It Causes Acidity
Distilled water is definitely a purer form of water, but this purity makes it an active absorber. It creates a carbonic acid solution in your body after absorbing carbon dioxide from the air. The body acidity will increase if you continue to drink distilled water. If your digestive system is already weak or you are taking certain medications, the carbonic acid can lead to certain complications.
4. It Causes Mineral Deficiencies
When you drink this water regularly, you may need to deal with mineral deficiencies. Drinking distilled water also increases your risk for osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, hypertension, hypothyroidism, premature aging, and coronary artery disease.
5. It Does Not Hydrates Your Body Well
The shape and size of clusters of molecules in water play a huge role in determining if it can hydrate your body properly or not. The shape and size of these molecule clusters change significantly after distillation. They become larger and it's difficult for your body's tissues to absorb them.
6. It Causes Electrolyte Imbalance
Several studies have found that after being stripped of all minerals, distilled water can cause electrolyte imbalances. This will make your body to get electrolytes from your tissues, which will disturb your water redistribution system. The result will be weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, and an abnormal heart rate.
7. It May Lead to Dental Problems
There is no fluoride in distilled water, which is the reason why you are more likely to deal with dental problems and cavities by drinking it regularly. However, whether drinking water should include fluoride or not is still a disputed topic.
What Is the Best Water to Drink?
You may be wondering what to do when drinking distilled water is not a good choice. You have to pay attention to certain things when selecting drinking water. Drink water that has the following characteristics:
- It should be free of all contaminants. It should contain no toxins, such as toxic metals, synthetic chemicals, radioactive substances, bacteria and viruses, and other treatment additives.
- It should contain natural occurring minerals, which should stay intact even after purification processes.
- It should have an alkaline pH between 7.0 and 9.5 to ensure it has healthy levels of magnesium and calcium.
- It should be reduced or electrolyzed because drinking reduced water helps improve cellular hydration and cell-water turnover.
- It should be ionized to have negative oxidation-reduction ability, which is necessary to eliminate free radicals from the body.