Can humans drink distilled water
In this brief guide, we will address the query, “can humans drink distilled water?” We will also discuss what distilled water is and its nutritional value.
Can humans drink distilled water?
Yes, humans can drink distilled water. Distilled water is safe to drink. But does it taste good? Well, some have said it has a bland taste as a result of the stripping of different minerals that give tap water its characteristic taste.
Distilled water goes through a process of boiling and condensing. Which will assure all impurities and natural minerals from water. This type of water is widely used when a procedure requires the most purity possible.
What is distilled water and what is it used for?
Distilled water is a term used to name water that has suffered a distillation processing.
Distillation means that water was first boiled to remove all bacteria and contaminants present. After that, the steam will cool down and condenses into a liquid state again, and that is distilled water!
It is claimed that there is no purer water than distilled as distillation can remove until 99.99% of the minerals are contained in water. Due to its high purity, distilled water is used in several scenarios, like
- Medical procedures. Distilled water is used to clean medical equipment, and some procedures require this type of water.
- Research Labs. Experimenting with distilled water will help increase the accuracy of the results.
- Cosmetic industry. Most cosmetics contain water, which needs to be distilled. Moisturizers, serums, and deodorants contain distilled water.
How is distilled water made?
Distilled water is obtained through the distillation mechanism, but what implies this method? In simple words, this means that the water has been boiled to get rid of contaminants, which possess high melting points. Boiling water will make pure water turn into steam and after the contaminants are erased, it condenses and is ready to be used!
Distillation allows all contaminants and impurities to be eliminated from the water. Not all the compounds of water are indeed dangerous for humans, but some others can cause severe harm and even death.
What happens when you drink water without minerals?
Drinking distilled water means that you are only consuming hydrogen and oxygen, nothing more. This is because the distillation process removes all contaminants and important minerals, like:
- Calcium
- Sodium
- Magnesium
Once removed, it is only natural that distilled water tastes so different from tap water, as minerals are responsible for the taste we all know and love. As distilled water is minerals-free, your body will then pull minerals from different parts of your body to keep balance.
This can only happen if you do not get enough minerals from your diet, that is why you must eat some fruits and vegetables before drinking distilled water. Also, some have referred to its taste as flat, so you may not be very content with the taste of it.
What are the contaminants removed through distillation?
Distillation allows water to reach a high level of purity as all contaminants and impurities were removed, some of these compounds are:
Contaminants removed by distillation | Electrolytes removed |
Algae | Sodium |
Arsenic | Potassium |
Bacteria | Calcium |
Viruses | Chloride |
Chlorine | Bicarbonate |
Copper | Phosphate |
Fluoride | |
Mercury | |
Nitrates | |
Pesticides | |
Salt | |
Taste and odor |
Although some people have declared drinking distilled water can have great health benefits, this has not been scientifically supported. But, drinking this type of water may not be the best for your health at the end of the day.
What are the risks of drinking distilled water?
As discussed before, distilled water gets all minerals, contaminants, and bacteria removed so it has a high level of purity. However, what does that mean for us?
Well, distilled water can exhibit better consequences for people limited to using only contaminated water. As distillation allows the removal of harmful chemicals and pesticides, this means it can be safer to drink distilled water in that particular case.
However, it is not that severe, you can get more harm than good if you choose to drink distilled water. First of all, it needs to be stored in an appropriate container because it is capable of absorbing plastic, or any substance, to get the minerals it has lost when distilled.
Is distilled water healthier than tap water?
Humans need minerals in their diet, and the only difference between distilled and purified water is that this last one still exhibits some minerals.
So, to attend to our nutritional needs we need to drink purified water, which has also been submitted to different processes, such as:
- Distillation.
If you want further guidance on this subject, please click here.
Other FAQs about Water that you may be interested in.
Why use cold water to make coffee
Why does salt water take longer to boil
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we have addressed the query, “can humans drink distilled water?” We have also discussed other queries related to the subject at hand.
Hope you found this blog useful. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Citations
https://www.webmd.com/diet/distilled-water-overview#091e9c5e81cebe7d-2-6
https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-drink-distilled-water#distilled-water-vs-purified-water
https://www.freshwatersystems.com/blogs/blog/is-distilled-water-safe-to-drink