Is Distilled Water Safe to Drink or Should You Use it for Something Else?

If you didn’t know already, water is one of the largest businesses on the planet. The truth is that distilled water was considered for general consumption as far back as in the 1960s. The sheer reason for that was because in certain parts of the world the demand for drinking water outstripped its availability.

Another reason for which people started to produce distilled water was for cruise ship usage as it provided them with access to clean water. Needless to say, the potential for drinking water without the minerals was not really considered at the time because the need for a proper water supply was just too serious.

Of course, a lot has happened in the last 5 years and we’ve got to learn quite a lot about distilled water. As it turns out, it might not be your best bet to drink it excessively as it does pose a certain amount of dangers for your overall health.
distilled water

Why Drinking Distilled Water Might Not be the Best Idea?

There are quite a lot of different reasons for which you might opt out of drinking distilled water. Let’s have a closer look.

Mineral Deficiencies

minerals
Now, the very first and foremost thing that you ought to keep in mind is associated with the basic needs and wants of your body. Excessive consumption of distilled water is going to rob your body of its natural source for a lot of minerals which are actually quite essential for your proper health.

This is going to result in mineral loss. On its own, this is something which might increase the risk of conditions such as coronary artery disease, premature aging, hypertension, and others of the kind.

Tooth Decay

tooth decay
There is no fluoride which is contained in distilled water. This is the main reason for which dentists are starting to see a serious amount of increased cavities in young children whose parents make them drink bottled water instead of tap water.

Consumers mistakenly believe that bottled water is safe compared to the regular tap water supplies in their communities, which is something that could cause potential complications. Even tap water is not a safe bet and you should consider purifying it to make sure the quality of it.

Imbalance in your electrolyte levels

Balance
Once again, excessive usage of distilled water could cause additional issues associated with the levels of electrolytes in your bodies, according to a research done by the WHO. This is something that might be seen as harmless by a lot of people but it will eventually take its toll on your body. You will start feeling tired a lot more often and you will be unable to go through your regular daily routine as your body will simply not function as well.

These are just a few of the reasons for which you ought to refrain from using distilled water only. So to answer whether is distilled water safe to drink or not? It may be, but it has to be used with a sense of measurement.

We are pretty certain that you’ve heard the wide majority of your friends and family proclaiming that distilled water is a lot better than regular tap water because it contains no chemicals and whatsoever. The truth is that tap water contains incredibly necessary minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and others of the kind. They are very much-needed for our bodies to maintain its overall functionality and to guarantee that everything is handled properly. But also tap water has a lot of heavy metal from pipelines and not all of dangerous chemicals are filtered of at the local filtration station stage. We should only rely on ourselves when it comes to the health topic and this is why purchasing a filter for you house might be one of the best investments.

So, is there a use for distilled water at all? Of course there is. Let’s have a look.

Distilled water for automobile

car
One of the best uses for it is to serve as coolant system for your car. The truth is that tap water contains certain minerals which might be corrosive to the metal components which are encountered in the car’s engine. Distilled water has managed to get rid of them and, as such, is a better use for your car compared to tap water. It is entirely safe using it for coolants and for cleaning your engine, for instance.

Laboratory use

laboratory

This is another prominent area of usage for distilled water. If you haven’t gotten it by now – distilled water is stripped off all the minerals which are contained in tap water. As such, it is impossible or far less likely for it to tamper with the results of a certain study or experiment. As you must certainly know, scientific studies require nothing but accuracy and thorough precision to guarantee that all the variables are taken out of the equation.

In the medical field

medical

Distilled water is a lot more preferred when it comes to cleaning medical tools. These are the instruments which are commonly used for certain medical procedures. This is due to the same reason you’re probably used to – it contains no minerals which could potentially cause spotting. It is something quite important.

Making Soap

soap

The fact that no chemicals are encountered in distilled water is something that makes it perfect for making soap. This way, the efficiency of the soap itself is not going to be decreased. If you want to make your organic soap as well as bath products, the best way to go about it is using distilled water as it is definitely going to make sure that everything is handled properly.

Washing hair

hair

The commonly encountered chemicals and minerals in tap water such as magnesium, calcium, chlorine, and chlorine are not particularly beneficial for your hair. In fact, they are not good for it at all.

This is something that you ought to keep in mind. While it might be challenging using distilled water out of sheer practicality (it might be hard to get it pouring from the shower), using distilled water is, indeed, a lot better for your hair altogether. This is something that has to be taken into serious account as it may prevent flaking and dandruff.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons for which you might prefer using distilled water for a lot of other things different from drinking. To answer the question – is distilled water safe for drinking – yes, it is, but it shouldn’t be used systematically and only if there is no other alternative. You can always combine usage of both tap and distilled water to make sure that your body receives the necessary amount of minerals and chemicals which are needed for its functioning.

This is going to prevent any potential complications and it is going to ensure that everything is handled as per the highest standards.

You can take a look at the above suggestions and find a better use for distilled water instead of drinking.

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6 thoughts on “Is Distilled Water Safe to Drink or Should You Use it for Something Else?”

  1. Good to know about mineral deficiencies if you only drink distilled water! I never would have thought of that. Good article!

  2. So glad I came across this article. It opened my eyes to the many uses of distilled water! Who knew that distilled water is actually better for your hair because of the lack of minerals? I sure didn’t. Great read!

  3. What if we were to replenish the distilled water with the necessary minerals and electrolytes by adding them extraneously? Wouldn’t this, coupled with the elimination of heavy metals and other contaminants, then make it the safest water to drink long term? I produce my own distilled water to which I add a pure source of sodium chloride with trace minerals and just want to know I’m doing the best health wise for my family. Thank you.

    1. Hi Glen,

      Thanks for the question. Personally, I would prefer the reverse osmosis filtration with remineralization stage. The reason for this is that the distillation is quite costly in energy, and although RO also wastes water, but there are systems that can be quite efficient. So for this reason I would prefer RO system with remineralization, over distillation.

      Cheers
      Eugen

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