College Health TV
Generally, when people buy distilled water at the supermarket, they have no intention of drinking it. Instead, this ultra-purified water usually ends up in machines like automobiles, irons, or CPAP devices. Since distilled water is basically compressed steam, it has zero mineral content; hence, it can keep all of these machines humming smoothly.
However, just because most people don’t drink distilled water doesn’t necessarily mean it’s toxic. Even though distilled water doesn’t have beneficial minerals like magnesium, it’s still considered safe to drink. In fact, if you’re traveling to an area with unclean tap water, distilled water could be the healthiest option.
While it’s true that distilled water pulls in minerals from its environment, most doctors don’t believe it’s enough to cause serious issues. Unless you’ve already been diagnosed with a mineral deficiency, a few glasses of distilled water shouldn’t cause significant side effects–especially if you eat plenty of nutrient-dense fruits and veggies.
On the downside, distilled water can leach harmful chemicals like BPA from materials like plastic. For this reason, it’s best to store distilled water in a high-quality glass container or a BPA-free bottle.
Another issue some people experience with distilled water concerns its taste. Although water doesn’t have a “flavor” per se, distilled water has none of the “crispness” you’d get from all-natural spring water. Again, this has to do with the fact that distilled water has zero mineral content.
Of course, you can enhance distilled water’s “blah” taste by adding a store-bought flavor enhancer or an electrolyte packet. You could also add a squirt of citrus juice, a few frozen berries, or diced cucumbers to make your distilled water more palatable. Not only will these ingredients enhance your water’s flavor, they will add back some of the vitamins and minerals it lacks. Overall, distilled water is neither a poison nor a panacea. While this type of water doesn’t have the naturally-occurring minerals in spring water, that doesn’t mean it will rob your body of essential nutrients. As long as you have no pre-existing deficiencies and eat a well-balanced diet, it’s OK to drink distilled water. Just don’t expect this water to give you extra healing benefits versus other purified waters.
