Hydration is the most essential thing for human beings to survive, and the best way to stay hydrated is by drinking water. You can change the nature of drinking water by making some alterations to it, for example, distilled water and alkaline water. In this article, we will be discussing distilled water; can you drink it, its benefits for your health, and the risks associated with drinking it.
Before we discover whether distilled water is drinkable, we will briefly explain how distilled water is made and how it tastes.
How is distilled water made?
Distilled water is just pure and boiled water. When plain water is boiled, it starts to evaporate, and a stream is formed. This stream is then captured, cooled, and bottled in distilled water. The stream does not contain many naturally occurring elements in the water, like minerals, heavy metals, and nutrients. These substances have a higher boiling point as compared to water molecules, and they stay behind in the boiling pot. The resulting water is free from all the other elements found in water and is pure H2O.
Taste of Distilled Water
If you haven’t tasted distilled water before, you are in for a surprise. Distilled water tastes flattered and may disturb your taste buds as you are used to drinking plain water with minerals and other nutrients. You may feel like a tingling sensation on your tongue while you are sipping distilled water. It may also disturb your stomach as well.
Can You Drink Distilled Water?
Yes, you can drink distilled water, but please make sure you drink it in moderation and not as a part of your daily diet. Many drinks already contain a proportion of distilled water, so if you are already consuming those drinks in a large quantity, limit your intake of distilled water.
If you are suffering from a chronic disease, on medication, or pregnant, you should avoid drinking distilled water. Infants, Children, and athletes should not drink distilled water as it disturbs the pH level of the body, impacts the metabolism rate, and also upsets the electrolysis process in the body.
If you do not have any of the above conditions, you can consume distilled water in moderation. If you notice any adverse impacts on your health after drinking distilled water, you should consult your doctor and discuss the side effects and amount of distilled water you are taking.
Benefits of Drinking Distilled Water
Research on the benefits of drinking distilled water is still going on. However, preliminary results have shown that drinking distilled water can bring about following positive changes in your body
- Cleansing your Body: As distilled water does not contain any impurities, it can cleanse your system, blood, and other fluids in the body from the impurities.
- Disease Risk Reduction: When you drink distilled water, there are zero risks of waterborne diseases. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi cannot survive the distillation process.
Side Effects
A study* conducted by WHO outlined the side effects associated with drinking distilled water. Some of the common risks associated with drinking excessive amounts of distilled water are listed below.
- Teeth Problems: Distilled water lacks the necessary element for preventing tooth decay: Fluoride. If you are drinking distilled water, you must use toothpaste that has extra fluoride in it.
- Malnutrition: Drinking too much distilled water can cause malnutrition to people who are already on a diet. Water is a rich source of healthy minerals needed by your body. Distilled water does not have these. You must make sure that you provide your body with the required amount of healthy nutrients.
- Change in pH Levels of your Body: All the organs in your body need an optimum level of pH to function properly. If you consume too much distilled water, you may end up altering the specific pH level, and your organs may get disturbed.
- Body Acidity: Distilled water can make your body acidic. It contains no minerals and has a relatively high percentage of carbon monoxide. CO can make your body acidic and cause digestion and other problems.
Uses of Distilled Water
Distilled water has the following uses
- Car Batteries and cooling systems
- Home appliances
- Aquariums (with the addition of mineral supplements)
- Laboratories
- Steam Irons
Distilled Water or Pure Water?
Distilled water must not be confused with pure water. Pure water contains minerals that are necessary for your health, while distilled water does not. Making distilled water is also harmful to the environment as it leaves behind hard water.
Boiling water consumes a lot of energy, and it also disturbs the environment. We agree that there are some advantages of drinking water, but they are still under research, and nothing concrete has been found.
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