As a leading supplier of distilled water we are often asked whether it is safe to drink. As people are increasingly conscious about the water they drink – from the safety of tap water, to whether mineral or spring water is best – purified water like distilled is often included in the debate. 

We do not recommend distilled water for human consumption.   

Why? 

The short answer is because the process of distilling water removes minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium, which are important for human health. 

What is distilled water? 

Unlike sea, mineral or tap water, distilled water is defined as H20 that is close to or completely free of minerals and contaminants. It’s produced through a process of boiling water until it transforms into vapor, leaving behind the contaminants in the initial container, and finally condenses into pure water in a separate container. 

Distilled water is used for a variety of applications, mainly industrial, chemical and biological, where unpurified water would contaminate experiments or corrode equipment due to its high mineral contents or presence of pollutants.

But it is not suitable for human consumption. Distilled water removes essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. As a result, if you choose distilled water as your source of hydration, your mineral intake might be so insufficient that your body becomes less healthy. Without calcium, for instance, your bones and teeth might become very brittle. What’s more, very little calcium reduces neuromuscular excitability and how the heart and muscles contract as well as the coagulability of blood.

To make matters more complicated, the lack of minerals may result in distilled water leaching existing minerals and nutrients in the body, even those that you have just consumed. What’s more, you may also be subjecting your body to more toxic metals because of higher leaching of metals as a result of the distilled water coming into contact with certain kinds of materials.

Lastly, if you use distilled water for cooking, your vegetables, meat and cereals can lose up to 60% of their calcium and magnesium as well as up to 66% of copper, 70% of manganese and 85% of cobalt. So everything you consume will lack essential minerals needed by the body. Other possibilities include the likelihood of bacterial contamination and negative effects on metabolism and mineral homeostasis.

In conclusion... 

It’s advisable that you drink alternatives with a healthy mineral count. We do not recommend drinking distilled water.