Can I drink distilled water?

This is water from which, after evaporation, cooling and condensation of steam, most of the mineral salts, organic substances and other impurities disappear. Because of this, it completely loses taste and smell and seems empty to some people.

According to GOST , only tenths of milligrams of ammonium, chloride, nitrates, sulfates, calcium and zinc per 1 dm³ should remain in distilled water and hundredths of aluminum, iron , copper and lead. In a regular canteen there are many times more of these substances.

Initially, highly purified water was used for technical purposes in laboratories, but over time it became drinking water, especially in areas where there is a lack of clean water.

Can distilled water harm your health?

There is nothing harmful or beneficial in distilled water. Opponents of its use believe that a lack of minerals can negatively affect health, and these concerns make sense.

Minerals are necessary for the normal functioning of all systems and organs, and their deficiency can lead to osteoporosis , problems with the cardiovascular system and other diseases.

However, the main source of micronutrients is food, not water. It is not yet clear whether the latter can lead to calcium or magnesium deficiency. There are very few scientific works devoted to this issue.

Two epidemiological studies involving Chinese schoolchildren found that children who drink water with low mineral content grow worse, have insufficient bone density and are more likely to suffer from tooth decay.

An Israeli epidemiological study found that drinking water low in magnesium may harm the health of adults: increasing the risk of coronary heart disease and increasing the likelihood of death in people with acute myocardial infarction .

At the same time, all the scientific works mentioned do not prove a clear connection between the lack of minerals in water and the occurrence of diseases. The fact is that health status can be influenced by many factors, and not all of them are taken into account in epidemiological studies.

The World Health Organization also notes that research on the benefits of hard water for heart health is controversial and does not prove a link.

Is it possible to drink distilled water all the time?

The WHO guide to drinking water says that at the moment it is impossible to determine how many minerals it must contain in order for it to bring any benefit.

Thus, we conclude that since the harm of distilled water has not been proven, it is completely safe to drink it constantly.

If there are problems with clean water in your region, but you are still afraid to use distilled water, you can use reverse osmosis filters with additional mineralization of purified water. Or buy mineral water in bottles.