Risks of Distilled Water

We’re going to breakdown these concerns below. The main point is this: while distilled water is better than contaminated water, it is not better than regular tap water and may even have negative health impacts.

Why does distilled water cause pipes and storage containers to leach undesirable contaminants?

If you store distilled water for drinking, you may be at risk of consuming parts of the container you store the water in. Because low- or demineralized water is molecularly unstable, it is “highly aggressive” to materials with which it contacts. Subsequently, distilled water can leach undesirable compounds from any material it comes in contact with.

Distilled water more readily dissolves plastics, (heavy) metals, and some organic substances from pipes, coatings, storage tanks and containers. As a result, you may wind up consuming them instead.

If you do drink distilled water, we recommend that you store it in glass.

Why does distilled water taste worse than regular tap water?

It is often reported that distilled water doesn’t taste as good as tap water. Some even claim it is less thirst quenching.

Why? Isn’t it just water?

When distilled water is created through the boiling process, the dissolved air within leaves the water. Subsequently, this results in a flat taste. Additionally, along with the loss of the dissolved air, calcium is also eliminated–which, when present, often contributes to water’s pleasant taste.

While neither flat taste nor lack of thirst-quenching are considered to be health effects, they could have some very real implications–as it may affect the amount of water one drinks.

How does distilled water impact nutrient intake?

While regular tap water is generally not a major source of nutrients, its contribution may be significant to your health–particularly when it comes to calcium and magnesium. As a World Health Organization (WHO) report notes, the typical modern diet may provide inadequate amounts of minerals and microelements. Subsequently, if faced with borderline deficiency of particular element, the relatively low intake of the element from drinking water may play a protective role in your health.

Elements in drinking water are usually present as free ions (rather than being bound to other substances when in food), making them more readily absorbed in the body.

In fact, the same WHO report goes on to discuss a handful of epidemiological studies from the past half century that indicate that water low in calcium and magnesium (also known as ‘soft water’) is associated with the following (when compared to hard water):

What are the Uses of Distilled Water?

While we don’t typically recommend drinking distilled water, it certainly has its merits. Distilled water is often used for in laboratories for experiments, as well as for a variety of industrial applications. It is also a good choice for humidifiers, aquariums, and for use in cooling systems (as many many minerals found in tap water can damage lead-acid batteries).

What it Boils Down To

While we (generally) recommend drinking tap water over distilled water, this only holds true if you know what’s flowing from your tap. You should always test your water before making a definitive decision as to what is the best choice for you. If you find that  you have low-quality or contaminated tap water, then distilled water is a better (and safer) choice

Check our our water testing packages to make an informed decision or send us a message at hello@gosimplelab.com for more information!