Benefits of drinking distilled water – Distilled water has gone through a purification process that involves boiling water until it becomes steam.
After it is boiled and becomes steamed it is allowed to cool and return from a gas into a liquid.
During this process all inorganic minerals are removed as well as heavy metals.
Is distilled water safe?
Drinking distilled water is safe. The process of distilling water is a natural process that purifies water, in a similar way to the earths hydrologic cycle.
There are no added chemicals or disinfectants that can harm you. However, it is what is left that can cause concern.
A water distillers’ purpose is to remove substances from water and they are very good at this. However, it will also remove dissolved minerals.
This includes essential minerals like electrolytes that carry out vital functions like carrying signal to cells.
Electrolytes are primarily obtained in our bodies through food. The water we drink only contains trace amounts of minerals, so the question is how significant is this loss?
Well…… that depends on you!
It depends on your nutrition, health and current physical activity levels.
For example, the minerals that are lost in the distillation process can be replaced by adding Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt.
You can also obtain minerals from multivitamins or food sources.
Arguments against the benefits of distilled water
1. Increase in your bodies acidic levels
Your bodies acidic levels are raised due to the acidity of water once it has been distilled. It is recommended that water should be slightly alkaline, or at least have a neutral pH.
2. You may experience a flat taste
Many say that distilled water is flat in taste. However, this may be because people are use to drinking tap water that is chlorinated.
3. Electolyte imbalance
You may experience electrolyte imbalance due to the loss of minerals during the distilling process.
Benefits of distilled water
1. Believed to be the best and most natural way of purifying water
It is similar to the hydrological cycle which is how water is reused and distributed in the earth.
2. Contaminants from water are all removed
Minerals and heavy metals are removed in the process of distilling water.
3. Water-borne diseases are prevented
Removes all bacteria and parasites that are present in water that often begin their life cycle once ingested by humans.
4. Eliminated and absorbs substances that are toxic from the body
If you need to do a detox this type of water is ideal as it removes toxins from the body
Things you need to know about tap water and bottled water
Now that we have looked at the benefits of distilled water, lets explore the health benefits of tap water and bottled water to gain a clearer understanding of whether or not you should consider drinking distilled water.
1. The UK and US has one of the highest standards on the planet!
I am sure that you will take great comfort in knowing that the UK has some of the highest standards in the world in terms of how our water is treated (I am sure this applies to the US as well). There are tight regulations in place to ensure that the bacteria and nutrients in our water is not contaminated by the various chemicals used to treat water. Public water supplies are tested regularly, and the results of these tests are readily available on request.
The latest results and figure of water quality are available here.
2. Tap water contains chlorine and ethynyl estradiol.
Yes there are chemicals in our water. The water we drink goes through pipes and comes from rivers so they do need to be treated. Ethynyl estradiol is a hormone medication that is used as birth control by more then 2.5 million women in the UK, and even more in the US. It can be found in river water, however a large amount of the residue is removed by the filtation and disinfection of the drinking water in our taps.
Chlorine is obviously a concern, but It is a neceary evil as it is needed to kill all the microbes, bacteria and to eradicate all waterborne infections. One major concern has been the way that chlorine reacts with organic matter as this produces trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs can be linked to numerous health related problems (although not conclusive), but to counter this problem there is now a set value for the maximum amount of THMs allowed in treated water. Although this has reduced the amount of chlorine in water compared to river water, I prefer to filter tap water.
Lastly, fluoride has been added to drinking water in order to prevent or reduce the levels of tooth decay within the population. This practice has been criticised by many as over exposure to fluoride has been linked to skeletal fluorosis, dental fluorosis, neurological problems and thyroid problems. However, it must be noted that by drinking the recommended amount of water reduces the risk significantly and makes the likelihood of risk to health minimal.
3. Your tap water may contain lead
If your house was built prior to the 1970’s then their may be a chance that your house has lead pipes connected to the water pipes. The danger is that small amount of lead can get into the your drinking water. The world health organisation (WHO) have set a cap of 10 micrograms for amount of lead in drinking water. This is because high levels of lead are harmful, in particular for young children and women during pregnancy.
4. Not all water bottled water is mineral water
The consumption of plastic bottled water for single use in the UK is 7.7 billion and is dangerous for the landscape. Despite the fact that you will see a nice calm stream on these bottles, 25% of bottled water comes from the tap. Some of these companies may radiate or even filter this water, but it is still a con.
5. Plastic from bottled water is harmful to the body
Not only is not good for the environment but it is also bad for your health. Plastic bottles contain some harmful chemicals, which may hinder endocrine function.
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions about what type of water to drink. Avoid using bottles where possible. Filter your water whenever you can and try to use a glass bottle to store your water in. Hopefully this has helped you decide how you are going to consume your water. Now lets look at some of the benefits of drinking water.
19 Benefits of Drinking Water
Water is integral to your health and is essential to life. You have heard some of the pros and cons to drinking distilled water and how to overcome the loss of minerals from the distilling process. Regardless of the type of water you drink, lets dive in and see the plethora of benefits that staying hdrated has on your health. Here are the top 19 benefits:
1. The creation of saliva
The main component of saliva is water. Your saliva contains mucus, electrolyte and enzymes. Saliva helps to break down solid food in your mouth before it gets to your stomach, where food is further broken down.
Saliva keeps your mouth healthy and with enough fluid intake your body will always produce enough saliva. As you get older saliva production may decrease, or if you are on certain medications this may also lead to a decrease in saliva.
If you find that despite increasing water intake that you are still not producing enough saliva then see your doctor.
2. It lubricates the joints
Your joints contain cartilage which help to cushion your joints during impact. Cartilidge contains 80% water. The joints that contain cartilage are all over your body like your knees, ankles and discs of your spine. Dehydration over a long period of time can reduce your joints capacity for shock absorption.
3. Appetite suppression
Some studies have found a connection between water and weight loss. Water may help with weight loss because it may help you feel full leading to you consuming less calories.
4. It Increases your energy and metabolism
A study showed that an increase of 30% in metabolism for both women and men who drank 500 millilitres of water. The effect of this lasted over an hour.
5. It helps boost your concentration
When you are hydrated it helps to keep your mind sharp. A study has shown that if you do not drink enough water throught out the day that your alertness, focus and short term memory will be effected negatively.
6. It helps to keep you cool
If you want to stay cool, stay hydrated. When you are in hot environments or doing physical activities, your body will lose water through sweat. Sweat keeps your body cool as the heat causes water on your body to evaporate, which cools you down. However, you also lose electrolytes and plasma in sweat and losing these two things will make your body temperature rise.
7. It helps to get rid of waste products
Your body use water to help with waste removal in the form of bowel movements, urine and sweat. You need enough water in your body to produce health stools to avoid constipation. Your kidneys also help to filter out waste through the urine that you secrete. An adequate water supply helps the kidney work optimally.
8. It helps regulate your heart beat during exercise
You need water to exercise during a workout. As you sweat your blood becomes thicker and this makes it more difficult for the blood to pump blood around the body. Drinking regularly helps keep your blood thin and will decrease heart rate and stroke volume.
9. It helps with strength power and endurance
Athletes may sweat up to 6 to 10 percent of their own body weight when they exercise. During exercise such as running, cycling in hot climates severe dehydration can lead to hyperthermia, decreased blood pressure. In the most extreme cases of dehydration you could experience a stroke or even death.
10. It can help prevent constipation
If your diet is lacking in fiber, magnesium and water you could increase your chances of experiencing constipation. Drinking plain water as well as carbonated water have been found to help with these symptoms.
11. It can help fight a hang over
Drinking alcohol dehydrates your body and if you wake up with a hang over not only will you have a pounding headache, but you will be dehydrated. Drinking water helps to hydrate your body, and will help get rid of that hang over.
12. It helps your digestive system
There are experts who confirm that drinking water before your meal, during your meal and after helps break down food more easily. This is something that is debated. Some people say you should only drink at the end of your meal. Howeverr, one source says that the body is adaptable and will change depending on your stomach content and the consistency of food. Whether the food is solid or liquid the body will adjust accordingly. Try it and see if it works for your body.
13. It helps your body absorb nutrients
There are some vitamins that are stored in fats, while other vitamins and minerals are stored or dissolved in water. Water plays a key role in the breakdown of nutrients in the body as well as the distribution of certain vitamins around the body.
14. It helps prevent headaches
We already know that water helps to improve cognitive function. Headaches are pain in the neck and are often caused by dehydration. Staying hydrated can help prevent getting headaches if this is something you suffer from.
15. It improves the circulation of red blood cells
Oxygen and other essential nutrients are transported around your body in blood. Remember that 60% of your blood is made of water so remaining hydrated helps with maintaining optimum circulation and improves overall health.
16. It helps your immune system fight illness
You can prevent certain medical conditions with your uptake of water. These conditions include:
- Kidney stones
- Asthma – exercise induced
- Infections of the urinary tract
- hypertension
17. It can brighten your mood
You may not be in the best of moods if you are dehydrated. This is because dehydration may lead to anxiety, confusion and fatigue.
18. It helps to brighten your skins complexion
Staying hydrated with sufficient amounts of water can help boost collagen production. However, there are other factors that are responsible for slowing down the aging process. Your genes, exposure to sun and protection from the sun are also important factors.
19. It prevents overall dehydration
Dehydration is very dangerous as so many body functions are reliant on water. Being dehydrated can lead to:
- The brain swelling
- Failure of your kidneys
- Seizures
This is why it is important to drink enough water for what the body loses during excretion.
How much should you drink?
Earlier we spoke about the difference in bottled water and tap water. There are dangers in both. However, one thing that is a fact is that whatever type of water you drink it is better then not drinking any water. So how much should you have?
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, recommend:
- 3.6 litres of water a day for men about (15.5 cups or 125 ounces).
- 2.7 litres a day for women (11.5 cups or 91 ounces).
It is important to note that you will get 20% of your recommended water intake from food.
You will need to increase this if you are exercising or live in hotter conditions.
Other ways to assess your hydration levels are to look at the colour of your urine. If it is clear like water then you are well hydrated. If it is a brownish colour similar to apple juice then you are severely dehydrated.
Summary
Water is important to health and life. The type of water we drink is really important. If you are drinking from plastic bottles please stop as this is dangerous. I mentioned earlier that drinking water whether it is from a tap or a plastic bottle is better then avoiding drinking water. Filtering water is a great option and another great option is to consider buying carbon filters. If this is an option you would like to explore here are the carbon filters I would recommend: