Can You Drink Distilled Water? Here’s What to Know

With so many types of water available—including tap, bottled, filtered, and distilled options—it can be confusing to know which is best for your home and your health. Among these choices, distilled water is often touted for its cleanliness and safety. But is distilled water healthy to drink? Is it the best solution for your hydration needs? Before you opt to rely on distilled water in your home, you should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of drinking distilled water, especially if you plan on consuming distilled water every day as your regular source of hydration.

What Is Distilled Water?

Distilled water is the output from boiling water, allowing it to evaporate into its gas form. The steam is then cooled back into its liquid form, usually by forcing it through room-temperature tubes or pipes. The distilled water then runs off into a separate, sterile collection container where it can be used for anything from drinking to cooking.

What Does Water Distillation Remove?

Like other purification methods, distillation cannot eliminate all contaminants commonly found in water. However, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln water management study found that, when conducted properly, distillation can remove up to 99.5% of impurities. Therefore, this method is one of the most effective currently available.

Does Distilled Water Have Minerals?

When water is heated to vapor during the distillation process, dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium, salts, and other electrolytes are left behind as residue in the boiling chamber since they have a much higher boiling point than water.

Does Distilling Water Remove Chemicals and Heavy Metals?

Chemicals like chlorine and fluoride, as well as heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, are mostly removed from distilled water. Fluoride and heavy metals have high boiling points, so they remain in the boiling chamber. On the other hand, chemicals with a lower boiling point than water, such as chlorine, turn to vapor before water and are vented out before the water turns to steam. However, some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that share a similar boiling point to water may vaporize and condense with the water during the distillation process.

Does Distilling Water Remove Microplastics?

Even though microplastics can be as small as one nanometer, they’re still solids. They will not vaporize during the distillation process and are left behind in the boiling chamber during distillation.

Does Distilling Water Remove Biological Contaminants?

Biological contaminants like bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and other microorganisms are killed off by high temperatures in the distillation boiling chamber.

What Does Distilled Water Taste Like?

Some people think distilled water tastes flat or bland, especially compared to the taste of tap or non-distilled water sources. This is because the minerals that add taste to water, such as calcium and magnesium, are removed during distillation.

Can You Cook With Distilled Water?

Distilled water is safe to cook with. However, since distilled water doesn’t contain minerals, such as sodium, it won’t impart any flavor into your food. You’ll need to be generous with seasoning, especially when cooking foods that already have high water content with distilled water.

Benefits of Drinking Distilled Water

As mentioned, distilled water is mostly free from a large range of contaminants, making it exceptionally safe for drinking. Drinking distilled water also reduces the risk of contracting waterborne illnesses or consuming harmful chemicals. Since there are no minerals like sodium, distilled water is a great choice for individuals on salt-restricted diets.

Disadvantages of Drinking Distilled Water

Because distilled water is largely free from contaminants, you might be thinking it’s healthy to drink. However, the real answer is less straightforward. While distilled water isn’t unhealthy, it does lack important nutrients. Because healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium are removed, it may be important for you to consume these through your water depending on your diet. Distilled water also lacks electrolytes, which are essential for refreshing fluids and staying hydrated. So, distilled water won’t actually keep you as hydrated as you may need to be if you are physically active or feeling under the weather.

Adding Trace Minerals to Distilled Water

To mitigate the primary disadvantages of distilled water, you can purchase mineral drops. These add essential minerals into your water, providing key nutrients and improving taste.

Alternatives to Distilled Water

If you’re worried about drinking water safety at home but still want to enjoy the benefits of minerals in your water, a reverse osmosis filter is an ideal solution. Kind Water System’s Kind 6-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System reduces contaminants and includes a remineralization component to ensure healthy minerals stay in your water.