IS DISTILLED WATER ACIDIC AND DOES IT HARM YOU?
One of the really hot topics which you see a lot of people talking about with regard to distilled water is acidity. The theory goes that because distilled water is very mildly acidic it can leach minerals from the body. There is also a competing theory that slightly different theory that the acidity of distilled water makes the body ultimately more alkaline. And there are many advocates of drinking alkaline water. Anyway, let’s now examine the scientific basis for this.
What is the PH of distilled water?
Distilled water at the moment of distillation is pH7 which is neutral. Then, after a relatively short time a very small amount of the distilled water will bond with atmospheric carbon dioxide to make a very small amount of carbonic acid, much less than you would get with a carbonated drink for example but enough to push distilled water to pH6. That is about the same as most fish meat, asparagus, butter, olives or a curry. With the pH scale lower is more acidic and it is also logarithmic. What that means is that ph6 is 10x more acidic than pH7, ph5 is 100x more acidic than pH7, pH4 is 1000x more acidic than pH7, etc. Something really acidic like Coca Cola (and most fizzy drinks) is pH 2.5. Your stomach acid is pH1.5 to 3.5. The acidity of a car battery is about pH0.7 - 1.0. So you can see, yes distilled water is technically acidic, but really not by very much. Now what happens in your gut?
When you swallow anything it triggers the release of hydrochloric acid into the stomach and part of the job of that acid is to kill off any bugs that might be in your food. Next stop after the stomach is the duodenum and at this stage lots of bicarbonate gets released into the food to neutralise the pH and from then on the food gets absorbed during its passage through your intestines.
People have two main worries:
First, they worry that drinking distilled water will make their stomach contents more acidic. Let’s think about this, when you pour a very weak acid (distilled water) into a very strong acid (stomach) you end up with a diluted (less acidic) mixture. To make your stomach more acidic you would need to be consuming something more acidic than the stomach contents. Drinking distilled water is never going to make your stomach contents more acidic, it will only ever make it less acidic.
Secondly, people worry that drinking distilled water will somehow make their bloodstream more acidic and that this will leach minerals from their bodies. Drinking distilled water is not going to make your bloodstream more acidic. After the water has been mixed with the incredibly strong acid in your stomach and then mixed with the alkalising effect of the bicarbonate, any latent acidity that might have existed in the distilled water will have been completely wiped out.
The whole leaching minerals argument is an example of what psychologists call truthiness; it kind of sounds like it could be true so people believe it. In reality it is non-science.
Your body works extremely hard to keep your blood pH between 7.35 and 7.45. If it goes outside that range then your enzymes start to denature and you need to go to hospital (in an ambulance). Even people who are slightly out of range like pH7.25 can be very ill indeed. For your blood to be acidic enough to actually start dissolving minerals it would have to be well below pH6 and you would definitely be long dead by then. In addition minerals are held in bone in a complex organic molecule called hypoxyapetite, it's a combination of Vitamin D and Calcium, you need enzymes to get the Calcium out - not acid.
The idea of acidic water sounds scary but it does not harm you, if it could, rainwater would harm you and most foods would harm you. There is nothing harmful about drinking distilled water. And if you are at all worried about it being mildly acidic then you can always add a pinch of Sodium Bicarbonate to rebalance the pH.
How to make distilled water more alkaline?
You can make your distilled water more alkaline by adding say Sodium Bicarbonate to it. Alkaline water has a higher pH (above pH7). Some people claim that drinking alkaline water can help prevent disease, such as cancer and heart disease. However, there isn't enough research to verify these claims and there is no evidence that alkaline water is better than any other type of water. There are suggestions of potential risks from alkaline water. In a study, baby rats given alkaline water showed impaired growth and damage to cardiac muscle. Additionally, a case report released in 2015 said that when a municipal water plant in a town in Germany accidentally increased the water’s pH to 12, skin burns ensued.
CLEAR SKIN AND OTHER BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER
Clear skin is good for your self esteem. Human beings are visual creatures and we judge people based on how they look. One of the cheapest ways of getting a clear skin is drinking plenty of water every day.
The benefits of drinking water
- Water keeps your skin hydrated and looking healthy.
- Water helps cleanse the body. This is important because toxins build up is responsible for skin breakout. Water intake is associated in the combating of such problems as dry skin, spots, wrinkles, and eczema. There are several other reasons why you should drink the recommended 8 glasses (8 oz.) of water per day.
- Water will help you with safe weight loss. This is because water helps remove fat by-products from the body. It also helps fill your stomach, thereby helping suppress your appetite. Keep in mind that water is calories-free.
The body is 70% water. The greatest percentage of mass in the brain and most other tissues is made up of water. It, therefore, follows that water is needed for the body to function properly.
- Water helps increase the metabolic rate, meaning an improved digestive system.
- Water also helps prevent constipation.
Water also has several health benefits.
The removal of toxins from the body helps prevent the slow destruction of organs. When the body lacks water, the heart requires a lot more effort to pump blood around the body. A study conducted in California’s Loma Linda University showed that people who took enough water per day were less likely to get heart attacks (41% and 54% less likely in women and men respectively). Dehydration is also associated with back pain and headaches. Other health benefits of drinking plenty of water are reduced risk of kidney stones, arthritis, rheumatism, intestinal problems, respiratory problems, and flu.
Water is able to dilute cancer-causing agent concentration in urine. This is important because it reduces the risk of colon and bladder cancer. Drinking water helps maintain the body at neutral pH 7 which is the pH level needed for proper body function. Water also helps cool down the body and allows for better exercising.
If you will be drinking 8 glasses of water per day to get these benefits, it is important that the water is of good quality. You should use a water distiller if you are not sure about the cleanliness of the water.
BOTTLED WATER: IT HARMS YOU, YOUR WALLET AND THE PLANET
Every year 2.8 billion litres of bottled water in 7.7 billion bottles are consumed in the UK. The bottled water market is big, consumers shell out huge sums on bottled water and yet this fashionable convenience does nothing but harm. It is time we took a stand against bottled water, here's why:
Bottle water harms you
A lot of bottled water contains BPA an oestrogen analogue which is linked to birth defects, hyperactivity disorders and cancers in children. And it can triple the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults. BPA is becoming less common however but it is being replaced by a chemical called BHPF and BHPF is just as bad as BPA. There are a lot of different types of plastic. The safest of the plastics is Polypropylene which does not get used in bottled water, it is relatively common in the higher quality plastic bottles like the sports water bottles that are available.
In addition, research has found all water sold in plastic bottles contains microplastics. On average there are 10.4 larger pieces of microplastic and 314 smaller pieces of microplastic per litre in bottled water. Remember, this is an average; the amount found in some bottled water is considerably higher. Also, the amount of microplastics does not correlate with the cost of the water. Remember, your body does not know how to deal with microplastics, research is still ongoing, but we do know that microplastics tend to accumulate in your body.
Bottled water harms your wallet
Bottled water is ridiculously expensive. It is often more expensive than milk or petrol. And a lot of bottled water actually comes from public sources anyway - you are just paying for someone to fill a bottle with water from a tap. Only spring water is actually from a natural source and as soon as it is put into a plastic bottle it is contaminated.
Even Smart Water from the Coca-Cola corporation is simply distilled water. Well, you can make your own "smart water" with a distiller for 10p a litre rather than shell out over £1 a litre for water that was contaminated the moment it passed through the (plastic) bottling plant.
Bottled water harms the environment
Plastic bottles take 450-1,000 years to degrade and there are a lot of them. Also, only 1 in 4 is actually recyclable - all the rest get put into landfill. Then there is the energy cost. 22% of UK bottled water comes from overseas and it actually takes 3 litres of water to produce one litre of bottled water - absolutely crazy.
And huge amounts of oil are used. In fact, in the UK alone, 10 million barrels of oil go into the production and transportation of bottled water EACH YEAR. Producing bottled water is environmentally costly - it takes 2,000 times more energy to produce a litre of bottled water compared to a litre of tap water. The Attenborough campaign was effective because it raised awareness of the harm caused by bottled water. However, consumption in the UK only went down from 2.98 billion litres to 2.81 billion litres per annum. So it worked, but the bottled water industry is still flourishing.
So why do we drink bottled water?
The only benefit is convenience. It is just too easy to pick up a bottle of water at the supermarket or newsagent. But now is the time to stop. Try to break the habit. Buy eco-friendly water bottles like stainless steel or glass, start distilling your own water and stop harming yourself, your wallet and the environment.
A quick note about different materials for water storage:
Plastic water bottles - plastic varies in quality, some is very good like high quality polypropylenes, however, the general danger from plastics is nasty chemicals leaching into the water. Good quality polypropylene bottles designed for water storage are generally safe, be wary of the rest.
Stainless steel water bottles - 304 stainless steel can react when chloride ions are present and heat. That is why we always suggest you wash out your home water distiller after each distillation and give it a thorough clean if you are not going to use it for a while. As regards water bottles, tap water can contain chloride ions but distilled water does not. So distilled water cannot react with stainless steel and it is safe to store distilled water in but not so tap water. 316-grade stainless steel is modified so that it does not react with chloride ions, hence it is marine grade.
Glass water bottles - great for storage but heavy and expensive - works best for home storage rather than a portable water bottle. Even toughened ones shatter when dropped - as we have discovered numerous times!
Titanium - very unreactive, and super lightweight, the perfect material - it's just rather expensive.
ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS TO DRINKING DISTILLED WATER?
This is an area of hot debate on the Internet. The short answer is that there are no side effects to drinking distilled water. However, there are a lot of myths.
The thing most people are concerned about is the lack of minerals present in distilled water. Some say that the lack of minerals in water means you will end up with a lack of minerals in your bloodstream. This is complete nonsense.
I calculated the amounts of mineral water you would need to consume in order to meet your daily requirements of common minerals. The quantities are vast. No one could physically drink three tonnes of water in one day to meet their potassium requirements.
The amount of mineral water needed to meet anyone’s biological needs for minerals is impossible to consume. The long and short of it is that we get minerals from food. If you eat a healthy, balanced diet you will get everything you need.
I work in a major teaching hospital. All day long I am looking at blood test results. With a few notable exceptions, the only people I ever see with deranged blood electrolytes are chronic alcoholics who have been drinking large amounts of alcohol and very little actual food. Essentially, they have been starving themselves. All these people, when they stop drinking and start eating, their electrolytes improve very rapidly.
There is this idea that drinking distilled water is somehow different or special and that it is going to have some crazy effect. Distilled water is just pure water. Rainwater is distilled water, the only concern people have about drinking rainwater is the pollution (and rightly so).
If you want to drink distilled water, do it. There are no adverse side effects. The only genuine side effect is you will not be ingesting all the contaminants in tap water and you will be taking back control over how you hydrate.
79 COMMON DRINKING WATER CONTAMINANTS AND THEIR EFFECTS
A comprehensive list detailing all the common drinking water contaminants and their potential harmful effects
Only distillation followed by activated charcoal filtration will completely remove all these contaminants. We have classified them into groups.
Micro-organisms - bacteria and viruses. All are killed by distillation.
Information on the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, the Maximum Contaminant Level or Treatment Technique, and the health effects and sources for contaminants under the Microorganisms category.
| Contaminant | Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure | Sources of Contamination |
| Cryptosporidium | Gastrointestinal illness (eg. diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps) | Human and animal faecal waste |
| Giardia lamblia | Gastrointestinal illness (eg. diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps) | Human and animal faecal waste |
| Heterotrophic plate count (HPC) | HPC has no health effects; it is simply a way to measure the variety of bacteria that are common in water. The lower the concentration of bacteria in drinking water, the better maintained the water system is. | HPC measures a range of bacteria naturally present in the environment |
| Legionella | Legionnaire's Disease, a type of pneumonia | Found naturally in water; multiplies in heating systems |
| Total Coliforms (including faecal coliform and E. Coli | Not a health threat in itself; but can indicate when other potentially harmful bacteria may be present | Coliforms are naturally present in the environment; as well as faeces; faecal coliforms and E. coli only come from human and animal fecal waste. |
| Turbidity | Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. It is used to indicate water quality and filtration effectiveness (such as whether disease-causing organisms are present). Higher turbidity levels are often associated with higher levels of disease-causing microorganisms such as viruses, parasites and some bacteria. These organisms can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhoea, and associated headaches. | Soil run-off |
| Viruses | Gastro-intestinal illness (such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and cramps) | Human and animal faecal waste |
Disinfection by-products - these are products that have often been used to disinfect the water. They are removed by distillation and filtration.
| Contaminant | Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure | Sources of Contamination |
| Bromate | Increased risk of cancer | By-product of drinking water disinfection |
| Chlorite | Anaemia; infants and young children: nervous system effects | By-product of drinking water disinfection |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) | Increased risk of cancer | By-product of drinking water disinfection |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | Liver, kidney or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer | By-product of drinking water disinfection |
Disinfectants - the domestic and industrial use of disinfectants can pollute your water supply. They are removed by distillation and filtration. The Megahome distiller incorporates distillation and filtration.
| Contaminant | Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure | Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
| Chloramines (as Cl2) | Eye/nose irritation; stomach discomfort, anaemia | Water additive used to control microbes |
| Chlorine (as Cl2) | Eye/nose irritation; stomach discomfort | Water additive used to control microbes |
| Chlorine dioxide (as ClO2) | Anaemia; infants and young children: nervous system effects | Water additive used to control microbes |
Inorganic Chemicals - these can come from a variety of sources, very often industrial. They are removed by distillation.
| Contaminant | Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure | Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water |
| Antimony | Increase in blood cholesterol; decrease in blood sugar | Discharge from petroleum refineries; fire retardants; ceramics; electronics; solder |
| Arsenic | Skin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer | Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards, runoff from glass and electronics production wastes |
| Asbestos (fiber > 10 micrometers) | Increased risk of developing benign intestinal polyps | Decay of asbestos cement in water mains; erosion of natural deposits |
| Barium | Increase in blood pressure | Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits |
| Beryllium | Intestinal lesions | Discharge from metal refineries and coal-burning factories; discharge from electrical, aerospace, and defense industries |
| Cadmium | Kidney damage | Corrosion of galvanised pipes; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from metal refineries; runoff from waste batteries and paints |
| Chromium (total) | Allergic dermatitis | Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits |
| Copper | Short term exposure: Gastrointestinal distress Long term exposure: Liver or kidney damage People with Wilson's Disease should consult their GP if the amount of copper in their water is high |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits |
| Cyanide (as free cyanide) | Nerve damage or thyroid problems | Discharge from steel/metal factories; discharge from plastic and fertiliser factories |
| Fluoride | Bone disease (pain and tenderness of the bones); Children may get mottled teeth | Water additive which promotes strong teeth; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertiliser and aluminum factories |
| Lead | Infants and children: Delays in physical or mental development; children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities Adults: Kidney problems; high blood pressure |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits |
| Mercury (inorganic) | Kidney damage | Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from refineries and factories; runoff from landfills and croplands |
| Nitrate (measured as Nitrogen) | Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate above safe levels could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome. | Run-off from fertilizer use; leaking from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits |
| Nitrite (measured as Nitrogen) | Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrite above safe levels could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome. | Run-off from fertilizer use; leaking from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits |
| Selenium | Hair or fingernail loss; numbness in fingers or toes; circulatory problems | Discharge from petroleum refineries; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from mines |
| Thallium | Hair loss; changes in blood; kidney, intestine, or liver problems | Leaching from ore-processing sites; discharge from electronics, glass, and drug factories |
Organic Chemicals - again, a variety of different sources and many have unresearched side-effects. These types of chemicals are typically removed by filtration through activated charcoal which is why the Megahome Distiller has an activated carbon filter. Many are also removed by distillation.
| Contaminant | Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure | Sources of Contamination |
| Acrylamide | Nervous system or blood problems; increased risk of cancer | Added to water during sewage / wastewater treatment |
| Alachlor | Eye, liver, kidney or spleen problems; anaemia; increased risk of cancer | Run-off from herbicide used on crops |
| Atrazine | Cardiovascular system or reproductive problems | Run-off from herbicide used on crops |
| Benzene | Anaemia; decrease in blood platelets; increased risk of cancer | Discharge from factories; leaching from gas storage tanks and landfills |
| Benzo(a)pyrene (PAHs) | Reproductive difficulties; increased risk of cancer | Leaching from linings of water storage tanks and distribution lines |
| Carbofuran | Problems with blood, nervous system, or reproductive system | Leaching of soil fumigant used on rice and alfalfa |
| Carbon tetrachloride | Liver problems; increased risk of cancer | Discharge from chemical plants and other industrial activities |
| Chlordane | Liver or nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer | Residue of banned insecticide |
| Chlorobenzene | Liver or kidney problems | Discharge from chemical and agricultural chemical factories |
| 2,4-D | Kidney, liver, or adrenal gland problems | Run-off from herbicide used on row crops |
| Dalapon | Minor kidney changes | Run-off from herbicide used on rights of way |
| 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) | Reproductive difficulties; increased risk of cancer | Run-off / leaching from soil fumigant used on orchards |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | Liver, kidney, or circulatory system problems | Discharge from industrial chemical factories |
| p-Dichlorobenzene | Anemia; liver, kidney or spleen damage; changes in blood | Discharge from industrial chemical factories |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | Increased risk of cancer | Discharge from industrial chemical factories |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | Liver problems | Discharge from industrial chemical factories |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | Liver problems | Discharge from industrial chemical factories |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | Liver problems | Discharge from industrial chemical factories |
| Dichloromethane | Liver problems; increased risk of cancer | Discharge from drug and chemical factories |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | Increased risk of cancer | Discharge from industrial chemical factories |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate | Weight loss, liver problems, or possible reproductive difficulties. | Discharge from chemical factories |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | Reproductive difficulties; liver problems; increased risk of cancer | Discharge from rubber and chemical factories |
| Dinoseb | Reproductive difficulties | Run-off from herbicide used on vegetables |
| Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) | Reproductive difficulties; increased risk of cancer | Emissions from waste incineration and other combustion; discharge from chemical factories |
| Diquat | Cataracts | Run-off from herbicide use |
| Endothall | Stomach and intestinal problems | Run-off from herbicide use |
| Endrin | Liver problems | Residue of banned insecticide |
| Epichlorohydrin | Increased cancer risk, and over a long period of time, stomach problems | Discharge from industrial chemical factories; an impurity of some water treatment chemicals |
| Ethylbenzene | Liver or kidneys problems | Discharge from petroleum refineries |
| Ethylene dibromide | Problems with liver, stomach, reproductive system, or kidneys; increased risk of cancer | Discharge from petroleum refineries |
| Glyphosate | Kidney problems; reproductive difficulties | Run-off from herbicide use |
| Heptachlor | Liver damage; increased risk of cancer | Residue of banned termiticide |
| Heptachlor epoxide | Liver damage; increased risk of cancer | Breakdown of heptachlor |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Liver or kidney problems; reproductive difficulties; increased risk of cancer | Discharge from metal refineries and agricultural chemical factories |
| Hexachloro cyclopen tadiene | Kidney or stomach problems | Discharge from chemical factories |
| Lindane | Liver or kidney problems | Run-off/leaching from insecticide used on cattle, lumber, gardens |
| Methoxychlor | Reproductive difficulties | Run-off/leaching from insecticide used on fruits, vegetables, livestock |
| Oxamyl (Vydate) | Slight nervous system effects | Run-off/leaching from insecticide used on apples, potatoes, and tomatoes |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | Skin changes; thymus gland problems; immune deficiencies; reproductive or nervous system difficulties; increased risk of cancer | Run-off from landfills; discharge of waste chemicals |
| Pentachlorophenol | Liver or kidney problems; increased cancer risk | Discharge from wood preserving factories |
| Picloram | Liver problems | Herbicide run-off |
| Simazine | Problems with blood | Herbicide run-off |
| Styrene | Liver, kidney, or circulatory system problems | Discharge from rubber and plastic factories; leaching from landfills |
| Tetrachloroethylene | Liver problems; increased risk of cancer | Discharge from factories and dry cleaners |
| Toluene | Nervous system, kidney, or liver problems | Discharge from petroleum factories |
| Toxaphene | Kidney, liver, or thyroid problems; increased risk of cancer | Run-off/leaching from insecticide used on cotton and cattle |
| 2,4,5-TP (Silvex) | Liver problems | Residue of banned herbicide |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | Changes in adrenal glands | Discharge from textile finishing factories |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | Liver, nervous system, or circulatory problems | Discharge from metal degreasing sites and other factories |
Conclusion: A rolling boil is the most effective way to kill biological contaminants in drinking water - distillation starts with a rolling boil. Distillation removes the vast bulk of tap water contaminants but there are still some that can pass through a distiller but these are filtered out by the Megahome activated charcoal filter at the end of the distillation process.