Pros & Cons of Drinking Distilled Water

Distilled water is water that has gone through the process of distillation, which is a process that removes the chemical impurities as well as any microscopic bacteria that might be present in water. Distillation involves boiling water and then condensing the steam of the boiled water into a clean, sterile container. Because boiling purifies the water and reduces it to gaseous form, the water is completely clean. There are several pros and cons to drinking distilled water, though, but for the most part, the water is safe for consumption.

During the distillation process, all of the minerals that are not purified to H2O's chemical composition are evaporated and separated from the water, leaving only water. This is useful because it eliminates the harmful bacteria that are contained in most drinking waters. According to the World Health Organization, water also contains minerals that the body needs for regular functioning. Those minerals are evaporated and eliminated along with the bacteria in the water. Drinking only distilled water can result in your body's needed natural minerals not being consumed.

Distilled water lacks all harmful chemicals that can be found in most tap and bottled water. Because of the intense reverse-osmosis process that distilled water goes through, it is clear and clean of all impurities found in regular water. This makes it particularly useful for cleansing the toxins out of your body, particularly after you have been sick or have had nausea issues. Distilled water is drinking water's purest form.

With the process of distillation, hydrogen is brought to a more purified form. Though this is beneficial to body, purified hydrogen can result in the creation of what are known as free radicals. Free radicals are atoms in the body that have unpaired and uneven electron counts that can encourage inconsistency in the body's makeup. Furthermore, the lack of natural minerals can be devastating to the body. According to Dr. Paavo Airola, author of "Cancer- Causes, Prevention and Healing," this lack of minerals can, in some cases, also can result in the encouragement of cancerous cell growth.

Distilled water often is used by charitable organizations that are attempting to assist emerging and developing third-world nations to assist in providing water that is pure for drinking. Many third-world nations do not have natural water sources that are fit for drinking, so hyper-purified water like distilled water is exactly what their bodies need to help cleanse the bacteria created by unclean drinking water.