During nearly 19 years of clinical practice I have had the opportunity
to observe the health effects of drinking different types of water.
Most of you would agree that drinking unfiltered tap water could
be hazardous to your health because of things like parasites,
chlorine, fluoride and dioxins.
Many health fanatics, however, are often surprised to hear me
say that drinking distilled water on a regular, daily basis is
potentially dangerous.
Paavo Airola wrote about the dangers of distilled water in the
1970's when it first became a fad with the health food crowd.
Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated
and the vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved
minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being
able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate
them.
Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when
one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods
of time (a few weeks at a time).
Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the
rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace
minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart
beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in
distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their
nutrient value.
Distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes into
contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic.
The more distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body
acidity becomes.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Distilled
water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in
that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact.
Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly absorbed, making
the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many metals are dissolved
by distilled water."
The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e.
cola beverages and other soft drinks) are made from distilled
water. Studies have consistently shown that heavy consumers of
soft drinks (with or without sugar) spill huge amounts of calcium,
magnesium and other trace minerals into the urine.
The more mineral loss, the greater the risk for osteoporosis,
osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, high
blood pressure and a long list of degenerative diseases generally
associated with premature aging.
A growing number of health care practitioners and scientists
from around the world have been advocating the theory that aging
and disease is the direct result of the accumulation of acid waste
products in the body.
There is a great deal of scientific documentation that supports
such a theory. A poor diet may be partially to blame for the waste
accumulation. Meats, sugar, white flour products, fried foods,
soft drinks, processed foods, alcohol, dairy products and other
junk foods cause the body to become more acidic. Stress, whether
mental or physical can lead to acid deposits in the body.
There is a correlation between the consumption of soft water
(distilled water is extremely soft) and the incidence of cardiovascular
disease. Cells, tissues and organs do not like to be dipped in
acid and will do anything to buffer this acidity including the
removal of minerals from the skeleton and the manufacture of bicarbonate
in the blood.
The longer one drinks distilled water, the more likely the development
of mineral deficiencies and an acid state. I have done well over
3000 mineral evaluations using a combination of blood, urine and
hair tests in my practice. Almost without exception, people who
consume distilled water exclusively, eventually develop multiple
mineral deficiencies.
Those who supplement their distilled water intake with trace
minerals are not as deficient but still not as adequately nourished
in minerals as their non-distilled water drinking counterparts
even after several years of mineral supplementation.
The ideal water for the human body should be slightly alkaline
and this requires the presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Distilled water tends to be acidic and can only be recommended
as a way of drawing poisons out of the body. Once this is accomplished,
the continued drinking of distilled water is a bad idea.
Water filtered through reverse osmosis tends to be neutral and
is acceptable for regular use provided minerals are supplemented.
Water filtered through a solid charcoal filter is slightly alkaline.
Ozonation of this charcoal filtered water is ideal for daily drinking.
Longevity is associated with the regular consumption of hard water
(high in minerals).
Disease and early death is more likely to be seen with the long
term drinking of distilled water. Avoid it except in special circumstances.
Zoltan P. Rona MD MSc
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