H2O Showdown: Purified vs. Distilled Water - Which One's Best?
Dive Into the Water Wars
Before we plunge into the specifics, let's get one thing straight: both purified and distilled water are excellent choices for staying hydrated. However, they have distinct characteristics that may make one a better fit for your lifestyle and health goals than the other.
Today, we're diving deep into the world of hydration to unravel the mystery of purified and distilled water. When it comes to staying healthy and refreshed, the type of water you choose matters.
Stick with me and we'll embark on a journey to explore the benefits and drawbacks of both purified and distilled water so you can make an informed decision as to which one is best for you. Let the showdown begin!
Topics Covered in This Guide
The Main Difference Between Purified Water and Distilled Water
While both purified and distilled water offer clean and safe drinking options, the main difference is in the level of purity achieved through their respective purification processes.
Purified water strikes a balance between purity and taste by retaining minerals, while distilled water is known for its exceptional purity but lacks minerals. We’ll explain this further shortly.
Purified Water: The Health Hero
What is Purified Water?
How is Purified Water Made?
Purified water is made through a comprehensive filtration process that involves removing contaminants, chemicals, and impurities from the water source.
This process typically includes methods like sedimentation, activated carbon filtration, and reverse osmosis, which effectively cleanse the water, making it safe and pleasant to drink.
The result is a more pure, clean water that retains essential minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, contributing to its overall quality and taste.
Health Benefits of Purified Water
Drinking purified water offers several health benefits, including:
- Improved Taste: Purified water often tastes better than tap water, as it is free from chlorine and other additives.
- Contaminant Removal: It eliminates harmful substances, ensuring you consume cleaner water.
- Mineral Retention: Purified water retains essential minerals like calcium and magnesium, contributing to overall health. (Kind of - more on that in a minute)
Drawbacks of Purified Water
The major drawback is how the production of purified bottled water can have a significant environmental footprint due to plastic waste from single-use plastic water bottles that purified water is sold in.
To get around this, you can purchase water purification systems for your home and opt for a reusable stainless steel bottle, like those from Greens Steel, can mitigate this concern.
It’s also important to note that seeing as purified water retains minerals, that means it must also retain some chemicals and toxins.
Distilled Water: Pure As Snow
What Is Distilled Water?
How is Distilled Water Made?
Distilled water is created through a process called distillation, which involves boiling water to produce steam. The steam is then captured, condensed back into a liquid, and collected as distilled water.
This process removes nearly all impurities, chemicals, toxins, and minerals from the water, resulting in exceptionally pure water that is suitable for specialized applications where absolute purity is required, such as in medical procedures and equipment.
Health Benefits of Distilled Water
The primary health benefits of drinking distilled water is that you are effectively removing any and all contaminants that end up in the water. These contaminants range from unwanted minerals to chemicals like pesticides or herbicides as well as harmful bacteria and pathogens.
Here’s some of the key benefits to drinking distilled water:
🦷 Protection from excess fluoride
We get plenty of fluoride in our toothpaste, there’s no need for additional fluoride. Drinking fluoride adds the chemical to your entire body, which is wholly unnecessary, and excess fluoride can lead to fluorosis. (Brown stain effect on the teeth)
💚 Improves bodily function
Tap water, especially with high levels of calcium carbonate, has been shown to contribute to the calcification of blood vessels, which can lead to high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. Distilling water removes everything, including calcium carbonate, removing this risk altogether.
🫘 Kidney stone prevention
The contaminants in tap water are known to significantly contribute to the formation of hard crystalline masses in the kidneys, commonly known as kidney stones. Drinking distilled water removes these contaminants entirely, therefore reducing your risk of suffering from the excruciating pain of kidney stones.
🩺 Used in medical equipment
While it’s not a direct health benefit, you should know that distilled water is often used in medical equipment and procedures due to its high purity. It's ideal for situations where even the tiniest impurity could cause issues.
Drawbacks of Distilled Water
The only drawback worth mentioning is that some people find the taste of distilled water less appealing, describing it as "flat" due to the absence of minerals.
However, I feel obligated to touch on the risk of “mineral depletion” as a result of drinking distilled water. This is non-science. Water is not, and never has been, an effective mineral source — food is.
Look at it this way — if you find yourself in a situation where you need more calcium, would you opt to eat foods that are higher in calcium, or drink more tap water? The benefits of drinking distilled water that is totally free of poisons and contaminants far outweighs the small amount of beneficial minerals lost.
Which One Is Best For You?
In the battle of purified vs. distilled water, it's clear that both have their merits, and the decision ultimately comes down to personal choice.
Purified water is a fantastic choice for daily hydration, offering a cleaner option when compared to tap water. If you value the touch of essential minerals found in purified water, keep in mind that purified water also retains amounts of chemicals and toxins.
Distilled water is also a stellar choice for daily hydration for those who want absolutely pure water. Yes, there are no minerals - although we established that we get negligible amounts from water anyways - but this also means there are no toxins or chemicals.
I’ve been saying “toxins or chemicals” a lot - let’s take a moment to clearly identify what these contaminants are:
- Antibiotics
- Chlorine
- Chloramine
- Antidepressants
- PFAS
- Arsenic
- Contraceptives
- Copper
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- Lead
- Nitrates, primarily from fertilizers
- Radon
- Fluoride
- E. Coli
- Enterovirus
- Human waste from sewage overflows, polluted stormwater runoff, etc
- Hepatitis A
- Rotavirus
- Salmonella
Yikes… no thank you!
So, what's your verdict? Let us know in the comments!
Remember, the key is to stay hydrated, no matter which type of water you choose. So, fill up that tumbler, take a sip, and toast to good health through hydration! Until next time, keep sipping and stay hydrated.
Cheers to a lifetime of well-being with Greens Steel.
Jenn
Author, Greens Steel
Reusable Stainless Steel Water Bottles
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• Available in three sizes and three colors
• Double wall vacuum insulation keeps your drinks hot or cold all day long
• Sweat-proof exterior and leak-proof lid
• Made from 18/8 stainless steel, BPA-free
FAQs
🍲 Can distilled water be used for cooking and drinking regularly?
Yes, you can use distilled water for cooking and drinking regularly.
⚕️ Which water is better for medical procedures and equipment, purified or distilled?
Distilled water is often preferred for medical procedures and equipment due to its high purity. Its minimal mineral content reduces the risk of contamination and ensures precision in medical applications.
🌱 Are there environmental concerns with using purified bottled water?
Yes, the production of purified bottled water can contribute to environmental concerns due to plastic waste. To reduce the environmental impact, consider using a Greens Steel reusable stainless steel bottles.
💦 Can I use purified or distilled water in my coffee tumbler?
Yes, both purified and distilled water can be used in your coffee tumbler. The choice depends on your preferences for taste and purity.
👅 Is there a noticeable difference in taste between purified and distilled water?
Some people may notice a difference in taste between the two. Purified water often tastes better as it is free from additives, while distilled water can be described as "flat" due to its lack of minerals. On the other hand, some people prefer the “tasteless taste” of distilled water.
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