Health experts are telling us all to lower the acidity level of our bodies by being careful with what we are eating and drinking. And for good reason – too much acidity in the body can lead to some pretty serious health problems.
It’s curious then, that a so-called health product has arrived in recent years that appears to go against this advice. And this is what the distilled water pH debate centers around – are distilled water products actually bad for you because they fall on the wrong end of the pH scale? Let’s take a closer look.
First of all, it’s helpful to explain that ‘distilled water’, in the context of the health industry, also includes bottled products going by the name of ‘zero water’ as well as ‘pure water’. And it also means products and home appliances that create these types of waters, such as distillation machines.
What all of these things have in common is a process at their centre that proponents say creates a product that is beneficial to our health if consumed regularly. This process is called, surprise surprise; distillation. But it can also be termed reverse osmosis.
The distillation process is very straightforward: water is heated to boiling so that the water vapor rises to a condenser. In the condenser, cooling water lowers the temperature so the vapour can be condensed, collected and stored. The health benefits derive from the fact that most contaminants stay behind in what is called the liquid phase vessel, leaving the water that is produced pure and untainted.
So what are the distilled water pH concerns then, you may ask? The answer is this: distillation leads to a water product that is, in fact, acidic.
While distillation removes contaminants from tap water, it also removes stuff in the water that is good for us, too. Substances that are nourishing to humans, like minerals, get taken out of the water as well as all the bad stuff. It is the removing of these minerals that has the effect of making distilled water acidic. Precisely what health experts recommend we avoid.
Because distilled water is free of dissolved minerals, it does have the property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. And this gives this type of water one type of benefit as a drinking substance, albeit on a temporary basis. Studies show that drinking zero water can help cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time.
But consume zero water for longer than just short periods and the health risks associated with plunging your body into an acid state rear their ugly head.
One of the reasons we are being advised to drink healthy water is because we are consuming too many acidic foods. So the last thing you want to be doing is putting an acidic water down your throat in the misguided assumption that it is doing you good. Knowing how distilled water pH levels can be very acidic on the scale, this is obviously very far from the truth if you drink the stuff over a sustained period.
And you don’t want to be doing that. As consuming too much acidic beverages and foods tips your body balance out of kilter. From a perfectly healthy 7.3 pH to worryingly lower (distilled water pH levels range from 5-6), leaving your body unable to cope with the acid build-up inside of it. This has the effect of leaving you more at risk of
heart disease, osteoporosis, and disease and illness in general, as well as poor metabolism, digestion and energy levels.
All things considered, I wouldn’t recommend distilled water as a drinking liquid, let alone a healthy drinking liquid. Try natural (unbottled) spring water or ionized water from a water ionizer.
To your health,
Follow Water for Life USA on Facebook and like us to save 15%!
See our latest videos!
