Dangers of Drinking Distilled Water
Dr Zoltan P. Rona, MD, MSc explains the very real dangers from drinking distilled water, de-ionized. Reverse-osmosis water is effectivly distilled water, and you are advised to avoid it.
My Observations
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 Process
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.
Aging and Disease results from Acid Waste Built-up
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.
Distilled Water and Cardiovascular Disease
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.
Ideal Water: Slightly Alkaline Water
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.
About the Author
Dr.
Rona is a leading proponent of natural, harmless, health-building
alternatives to conventional medical care. He has a general practice
where he has provided preventive medical counselling for seventeen
years and is a past president of the Canadian Holistic Medical
Association. His books The Joy of Health: A Doctor's Cuide To
Nutrition, Alternative Medicine, Fertility Control: The Natural
Approach, Return to the Joy of Health, and Childhood Illness and the
Allergy Connection, have been well received, as have his countless
articles on natural health topics. Dr. Rona is also a consultant to the
Motherisk Program of the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children Department
of Pharmacology and is known for his many public lectures and media
appearances.
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