Given the large number of misconceptions that surround the effectiveness of distilled water, most people often find themselves asking the question that is it really safe for drinking. In order to get a suitable answer to this question, it is important to understand the process through which distilled water is prepared.
Distilled water is a form of drinking water that has undergone a purification process called distillation. Distillation is of different types but these essentially follow the same basic principle: breaking down a mixture into its components, on the basis of different boiling points. In short, water is heated till it reaches its boiling point. Chemicals that have a lower boiling point are collected and done away with. Similarly, the substances that are left behind after all the water has evaporated are also discarded. The water that is left behind in vapor form is cooled down into distilled water, which has a higher level of purity as compared to the initial liquid.
Since distillation removes all the harmful contaminants from the water, distilled water that we obtain is definitely purer and cleaner than before. This means that the water is completely safe for drinking. The only drawback associated with distilled water is that it supposedly loses some desirable minerals (like calcium, iron and magnesium), which makes it inferior to naturally occurring spring water. However, the amount of contaminants, heavy metals and toxic organic compounds that are present is normal water is enough to make you seriously ill. This is the reason that majority of the people prefer drinking distilled water instead of its naturally occurring counterpart.
Generally, distilled water that is purchased from a grocery store is safe enough to use as it is prepared from drinking water only. But distilled water obtained from every source may not be equally safe. For instance, if water is taken from an industrial source and is made to undergo the process of distillation, it will be considered as unfit for human consumption as it may still have enough impurities. Distilled water can also be created safely at home, from a water distiller.
In addition to this, another manner in which impure distilled water can be obtained is by making use of contaminated equipment. During the process of distillation, it is very much possible for the harmful contaminants present on the glassware or tubing to enter into the water. This is more a matter of concern when distilled water is being prepared at home. It might happen that the container which is used for collecting distilled water is not clean and contains unwanted chemicals. Hence, it is important to make sure that everything is done in the right manner so as to obtain the purest form of distilled water. The safest thing is to use a counter top water distiller or a whole house water distiller.
