Can I drink distilled water? A complete guide to its role in your nutrition diet

October 2, 2025 •

5 min read

Distillation removes up to 99.9% of minerals and contaminants from water, resulting in exceptionally pure H₂O. But with all the impurities removed, is it a safe and healthy choice for daily consumption? Many people ask, can I drink distilled water?

Quick Summary

Distilled water, purified by boiling and condensation, is safe for moderate consumption as long as a balanced diet provides essential minerals. Exclusive long-term use can risk deficiencies.

Key Points

Is it safe?: Yes, distilled water is safe to drink, especially for short-term use, as long as you maintain a balanced diet.
Lacks minerals: The distillation process removes essential minerals like calcium and magnesium, which means your diet must supply them.
Minimal nutritional impact: For most people with a healthy diet, the small amount of minerals lost from drinking water is not a significant concern.
Potential risk for athletes: Intense exercise causes electrolyte loss through sweat, and distilled water does not help replenish these minerals.
Pure but flat taste: The absence of minerals gives distilled water a bland or flat taste, which can be unappealing to some.
Purity benefits: It removes contaminants like bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals, making it an option in areas with poor tap water quality.
Seek professional advice: Individuals with chronic health conditions affecting electrolyte balance should consult a doctor before drinking distilled water regularly.

What is distilled water?

Distilled water is a type of purified water created through a process called distillation. The process involves boiling water and collecting the steam as it condenses back into a liquid. During this cycle, impurities such as minerals, salts, chemicals, and contaminants are left behind in the boiling chamber because they have higher boiling points than water. The result is water that is nearly 100% pure H₂O.

The distillation process step-by-step

Boiling: Water is heated to its boiling point, creating steam.
Evaporation: The steam rises, leaving behind non-volatile solids and minerals.
Condensation: The steam passes into a cooling chamber, where it is condensed back into liquid form.
Collection: The condensed water, now distilled, is collected in a clean container.

The nutritional trade-off: Benefits vs. Risks

Drinking distilled water offers a unique set of benefits and potential drawbacks related to nutrition. The primary trade-off lies in its extreme purity, which removes both harmful substances and beneficial minerals.

Benefits of purity

Because distillation is so effective, distilled water is free from many substances found in other water sources.

Removes contaminants: It eliminates waterborne pathogens, heavy metals (like lead and arsenic), and chemicals (like chlorine and fluoride), which can be especially beneficial in areas with poor tap water quality.
Safe for sensitive needs: Due to its purity, it is often recommended for individuals with compromised immune systems and is used in medical procedures and baby formula preparation.
Neutral taste: The absence of minerals creates a neutral taste, which some people prefer, especially for beverages like coffee or tea.
Excellent for special diets: Its lack of sodium and other minerals makes it suitable for people on salt-restricted or controlled-mineral diets.

The risk of mineral deficiency

This extreme purity is also the source of the main nutritional concern regarding distilled water.

Lack of essential minerals: Distilled water provides no calcium, magnesium, or other electrolytes that are present in varying amounts in tap and mineral water. While food is the main source of these nutrients, water can contribute to overall intake.
Potential electrolyte imbalance: A report commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) identified that consuming demineralized water may lead to an increase in urine output, which could potentially result in an electrolyte imbalance if not adequately compensated by diet.
Leaching minerals: A common myth is that distilled water actively leaches minerals from the body's tissues. While this is scientifically inaccurate, drinking water that is devoid of minerals means your body must obtain these electrolytes solely from your diet, especially to replace those lost through sweat and urine.

Comparing water types

To help you decide what's best for your needs, here is a comparison of distilled water with other common water types.


Feature	Distilled Water	Tap Water	Spring Water
Mineral Content	Virtually zero.	Varies by municipality and source. Can contain beneficial minerals.	Contains natural minerals from the spring source.
Contaminants	Effectively removed, including bacteria, heavy metals, and chemicals.	Can contain trace amounts, regulated for safety by EPA.	Varies, generally low contaminants due to natural filtration.
Taste	Flat or bland due to lack of minerals and gases.	Taste varies based on mineral and chemical content (e.g., chlorine).	Often has a distinct and pleasant taste due to mineral content.
Best For	Medical uses, appliances, specific diets, and areas with unsafe tap water.	General drinking for most people, provides some minerals.	General drinking for those who prefer natural minerals and taste.

Distilled water and your diet

Ultimately, whether or not drinking distilled water is suitable for you depends on your overall nutrition diet and lifestyle.

How a balanced diet mitigates risks

The human body primarily absorbs minerals from the foods we eat, not from drinking water. If you consume a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods, you can easily compensate for the minerals missing from distilled water. For example, a diet rich in leafy greens, nuts, and dairy products provides ample calcium and magnesium, neutralizing the concern over mineral intake from water.

Special considerations

Athletes: People who engage in intense physical activity lose significant electrolytes through sweat. Relying solely on distilled water for rehydration is not recommended, as it does not replenish these lost minerals. Electrolyte-rich sports drinks or mineral-enhanced water are better options.
Infants: For infants, particularly when mixing formula, pure distilled water might be used to avoid contaminants. However, it's crucial to follow a healthcare provider's or formula manufacturer's instructions regarding water type and mineral content to ensure proper nutrition and development.
Individuals with pre-existing conditions: Those with kidney disease or other conditions that affect electrolyte balance should consult a healthcare professional before consuming distilled water regularly.

Cooking with distilled water

When used for cooking, distilled water won't add any minerals to your food and can actually draw out some minerals from the ingredients. While this effect is not usually significant for a balanced diet, it's something to be aware of. To maintain flavor and mineral content, it is generally recommended to use regular tap or spring water for cooking.

Practical tips for drinking distilled water

If you choose to drink distilled water, consider the following practical tips to address its unique characteristics:

Enhance the flavor: Many people find the flat taste of distilled water unappealing. To improve the flavor, you can add a slice of lemon or cucumber, or consider adding mineral drops designed for drinking water.
Store it properly: Due to its purity, distilled water is susceptible to reabsorbing impurities from its environment and can leach chemicals from plastic containers over time. Storing it in a glass or food-grade stainless steel container is recommended.
Use for specific purposes: Reserve distilled water for uses where purity is paramount, such as in humidifiers, irons, or CPAP machines, and choose a different water source for daily drinking.

Conclusion

Can I drink distilled water? The answer is yes, you can, but with some important nutritional considerations. In short-term use, or as part of a well-balanced diet rich in minerals from food, it poses no significant health risks. In fact, its purity can be a benefit in areas with poor tap water quality. However, long-term, exclusive consumption may lead to mineral deficiencies and electrolyte imbalances, particularly for those with specific health concerns or high physical activity. The key to including distilled water in a healthy lifestyle is moderation and ensuring that your overall nutrition diet provides the essential minerals your body needs. For most people, a better-tasting and more nutritionally balanced option for regular hydration would be filtered tap water or mineral water.

To ensure you are getting adequate minerals, consider the mineral content of your food and other beverages. For specialized medical or dietary needs, consult a healthcare professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, this is a persistent myth. Drinking distilled water will not actively pull minerals from your teeth and bones. However, because it contains no minerals itself, your body must get all its essential minerals from your diet to replace those lost naturally through sweat and urine.

Not necessarily. While distilled water is purer and free of contaminants like chlorine and lead, tap water typically contains beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium. The best choice depends on your local water quality and overall diet.

No, it is not recommended for athletes who sweat heavily. Distilled water lacks electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which are lost during exercise. Rehydrating with plain distilled water can potentially cause an electrolyte imbalance; a sports drink or mineral-enhanced water is a better choice.

Yes, many people find that distilled water has a flat or bland taste. This is because the minerals and dissolved gases that give regular tap and spring water their familiar flavor have been removed.

Yes, distilled water is safe for cooking. However, because it contains no minerals, some people find it makes food taste less flavorful and can also leach minerals from the foods being cooked.

Individuals with certain pre-existing conditions, such as kidney disease or malnutrition, should be cautious. Pregnant women and people on specific diets should also consult a healthcare professional to ensure they maintain the right balance of nutrients.

Yes, for most healthy people, drinking distilled water every day is safe, provided you consume a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other mineral sources to compensate for the lack of minerals in the water.