Is Distilled Water Better for You Than Regular Water? An In-Depth Comparison

November 24, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Health Organization, the mineral content in drinking water is not the primary source of minerals for most people, but still provides a useful supplement. This fact is central to answering: is distilled water better for you than regular water, or are the health differences negligible?

Quick Summary

This guide compares distilled and regular water, focusing on mineral content, purity, and taste. It explores whether a balanced diet can compensate for a lack of minerals in distilled water and when it might be a better choice.

Key Points

Purity vs. Minerals: Distilled water is exceptionally pure, free of contaminants but also lacks all essential minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Long-Term Health: For the average, healthy person, drinking only distilled water over the long term is not recommended due to the absence of vital electrolytes.
Mineral Intake: While water contributes, most essential minerals should primarily come from a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Specific Uses: Distilled water is highly valuable for specific applications, such as medical equipment, lab work, and certain household appliances.
Safety First: In areas with known or questionable tap water quality, distilled or properly filtered water offers a safer hydration alternative.
Flavor Profile: The lack of minerals in distilled water gives it a noticeably flat, bland taste compared to regular tap water.

What is Distilled Water?

Distilled water is a type of purified water created through a process called distillation. This involves boiling water and collecting the steam, which is then condensed back into a liquid form. During this process, contaminants, minerals, and other impurities with higher boiling points are left behind. This results in water that is exceptionally pure and virtually free of dissolved solids.

The Truth About Mineral Content

One of the most significant differences between distilled and regular tap water lies in their mineral content. While tap water contains varying amounts of naturally occurring minerals and electrolytes like calcium and magnesium, distilled water is devoid of them. Although water is not typically the main source of mineral intake for most people, these minerals can still provide a beneficial supplement to a healthy diet. Regular, exclusive consumption of distilled water over the long term without a well-balanced diet could potentially lead to mineral deficiencies.

Benefits of Distilled Water

Despite the mineral issue, distilled water offers several advantages due to its high purity:

High Purity: Distillation is highly effective at removing a wide range of contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, heavy metals like lead, and chemicals such as pesticides and PFAS. This makes it a safe option in areas with questionable water quality.
Prevents Mineral Buildup: Its lack of minerals prevents the buildup of scale in appliances like humidifiers, steam irons, and CPAP machines, extending their lifespan.
Ideal for Medical Use: Because of its sterility, it is commonly used in medical and laboratory settings where purity is crucial for equipment and procedures.
Neutral Taste: Some people prefer the neutral, clean taste of distilled water, finding it better for brewing coffee or tea.

Potential Downsides of Relying on Distilled Water

Drinking distilled water regularly can pose some challenges, especially if it's the sole source of hydration:

Mineral Deficiency: The lack of essential minerals like calcium and magnesium can potentially lead to health issues over time if not supplemented through a rich diet.
Electrolyte Imbalance: For athletes or individuals with severe dehydration, distilled water is not ideal as it cannot replenish lost electrolytes, requiring an electrolyte-rich alternative.
Flat Taste: Many find the taste of distilled water unappealingly flat due to the complete absence of dissolved minerals, which can deter adequate fluid consumption.
Absorption of Contaminants: Demineralized water is more aggressive and can absorb small amounts of minerals and other compounds from its storage container or surrounding environment, such as plastic.

Understanding Regular Tap Water

Tap water is sourced from local water supplies, such as rivers, lakes, or groundwater. It undergoes rigorous treatment at municipal facilities to remove contaminants and meet safety standards set by regulatory agencies.

The Municipal Water Treatment Process

Coagulation and Flocculation: Positively charged chemicals are added to the water to neutralize negatively charged particles, causing them to bind together into larger particles called floc.
Sedimentation: The heavier floc particles settle at the bottom of the water supply, separating from the cleaner water.
Filtration: The cleaner water is then filtered through layers of sand, gravel, and charcoal to remove remaining contaminants.
Disinfection: Chemicals like chlorine are added to kill any remaining bacteria and viruses, ensuring the water is safe to drink.

Distilled Water vs. Regular Water: A Comparison Table


Feature	Distilled Water	Regular (Tap) Water
Purity	Extremely pure, all contaminants and minerals removed	Treated to be safe, may contain trace minerals and contaminants
Mineral Content	Virtually zero	Varies by source, contains beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium
Taste	Flat and bland due to lack of minerals	Flavor varies based on mineral content and source, often preferred
Cost	Higher, both for purchase and home distillation	Significantly lower, delivered through municipal systems
Best for	Specific medical and household uses, areas with unsafe tap water	Everyday hydration for most healthy individuals

Making the Right Choice for Your Health

The decision between distilled and regular water largely depends on individual circumstances and priorities. For most healthy people living in an area with a reliable, regulated water supply, regular tap water is a perfectly safe and convenient option that provides some beneficial minerals. If you have a specific health condition, a compromised immune system, or live in an area with unsafe tap water, distilled water offers the highest level of purity. However, it is essential to ensure that you are getting your daily mineral and electrolyte needs from other dietary sources if you choose to consume distilled water exclusively. Consulting a healthcare professional can help you determine the best option for your specific health needs.

Ultimately, hydration is the most important factor, and whether you choose distilled or tap water, ensuring adequate fluid intake is key to overall health. A balanced diet is critical regardless of your water choice, as it provides the primary source of essential minerals. For more information on drinking water safety, you can refer to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.

Conclusion

While distilled water is the purest form of water available due to its effective removal of contaminants, it is not inherently 'better' for you than regular tap water for daily, long-term consumption. The lack of essential minerals and electrolytes makes it a poor choice for sustaining overall health, particularly for athletes or those with specific dietary requirements. For the average individual, regular tap water from a well-regulated source is not only safer in terms of mineral balance but also more cost-effective. Ultimately, the right choice is based on your water source quality, your health status, and whether you are supplementing mineral intake through other dietary means. Both options are safe, but only one provides the supplementary mineral content our bodies can benefit from.

Frequently Asked Questions

Drinking distilled water occasionally is safe, but long-term, exclusive consumption is not recommended for most people because it lacks essential minerals and electrolytes.

The theory that distilled water actively 'leaches' minerals from your body is a common misconception and not scientifically supported. However, drinking water that contains no minerals means your body isn't getting any mineral intake from that source.

Yes, it is perfectly safe to use distilled water for cooking. Many people use it specifically because it will not alter the flavor of your food, as it is free of minerals or chemicals that could interfere with the taste.

Distilled water tastes flat because the distillation process removes all dissolved minerals and salts. These minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, are what give regular tap or spring water its familiar taste.

The safety of using distilled water in infant formula is debated, and a healthcare professional should always be consulted first. If used for infants under 4-6 months, it must be sterilized by boiling first, as the store-bought water is not sterile.

If you choose to drink distilled water, you must ensure you obtain all necessary minerals and electrolytes from other dietary sources, such as a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

For most healthy individuals in areas with regulated water supplies, regular tap water is a safe and beneficial choice due to its mineral content. Purified or spring water are also good options that balance mineral content with purity.