Is Steam Distilled Water Safe? Exploring the Pros and Cons for Your Health

November 21, 2025 •

4 min read

While distillation has been used for centuries to purify water, its safety for regular consumption is often debated. Is steam distilled water safe? We'll dive deep into the process, benefits, and potential drawbacks, so you can make an informed decision about your hydration.

Quick Summary

Drinking distilled water is generally safe, especially with a balanced diet, but its lack of minerals and flat taste are key considerations for long-term use.

Key Points

Exceptional Purity: Steam distillation effectively removes nearly all contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and chemicals, resulting in an exceptionally pure form of water.
Lacks Minerals: The process removes not only harmful substances but also beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium, which can affect taste and, in some cases, overall health if dietary intake is insufficient.
Myth vs. Fact: The belief that distilled water leaches minerals from your body is a myth. For individuals with a balanced diet, the body's mineral needs are primarily met through food, and drinking distilled water does not pose this risk.
Best for Specialized Use: Due to its lack of mineral deposits, distilled water is recommended for medical devices like CPAP machines and household appliances like steam irons to prevent scale buildup.
Safe for Balanced Diets: Distilled water is safe to drink, especially as part of a varied diet. However, individuals with nutritional deficiencies or who consume it long-term should ensure they get adequate minerals from other food sources.
Taste is Different: The absence of dissolved minerals gives distilled water a distinctively flat or bland taste that some people may find unappealing.

What is Steam Distillation?

Steam distillation is a centuries-old purification method that mimics the Earth's natural water cycle. The process involves heating water to its boiling point, which turns it into steam. This steam then rises, leaving behind impurities such as heavy metals, inorganic compounds, bacteria, viruses, and salts in the boiling chamber. The pure, contaminant-free steam is collected and cooled, causing it to condense back into liquid water. This condensed liquid is the final, exceptionally pure product: distilled water.

Benefits of Steam Distilled Water

For those seeking the purest form of water, steam distillation offers several clear advantages:

Removes Contaminants and Pathogens

The boiling process is highly effective at eliminating waterborne disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. This makes distilled water a safer option in areas where municipal water supplies are compromised or in emergency situations. It also removes harmful chemical contaminants like arsenic, lead, and chromium.

Ideal for Specific Uses

The high purity level of distilled water makes it essential for certain applications where mineral deposits are undesirable. These include:

Medical Equipment: CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines rely on distilled water to prevent mineral buildup and bacterial growth in the humidification chamber.
Household Appliances: Using distilled water in steam irons, humidifiers, and car cooling systems prevents the corrosion and scale buildup caused by minerals found in tap water.
Laboratory and Industrial: Medical sterilization and sensitive manufacturing processes require the extreme purity of distilled water to prevent contamination.

Risks and Considerations for Drinking Distilled Water

Despite its purity, there are important factors to consider before making distilled water your primary drinking source.

The Lack of Minerals

One of the main drawbacks of distilled water is its lack of beneficial minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which are essential for human health. While water is not the body's primary source of these minerals, a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that consistently consuming demineralized water could potentially impact metabolic function and electrolyte balance, especially if your diet is poor.

The Flat Taste

Many people find the taste of distilled water unappealingly flat or bland. This is due to the absence of dissolved minerals and gases, which contribute to the flavor of tap and spring water. This could potentially lead to reduced water intake for some individuals, impacting overall hydration levels.

Addressing the 'Mineral Leaching' Myth

A common concern is that drinking distilled water will cause the body to leach minerals from its tissues to balance fluid levels. This is a misconception. A healthy body, particularly through a balanced diet, efficiently regulates its mineral content, and distilled water does not actively pull minerals from the body in any harmful way. For most people with adequate nutrition, drinking distilled water does not pose this risk.

How Does Distilled Water Compare to Other Water Types?


Feature	Steam Distilled Water	Tap Water	Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water	Spring Water
Mineral Content	Almost none	Varies by source	Low (can be remineralized)	Varies, can be high or low
Purity Level	Exceptionally high (removes contaminants and minerals)	Meets EPA safety standards, but may contain trace contaminants	High (removes most contaminants and some minerals)	Varies; source and filtration dependent
Taste Profile	Flat or bland	Varies based on mineral content; can taste of chlorine	Can be flat if not remineralized	Varies greatly, often described as fresh
Process	Boiling, evaporation, condensation	Filtration, disinfection at a central plant	Pressurized membrane filtration	Bottled from an underground source

Who Should Consider Drinking Steam Distilled Water?

While not necessary for everyone, distilled water can be a practical choice for certain individuals:

Individuals in areas with compromised water: If your local tap water is known to contain unsafe levels of contaminants or heavy metals, drinking distilled water can be a safer alternative.
Those on specific medical diets: In some cases, medical professionals may recommend distilled water to control mineral intake for specific health conditions, but this should only be done under their guidance.
Parents concerned about fluoride: Distilled water can be used to mix baby formula, especially if controlling fluoride intake is a concern. However, it is not sterile and must be boiled if feeding a young infant.

Conclusion: Finding Your Balance

Is steam distilled water safe? The answer is a qualified yes. It's an incredibly pure form of water, free of contaminants and pathogens, making it safe for drinking, particularly in the short term. However, its lack of minerals gives it a bland taste and can pose a risk of electrolyte imbalance over the long term if a person's diet is not sufficiently rich in fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient sources. The key is balance. Most people in developed countries get sufficient minerals from their food and tap water, so consuming distilled water occasionally or for specific needs like medical devices is perfectly fine. For daily hydration, a balanced diet is the most crucial factor, and the choice between distilled, tap, or other water types often comes down to personal taste and individual health considerations. As with any significant dietary change, it's always best to consult a healthcare professional. For more in-depth information, you can read the comprehensive analysis by Healthline on the pros and cons of distilled water. Healthline: Can you drink distilled water safely?

Frequently Asked Questions

No, this is a popular myth. Your body primarily gets minerals from food, and drinking distilled water does not cause a loss of minerals from your tissues. A healthy diet is the body's main source of essential minerals.

Yes, many parents use distilled water for mixing infant formula to control fluoride intake. However, it is not sterile and must be boiled if used for a young infant.

Distilled water lacks minerals and dissolved gases, which give other types of water their distinct taste. This results in a flavor that many find to be flat or bland.

For individuals with a balanced diet, the risks are minimal. The primary concerns, as noted by the WHO, involve potential electrolyte imbalances if a person's diet is already deficient in essential minerals.

Yes, distilled water is the recommended type of water for CPAP machines to prevent mineral buildup and the growth of bacteria.

Distilled water is a type of purified water where the distillation process removes both contaminants and minerals. Other purified water types, like reverse osmosis, may be remineralized after filtration.

You should get the majority of your essential minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, from a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods.