The Journal of General Internal Medicine[2] encourages people to "check the mineral content of their drinking water, whether tap or bottled, and choose water most appropriate for their needs".
Brightstar Care/Evanston Pours it on Regarding Risks of Drinking Distilled Water
Perhaps the truth never really evaporates, but distilled water does, which makes it incredibly pure. It's free of every germ known to man and also free of taste, many people report. So what is distilled water anyway? It's water that is boiled until it evaporates. The vapor is then condensed back into liquid and in the process all impurities and minerals are removed from the water. Distilled water has many cool uses --for industry especially. It's found in anti-freezes (so your engine doesn't say uncle). Got goldfish? Distilled water will keep them alive and kicking (or finning) in your aquarium. Back in the day (especially the days of the 1960's), there was a deluge of people who thought distilled water might be a solution for solving deficiencies in the supply of water in problems in many Arabia's, oops, areas of the world. Many people in this country drink distilled water for safety reasons because it is so sanitary, but is this a good idea? That's what we wonder and a question we hope this blog answers. Because we provide in-home care for many lovely elderly people, BrightStar Care/Evanston investigated the dangers of distilled water especially as it relates to seniors. These risks flow into three main areas according to LiveStrong and other trusted sources:Insufficient Minerals Consuming distilled water on a regular basis deprives your body of calcium and magnesium, two minerals necessary for good health. Many studies show that water higher in magnesium content higher is related to decreased risks for Cardio Vascular Disease and especially from sudden death due to CVD. Seniors should pay special attention to the fact that mineral loss increases your risks of:
- Osteoporosis
- Osteoarthritis
- Hypothyroidism
- Hypertension
- Coronary artery disease
- Premature aging (who needs more of a push than mother nature already provides?)
Electrolyte Imbalance
The WHO (not the rock group, but the World Health Organization), studied the use of distilled water and found that drinking too much of it can cause electrolyte imbalances in your body. Since your body is pretty smart and knows what it's lacking, it will leach electrolytes from your tissues in order to supplant what you're missing from the water you are drinking. This is something your body does automatically so it can function normally and eliminate waste. If the whole hydration process in your body is out of whack, the results can be pretty significant and even dire . You can experience headaches, fatigue, weakness, muscle cramps and an abnormal heart rate. That's a major "ut oh" and caution.Tooth Decay Enters the Fray Our BrightStar Care/Evanston investigation also discovered that drinking too much distilled or even bottled water can be correlated with increased cavities, especially in children. Most of the time seniors aren't worried about cavities in their teeth; they're more concerned with keeping them and making sure your body receives the right nutrients has an impact on everything, teeth and even gum control. (: