Distilled water - A health hazard

October 23, 2006

Early Death Comes from Drinking Distilled Water by Zoltan P. Rona, MD, MSc During nearly 19 years of clinical practice I have had the opportunity to observe the health effects of drinking different types of water. Most of you would agree that drinking unfiltered tap water could be hazardous to your health because of things like parasites, chlorine, fluoride and dioxins. Many health fanatics, however, are often surprised to hear me say that drinking distilled water on a regular, daily basis is potentially dangerous. Paavo Airola wrote about the dangers of distilled water in the 1970's when it first became a fad with the health food crowd. Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated and the vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time). Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium,

potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value. Distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes into contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The more distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Distilled water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many metals are dissolved by distilled water." The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e. cola beverages and other soft drinks) are made from distilled water. Studies have consistently shown that heavy consumers of soft drinks (with or without sugar) spill huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals into the urine. The more mineral loss, the greater the risk for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and a long list of degenerative diseases generally associated with premature aging. A growing number of health care practitioners and scientists from around the world have been advocating the theory that aging and disease is the direct result of

the accumulation of acid waste products in the body. There is a great deal of scientific documentation that supports such a theory. A poor diet may be partially to blame for the waste accumulation. Meats, sugar, white flour products, fried foods, soft drinks, processed foods, alcohol, dairy products and other junk foods cause the body to become more acidic. Stress, whether mental or physical can lead to acid deposits in the body. There is a correlation between the consumption of soft water (distilled water is extremely soft) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Cells, tissues and organs do not like to be dipped in acid and will do anything to buffer

this acidity including the removal of minerals from the skeleton and the manufacture of bicarbonate in the blood. The longer one drinks distilled water, the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state. I have done well over 3000 mineral evaluations using a combination of blood, urine and hair tests in my practice. Almost without exception, people who consume distilled water exclusively, eventually develop multiple mineral deficiencies. Those who supplement their distilled water intake with trace minerals are not as deficient but still not as adequately nourished in minerals as their non-distilled water drinking counterparts even

after several years of mineral supplementation. The ideal water for the human body should be slightly alkaline and this requires the presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Distilled water tends to be acidic and can only be recommended as a way of drawing poisons out of the body. Once this is accomplished, the continued drinking of distilled water is a bad idea. Water filtered through reverse osmosis tends to be neutral and is acceptable for regular use provided minerals are

supplemented. Water filtered through a solid charcoal filter is slightly alkaline. Ozonation of this charcoal filtered water is ideal for daily drinking. Longevity is associated with the regular consumption of hard water (high in minerals). Disease and early death is more likely to be seen with the long term drinking of distilled water. Avoid it except in special circumstances. About the AuthorDr. Rona is a leading proponent of natural, harmless, health-building alternatives to conventional medical care. He has a general practice where he has provided preventive medical counselling for seventeen years and is a past president of the Canadian Holistic Medical Association. His books The Joy of Health: A Doctor's Cuide To Nutrition, Alternative Medicine, Fertility Control: The Natural Approach, Return to the Joy of Health, and Childhood Illness and the Allergy Connection, have been well received, as have his countless articles on natural health topics. Dr. Rona is also a consultant to the Motherisk Program of the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children Department of Pharmacology and is known for his many public lectures and media appearances. **************************************************** **************************************************** Take charge and lets spread some cheer around, Working for God on earth does not pay much, but His Retirement plan is out of this world. Help someone have a nice day, visit www.thehungersite.com Rahul,

Why keep checking for Mail? The all-new Mail shows you when there are new messages.

October 24, 2006

Moderator's Note: The fact remains that the distilled process depletes all

minerals, regardless of importance. Much research indicates that shortage of

trace minerals can inflict just as much damage as a lack of the major mineral

components. Diabetics, for instance, suffer from a deficiency of a wide range of

nutrients, the majority of which are " trace minerals " .

We know that vitamins, enzymes or co-enzymes cannot be effectively metabolized

in the absence of essential minerals! In this sense,all are basically essential.

JoAnn

While I agree with the main principle of this info on distilled water, I want to

point out that the author incorrectly refers to Calcium and Magnesium as " trace

minerals " they are far from that... they are two of the most prevalent minerals

in the human body and completely essential for most biological functions!

JoAnn Guest wrote:

>

> Distilled water - A health hazard

>

> Dear Group,

> There are many and varied opinions regarding use of distilled

> water in severe illnesses by Natural health professionals. Very

> interesting content.. a most comprehensive piece of information.

> JoAnn

> -------------------------

>

> Early Death Comes from Drinking Distilled Water

> by Zoltan P. Rona, MD, MSc

>

> During nearly 19 years of clinical practice I have had the

> opportunity to observe the health effects of drinking different

> types of water. Most of you would agree that drinking unfiltered tap

> water could be hazardous to your health because of things like

> parasites, chlorine, fluoride and dioxins.

> Many health fanatics, however, are often surprised to hear me say

> that drinking distilled water on a regular, daily basis is

> potentially dangerous.

> Paavo Airola wrote about the dangers of distilled water in the

> 1970's when it first became a fad with the health food crowd.

>

> Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated and

> the vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals

> and, because of this, has the special property of being able to

> actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them.

> Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when one

> is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of

> time (a few weeks at a time).

>

> Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid

> loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace

> minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat

> irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in distilled

> water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value.

>

> Distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes into contact

> with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The more

> distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity

> becomes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection

> Agency, " Distilled water, being essentially mineral-free, is very

> aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is

> in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly

> absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many

> metals are dissolved by distilled water. "

>

> The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e. cola

> beverages and other soft drinks) are made from distilled water.

> Studies have consistently shown that heavy consumers of soft drinks

> (with or without sugar) spill huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and

> other trace minerals into the urine. The more mineral loss, the

> greater the risk for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism,

> coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and a long list of

> degenerative diseases generally associated with premature aging.

>

> A growing number of health care practitioners and scientists from

> around the world have been advocating the theory that aging and

> disease is the direct result of the accumulation of acid waste

> products in the body.

>

> There is a great deal of scientific documentation that supports such

> a theory. A poor diet may be partially to blame for the waste

> accumulation. Meats, sugar, white flour products, fried foods, soft

> drinks, processed foods, alcohol, dairy products and other junk

> foods cause the body to become more acidic. Stress, whether mental

> or physical can lead to acid deposits in the body.

>

> There is a correlation between the consumption of soft water

> (distilled water is extremely soft) and the incidence of

> cardiovascular disease. Cells, tissues and organs do not like to be

> dipped in acid and will do anything to buffer this acidity including

> the removal of minerals from the skeleton and the manufacture of

> bicarbonate in the blood.

>

> The longer one drinks distilled water, the more likely the

> development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state. I have done

> well over 3000 mineral evaluations using a combination of blood,

> urine and hair tests in my practice. Almost without exception,

> people who consume distilled water exclusively, eventually develop

> multiple mineral deficiencies.

>

> Those who supplement their distilled water intake with trace

> minerals are not as deficient but still not as adequately nourished

> in minerals as their non-distilled water drinking counterparts even

> after several years of mineral supplementation.

>

> The ideal water for the human body should be slightly alkaline and

> this requires the presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium.

>

> Distilled water tends to be acidic and can only be recommended as a

> way of drawing poisons out of the body. Once this is accomplished,

> the continued drinking of distilled water is a bad idea.

>

> Water filtered through reverse osmosis tends to be neutral and is

> acceptable for regular use provided minerals are supplemented.

> Water filtered through a solid charcoal filter is slightly alkaline.

> Ozonation of this charcoal filtered water is ideal for daily

> drinking. Longevity is associated with the regular consumption of

> hard water (high in minerals). Disease and early death is more

> likely to be seen with the long term drinking of distilled water.

> Avoid it except in special circumstances.

>

> About the Author

> Dr. Rona is a leading proponent of natural, harmless, health-

> building alternatives to conventional medical care. He has a general

> practice where he has provided preventive medical counselling for

> seventeen years and is a past president of the Canadian Holistic

> Medical Association. His books The Joy of Health: A Doctor's Cuide

> To Nutrition, Alternative Medicine, Fertility Control: The Natural

> Approach, Return to the Joy of Health, and Childhood Illness and the

> Allergy Connection, have been well received, as have his countless

> articles on natural health topics. Dr. Rona is also a consultant to

> the Motherisk Program of the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children

> Department of Pharmacology and is known for his many public lectures

> and media appearances.

> ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ****

>

> Take charge and lets spread some cheer around,

>

> Working for God on earth does not pay much,

> but His Retirement plan is out of this world.

>

> Help someone have a nice day,

> visit www.thehungersite. com

>

> Rahul,

>

October 24, 2006

There are a lot of professionals that would totally disagree with the

distilled water article. I have been drinking distilled water for over six

years with no consequence. However, what I do is add organic apple cider

vinegar to my water. Organic apple cider vinegar contains a tremendous

amount of minerals. But I don't do this because I am afraid the minerals

are lost, I do this because it is a very natural way to get minerals.

I would much rather begin with the purest form of water and then add my own

minerals from my own sources rather than rely on bottled water that " says "

it is spring, etc. and also dealing with the fact that most bottled water is

in plastic.

And the reason that soda is bad goes way beyond the distilled water thing.

See article below. I send this article just so that we know there are many

" thoughts " in the area of distilled vs not distilled. Personally, I believe

that it is the " safest " water that you can get. We should be getting the

majority of minerals from organic, healthy and " live " food.

Loretta

Distilled Water, Detoxification and Your Health

Water

by Roe Gallo, M. A.

Water is the primary essential nutrient. Remember that the essential

nutrients are those that your body needs to survive but cannot make on its

own. Over 75% of your body is made up of water and this must constantly be

replaced. Water is in every cell and involved in every function of the body.

Going back to basic physiology, the condition of your body's internal

environment, which is the fluid surrounding each of your cells, is what

determines your state of health or disease. This fluid is mostly water and

must be kept free of toxic waste. If this fluid dries up or becomes

poisoned, your health is in serious danger. Therefore, your body must get

sufficient water and that water must be pure because the quality and amount

of the water in your body is primarily responsible for your state of health

or disease.

Where do you get your water?

If you are eating raw plant food, a large portion of your daily water

requirement will be met by your food intake. Remember that plant food is 80%

water, which means that in order for fruits and vegetables to be healthful,

the water in your plant food must be free of pesticides and toxins. This is

the major consideration in buying certified organic produce.

We must also drink water because most of us cannot get all the water we need

from our food supply. Granted, water rich plant food is over 80% water but

with exercise, heat, etc., more water is lost than can be replaced with

food, unless you ate more food than needed, and then you may have the

problem of excess fat. Physiology shows us that when the body absorbs excess

nutrients, e.g. protein, fat or carbohydrates, they are generally stored as

fat. So eating more food to try to satisfy your daily water requirement is

not a good idea. You must drink water.

The water that you drink must be pure or else you are doing more harm than

good by flooding your body with toxic chemicals. Tap water, which usually

contains chlorine, radon, arsenic and other toxic chemicals, is not

healthful. Filtered water, mineral water and spring water still contain some

chemicals. In fact, some bottled water is even worse than local tap water.

The minerals in mineral water are not organic and not used by the body,

energy must be used to excrete the minerals, and they can be unbalancing and

harmful. Pure water is distilled, and only a vapor compression distillation

process will purify your water and make it healthy to drink. Another benefit

of distilled water is that it transports out of the body inorganic minerals

that would be rejected by the cells and tissues, adding to the purification

of your internal environment.

Let's look at natural distillation. The earth is constantly recycling its

water. Water is vaporized from the bodies of water on the earth and drawn up

to the clouds where it condenses and drops as rain or snow. The water from

the clouds is pure distilled water, but collecting rainwater is not always

practical, plus most of our atmosphere is so polluted that the water becomes

contaminated before the rain hits the earth.

The solution is to make or purchase distilled water. If you must get bottled

distilled water, check out the plastic container - it must be hard plastic

with no toxic plasticizers, or order your water in glass bottles.

Remember, this water is going into your body as its primary nutrient and

will make a major difference in the state of your health.

Question & Answers

by David Klein, certified Nutrition Educator, Life Scientist, Healthful

Living Consultant and Environmental Engineer (B. S. in civil engineering)

Question: Should I add minerals to my distilled water for taste?

Answer: Adding minerals to water gives us unbalanced nutrition, inorganic

minerals which are toxic to and unusable by the body, and this corrupts the

pure, " slippery " property of the distilled water. Pure distilled water has

an ultra-low viscosity which means that it is able to slip through tight

spaces easily, whereas water with minerals and other impurities is less

viscous, or " sticky, " and will not move through the body as easily.

Distilled water is tasteless. That is a good thing! When our body harbors

toxins, we typically have an unpleasant taste in our mouths. After we have

cleaned out and adopted a healthful eating program, our bodily fluids will

become clean, even sweet, and the taste in our mouth will be pleasant or

unnoticeable - that is a wonderful sign of good health! The drinking of

tasteless distilled water during and after our detoxification phase

typically has a pleasant freshening effect upon our senses and energy.

Living in a body with purified fluids and no debris is a blessed, even

ecstatic, experience, and everyone I have ever conversed with on this

subject has stated that drinking pure distilled water feels great to the

senses.

Question: I have heard that distilled water is " dead " water. What does this

mean?

Answer: Distilled water is pure H2O, which is perfect for rehydrating and

assisting the body in detoxification, because distilled water has no

impurities and has an ultra-low viscosity which most efficiently dissolves

soluble toxins and transports most toxins out of our cells, tissues and

lymph channels for elimination. Heat-distilled water molecules are not

damaged and the water is not in any way harmful.

We obviously obtain pure, healthful water from raw fruits and vegetables.

Some say that the water in sun-ripened fruits and waters is " activated, "

" structured " or " live. " It has been shown that the sun imbues the water

molecules in sun-ripened fruits and vegetables with a special energy or

structure. The superb life-force-enhancing effects of sun-charged living

juices taken in whole-food form or juiced form are well-documented. However,

adding distilled water to our diet, or fasting on distilled water will not

pose any health problems. Hundreds of thousands of distilled water fasts

have been conducted at fasting centers around the world over the last

century with positive, energizing, healing, and in many cases, lifesaving

results.

If you are concerned about " activating " distilled water with the energy of

the sun, you can place a topless bowl of distilled water outside on a sunny

day. The effect of the sun-drenched distilled water versus raw distilled

water may or may not be discernible. All in all, pure distilled water

straight out of a distiller is great for any body.

Question: I have heard that distilled water leaches minerals from our cells.

Is that true?

Answer: If, in this case, " leaching " implies that the distilled water acts

against the body's best interests in removing useful minerals from our

cells, this assumption is incorrect. Water in its pure distilled form is

only good; it is inert and cannot act on the body. Distilled water can never

force out essential body elements. By virtue of its ultra low viscosity,

distilled water efficiently transports wastes and stores of toxins,

including harmful inorganic minerals, out of the cells, tissues and bones,

for elimination via sweat, respiration, urination, etc. So, when we drink

only distilled water, we are assisting our body's ability to eliminate

toxins.

When people make dietary improvements, such as reducing the proportion of

cooked, acid-forming foods, while increasing the quantity of whole, raw,

alkalizing, foods, their bodies begin health-improvement actions, including

the elimination of toxins, in the process of establishing healthy alkaline

balance.

Acid wastes are dumped into the bloodstream and lymph, and then sent to the

liver and kidneys for processing and elimination. The body must keep the

blood pH at a uniform 7.4. If there is a slight shift toward the acid end,

the body will buffer the blood acidity to maintain homeostasis. The blood

itself has many buffers to help maintain the normal electrolyte balance. If

necessary, the body will take alkaline minerals out of the bones to buffer

the acids, but only under extraordinary conditions when the blood buffers

are not adequate.

An elimination crisis need not be drastic and harmful, and even intense and

uncomfortable cleansing is not to be feared. These elimination crises are

always orthopathic, i.e., right and necessary. They can be gentle and 100

percent health-building if one secures extra rest during this time. The

drinking of enough distilled water when thirsty (not in excess), will allow

the crisis to continue, as it should, resulting in a steady improvement in

health.

If a person adheres to a good diet with no grossly acid-forming foods, as

part of an overall healthful, low-stress lifestyle regimen, he or she will

arrive at a condition excellent health after the old acid wastes are

eliminated. Drinking distilled water will not cause harm, but rather, will

help keep one internally clean and operating at optimum efficiency. I found

distilled water to always induce a freshening effect during my initial

rebuilding phase 20 years ago; I felt (and continue to feel) more energetic

and healthy after drinking pure distilled water.

If one regularly drinks distilled water and cleans up his or her diet say

only 75 to 90 percent, while still indulging in 25 to 10 percent of the

grossly acidifying cooked foods (e.g., meat, dairy, cereals, breads, cakes,

candies, pasta, rice, tofu, soy milk, beans, etc.), he or she will never get

beyond the acid-poisoning phase, thus, the body will always be exerting

itself to eliminate acid wastes, resulting in sub-par health. Thus, it is

dietary and lifestyle stress, not distilled water, which is to blame for the

loss of any useful minerals.

More questions & answers (one from Dr. Weil)

1. What is distilled water?

Distilled water is literally water that has been boiled, evaporated and

condensed - leaving all chemicals, toxins and waste behind and creating

pure, clean water. Distillation will remove bacteria, viruses, cysts, heavy

metals, radionuclides, organics, inorganics, and particulates.

Distillation is literally the method seen in nature, whereby: the sun heats

the water on the earth's surface, the water is turned into a vapour

(evaporation) and rises, leaving contaminants behind, to form clouds. As the

upper atmosphere drops in temperature the vapours cool and convert back to

water to form water droplets. Then once the droplets fall as rain

(precipitation) the cycle starts over again.

This is exactly the same process in a water distiller - the tap water is

heated to boiling point so the impurities are separated from the water, and

the water then becomes steam. This is then condensed back into pure liquid

form. The impurities remain as residue and are removed leaving 100% pure, pH

balanced water.

2. I heard that distilled water is leeches minerals from the body, is this

true?

It is unsure where this myth came from, but it is not based upon any

scientific fact and is literally a lie. It is presumed that it was a rumour

started by an individual or company with vested interests (possibly a

manufacturer of an alternative filter or purifier).

'Your question as to whether distilled water leaches minerals out of the

body reflects another persistent myth. While pure water helps to remove

minerals from the body that cells have eliminated or not used, it does not

" leach " out minerals that have become part of your body's cell structure.

Neither does distilled water cause your teeth to deteriorate, a false claim

made by a filter manufacturer looking to boost sales. As far as acidity

goes, distilled water is close to a neutral pH and has no effect on the

body's acid/base balance'. - Dr Andrew Weil

" Distilled water has an inherent quality. Acting almost like a magnet, it

picks up rejected, discarded, and unusable minerals and, assisted by the

blood and the lymph, carries them to the lungs and kidneys for elimination

from the body. The statement that distilled water leaches minerals from the

body has no basis in fact. It doesn't leach out minerals that have become

part of the cell structure. It can't and won't. It collects only minerals

that have already been rejected or excreted by the cells...To suggest that

distilled water takes up minerals from foods so that the body derives no

benefit from them is absurd. " - Harvey & Marilyn Diamond, Fit for Life II:

Living Health

3. Isn't distilled water void of minerals that my body needs?

Another popular myth. The simple fact is that the human body can only use

and absorb certain types of minerals (organic as opposed to inorganic) and

only from certain sources. The human body is designed to get it's minerals

from foods, not from water and so the best thing we can do for our water is

make it as pure from toxins and chemicals as possible.

While it is true that the process of distillation removes certain minerals

from the water it is highly unlikely that any of the beneficial minerals

could be used by the body. Research has shown that the body is unlikely to

be able to absorb the minerals from water and one study has even claimed

that you would have to drink over 650 eight-ounce glasses of tap water to

reach the Recommended Daily Allowance for calcium. The fact that

distillation makes water 100% pure should not be of concern.

" The body's need for minerals is largely met through foods, not drinking

water. " - American Medical Journal

" The minerals which the human body needs that are in the water are

insignificant to those in food. and anyone simply eating a varied diet, not

even a balanced diet, could hardly suffer a mineral deficiency. " - Dr. Henry

A. Schroeder, Dartmouth Medical School

" The only minerals that the body can utilize are the organic minerals. All

other types of minerals are foreign substances to the body and must be

eliminated. Distilled water is the only water that can be taken into the

body without any damage to the tissues. " - Dr. Allen E. Banik, The Choice is

Clear

____

On Behalf Of Domingo

Pichardo

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 11:01 AM

Re: Distilled water - A health hazard

Moderator's Note: The fact remains that the distilled process depletes all

minerals, regardless of importance. Much research indicates that shortage of

trace minerals can inflict just as much damage as a lack of the major

mineral components. Diabetics, for instance, suffer from a deficiency of a

wide range of nutrients, the majority of which are " trace minerals " .

We know that vitamins, enzymes or co-enzymes cannot be effectively

metabolized in the absence of essential minerals! In this sense,all are

basically essential.

JoAnn

While I agree with the main principle of this info on distilled water, I

want to point out that the author incorrectly refers to Calcium and

Magnesium as " trace minerals " they are far from that... they are two of the

most prevalent minerals in the human body and completely essential for most

biological functions!