"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."

Zoltan P. Rona MD MSc

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Finally, Physical Proof that Distilled Water is Inferior

Dr. Masaru Emoto, a visionary researcher from Japan received certification from the Open International University as a Doctor of Alternative Medicine. Subsequently he was introduced to the concept of micro cluster water in the US and Magnetic Resonance Analysis technology. The quest thus began to discover the mystery of water.

He undertook extensive research of water around the planet not so much as a scientific researcher but more from the perspective of an original thinker. At length he realized that it was in the frozen crystal form that water showed us its true nature.

Distilled Water Spring Water

Distilled Water Water from a pure source

Dr Emoto began by studying the crystallization process of water It all started in 1994 when he took samples of water from various sources, froze a few droplets, examined them under a dark field microscope and photographed them. He photographed the crystal formations produced by water as it passes from liquid into freezing state.

It is like taking a snapshot of the water at that moment in time. He quickly realized that the crystals that formed from water depended highly on the natural health of the water. In other words, water from natural springs, healing water sources etc, formed beautiful and complex crystalline geometries - like snowflakes.

Water that had been distilled, polluted or passed through consumption had lost its inner order. This leads to the realization that natural healthy water carries an 'inner order' defining its nature and properties.

Dr. Masaru Emoto

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DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:

"In April I attended the SkaSys lecture by Dr. Hans Lechner. This amazing technology allows one to successfully harness consciousness as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool.

Dr. Lechner shared detailed of his recent meeting with Dr. Emoto and it became clear that this technology could clearly demonstrate the danger of distilled water at a clear and easily seen level.

Although it is controversial I am firmly convinced that distilled water is harmful to your health.

One of the major foundational reasons is that distilled water is highly acidic. Most of us are far too acidic already and the last thing we need to be drinking is a fluid that will make us even more acidic.

Distilled water is alleged to be beneficial due to its lack of contaminants. Well, many of the devices that distill water are made of metal and will actually add certain toxic metals like nickel back to the water, which actually worsens health.

Since distilled water is like a vacuum without any minerals, it will actually leach beneficial minerals from your body to balance it out. While this maybe beneficial for a short period during some sort of detoxification regimen, this is usually highly counter productive in the long run.

Then there is the physics of the water. Water is structured and when it is distilled the structure becomes profoundly disturbed as you can see by the pictures above.

It is possible to restructure the water by putting it in a clear glass container, adding a few minerals and leaving it out in the sunshine for a day. This will help to restore the normal beneficial structure that water should have to promote health.

I believe it was the Asians who popularized the saying that one picture is worth a thousand words, so please enjoy the pictures which will help you appreciate the difference between natural spring water and distilled water."
DR. MERCOLA DO.
REFERENCES
Article compiled from Web sites:

Airola, P. 1974. How To Get Well. Phoenix, AZ: Health Plus Publishers.

Baroody, Dr. Theodore A. Jr. Alkalinize or Die. California:Portal Books, 1995.

Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. The Complete Guide to Diet & Nutritional Medicine. Berkeley, California:Celestial Arts, 1992; p. 22.

Rona, Zoltan P. and Martin, Jeanne Marie. Return to the Joy of Health, Vancouver: Alive Books, 1995.

Rona, Zoltan P. Childhood Illness and The Allergy Connection. Rocklin, California: Prima Books, 1996.