You can drink distilled water, and for most healthy people it is safe, especially in the short term or if it is just part of your overall fluid intake. However, it is not usually recommended as your only long‑term drinking water because it lacks minerals like calcium and magnesium that are present in most tap, spring, or mineral waters.

Quick Scoop

  • Distilled water is simply water that has been boiled and the steam condensed, which removes almost all dissolved minerals, many chemicals, and microbes.
  • Health agencies and reviews note it is safe to drink but can taste flat and does not provide beneficial minerals.
  • The main concern is if it is your only water source for a long time and your diet is poor in minerals, which may contribute to mineral or electrolyte imbalance.

What exactly is distilled water?

Distilled water is produced by boiling water and collecting the condensed steam, leaving behind most contaminants, salts, and minerals. This process makes it very pure and useful in settings like medical equipment, laboratories, and devices where mineral buildup is a problem.

Key properties

  • Very low in dissolved minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc.).
  • Very low in many chemical contaminants and microorganisms compared with untreated tap water.
  • Often described as having a flat or “empty” taste because of the lack of minerals.

Is it safe to drink?

Short‑term / occasional use

  • Health reviews and WHO guidance say distilled water is safe to drink from a toxicity or infection standpoint.
  • For someone with a varied diet rich in minerals, drinking some distilled water instead of tap or mineral water is unlikely to cause problems.

Long‑term, as your main water

A World Health Organization report and other analyses have raised concerns about drinking low‑mineral water exclusively over the long term.

Potential issues discussed include:

  • Possible electrolyte and mineral imbalance (especially if diet is poor in calcium, magnesium, and other electrolytes).
  • Increased urine output and changes in the way the body handles electrolytes, which might contribute to subtle metabolic changes.
  • Epidemiological concerns (associations with certain cardiovascular and bone outcomes) in populations using very low‑mineral water, though causation is not firmly proven.

Many experts therefore suggest that, while distilled water is technically safe, it is not clearly healthier than good‑quality tap or mineral water and may be less ideal for everyday, lifelong use.

Possible benefits people mention

  • Lower content of contaminants: Distillation removes many microbes and chemical contaminants (e.g., some heavy metals, nitrate, and organic chemicals).
  • Helpful in certain medical or technical situations: For example, in CPAP tanks, sterilizing equipment, batteries, and some food processing uses.
  • Some sources mention reduced urinary excretion of certain minerals, which may help reduce some kinds of kidney stone risk, though this is not a universal recommendation.

These advantages are more about purity and specific uses than about superior daily hydration.

Possible downsides and misconceptions

1. “Distilled water leaches minerals from your body”

  • Some popular articles and forums claim distilled water “pulls” minerals from bones or tissues.
  • Scientific reviews generally focus more on the lack of minerals in the water (and how that affects total intake and electrolyte handling) rather than dramatic leaching from healthy diets.

If your overall diet supplies enough minerals, occasional distilled water is unlikely to cause major issues; concerns grow if both diet and water are low in minerals.

2. Flat taste and reduced intake

Distilled water often tastes flat, which some people find unappealing. A WHO review even suggested that poor taste and thirst‑quenching characteristics might lead people to drink less water than they should.

3. Not ideal as your only long‑term water

Some risk summaries recommend avoiding distilled water as the sole long‑term drinking water, citing associations with:

  • Higher cardiovascular morbidity in some low‑mineral water regions
  • Bone health concerns (fracture risk) in children
  • Potential neurodevelopmental and pregnancy‑related outcomes

These are population‑level concerns and do not mean an occasional bottle of distilled water is dangerous, but they support the idea that a bit of mineral content in drinking water is beneficial.

Distilled vs other drinking waters

Here is a compact comparison to put distilled water in context:

[1][8] [3][9][1] [3][1] [1][3] [6][3] [6][3] [8][1] [8][1]
Water type Main features Everyday drinking?
Distilled Very pure, almost no minerals; flat taste; excellent for equipment and some medical uses.Safe, but usually not preferred as sole long‑term water due to lack of minerals.
Tap (treated) Contains varying minerals and trace contaminants depending on local system; usually regulated for safety.Common everyday choice when it meets local quality standards.
Filtered/purified Contaminants reduced by filters or processes like reverse osmosis; may still contain some minerals depending on system.Widely used for daily drinking, especially where tap quality or taste is a concern.
Mineral/spring Natural mineral content (calcium, magnesium, etc.), often good taste.Generally suitable and sometimes preferred for regular hydration because of mineral content.

Practical tips if you drink distilled water

  • If you like using distilled water, ensure your diet provides enough minerals (fruits, vegetables, dairy or fortified alternatives, nuts, whole grains).
  • Using distilled water occasionally (travel, certain appliances, short‑term preference) is fine for most healthy adults.
  • For long‑term daily drinking, consider water with some mineral content (good tap, filtered, or mineral water), especially for children, pregnant people, or those with medical conditions affecting electrolytes.

TL;DR: Yes, you can drink distilled water, and it is safe in moderation, but it is usually not recommended as your exclusive, long‑term drinking water because it lacks minerals that ordinary drinking water provides.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.