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Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 28/07/2016 10:23:01

Title: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: thedoc on 28/07/2016 10:23:01
Kelson & Elena Da Cruz asked the Naked Scientists:
   Hi. I will like to know about drinking distilled water for health versus tap water that as been treated with all sort of chemicals?
Some info say distilled water is not good, some say its the best water to drink!
Many thanks
Elena
What do you think?
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: alancalverd on 28/07/2016 12:13:26
Fresh distilled water will do no harm or good, but once it has been opened to the air or touched by any animal it will contain a few organisms that might just be harmful.

Tap water is less likely to contain harmful bacteria as it contains a whiff of chlorine or ozone and is always available "on tap". It may also contain fluoride which will reduce tooth decay.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: evan_au on 29/07/2016 12:40:25
Quote from: Kelson & Elena
drinking distilled water for health versus tap water

It depends on which country you are in. In some countries, it is best to boil all drinking water, as the water is not adequately treated to kill pathogens, and even water that is labelled as distilled may be suspect.

Quote from: alancalverd
fluoride which will reduce tooth decay
I heard that there are some country towns in Australia that were showing very high rates of hospital admission for dental surgery. It turns out that these towns have only had fluoridated water for a few years...
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: Bored chemist on 29/07/2016 18:13:02

Quote from: alancalverd
fluoride which will reduce tooth decay
I heard that there are some country towns in Australia that were showing very high rates of hospital admission for dental surgery. It turns out that these towns have only had fluoridated water for a few years...
[/quote]

I heard there was a thing called evidence, and that it was considered important in science.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: evan_au on 30/07/2016 05:19:08
Quote
fluoride.... I heard there was a thing called evidence
See the transcript at: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/hotspots-of-health-inequality/7657824
The full report is here: http://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/874-Perils-of-Place.pdf
          ...but it doesn't go into the detailed causes of dental problems...
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: Bored chemist on 30/07/2016 13:31:42
Those don't even include the word "fluoride"
They(reasonably enough) blame poverty- and the associated lack of dental care- for increased hospital admissions for dental health problems.

So, once again, Got any evidence?

Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: evan_au on 31/07/2016 04:31:31
Quote
Those don't even include the word "fluoride"
from the transcript...
Quote
Stephen Duckett: ...if you look again at Melbourne, in metropolitan Melbourne, none of the postcodes had high rates of admissions for dental care. But in parts of rural Victoria there are places which are two or three times the state average. So Colac, for example, not a poor area, Mildura, have more than twice the state average rate of admission for dental care.

Norman Swan: So presumably for extractions.

Stephen Duckett: Extractions, gum disease possibly. And it is probably because neither of those places have had fluoride for very long. They basically fluoridated in 2010 in both of those cases, and so the community didn't have the public health intervention that they should have had in terms of fluoride in the water supply.

Norman Swan: So that's one cause...
But that study was looking for medical hotspots, not specifically at the health effects of fluoridation.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 12:47:24
Fresh distilled water will do no harm or good

The former is true.... the latter is not.


once it has been opened to the air it will contain a few organisms that might just be harmful.

Really? Name one airborne "organism" that commonly infiltrates water bottles when you open them.


Tap water is less likely to contain harmful bacteria as it contains a whiff of chlorine or ozone and is always available "on tap".

You forgot about systemic toxicants - chlorine doesn't remove heavy metals from tap water.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 12:54:47
Some info say distilled water is not good

Anyone who implies that distilled water is "not good".... has no concept of science or physiology.

Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 13:00:34
Quote from: alancalverd
I heard that there are some country towns in Australia that were showing very high rates of hospital admission for dental surgery.


(https://media4.giphy.com/media/VUDN4qnIwLR5K/giphy.gif)
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: jeffreyH on 31/07/2016 14:57:41
Fresh distilled water will do no harm or good

The former is true.... the latter is not.


once it has been opened to the air it will contain a few organisms that might just be harmful.

Really? Name one airborne "organism" that commonly infiltrates water bottles when you open them.


Tap water is less likely to contain harmful bacteria as it contains a whiff of chlorine or ozone and is always available "on tap".

You forgot about systemic toxicants - chlorine doesn't remove heavy metals from tap water.

They don't tend to sell distilled water in drinking bottles. Your reading skills and comprehension appear a little impaired. Oh yes I know why.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 15:05:19
They don't tend to sell distilled water in drinking bottles. Your reading skills and comprehension appear a little impaired. Oh yes I know why.

Distilled water comes in bottles... douchebag:

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onlinecouponsavings.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F09%2FArrowhead-Water-6-pack-8-pack-or-12-pack.jpg&hash=cade9cfd50cf12b462479ead6c9790fb)
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: Bored chemist on 31/07/2016 15:07:15


Really? Name one airborne "organism" that commonly infiltrates water bottles when you open them.


You forgot about systemic toxicants - chlorine doesn't remove heavy metals from tap water.
Obvious candidates would be
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudomonas_aeruginosa
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionella_pneumophila
They are not very likely to do any harm but, in bottled water they will have a much better chance of survival than in chlorinated tap water.

If your tap water has significant levels of heavy metals then you should complain to the supplier.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: Bored chemist on 31/07/2016 15:10:45
They don't tend to sell distilled water in drinking bottles. Your reading skills and comprehension appear a little impaired. Oh yes I know why.

Distilled water comes in bottles... douchebag:

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onlinecouponsavings.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F09%2FArrowhead-Water-6-pack-8-pack-or-12-pack.jpg&hash=cade9cfd50cf12b462479ead6c9790fb)
That's not distilled water though, is it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowhead_Water

So perhaps we should reassign the epithet "douchebag".
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 15:12:42
That's not distilled water though, is it. So perhaps we should reassign the epithet "douchebag".

Actually it is distilled water genius.

Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: jeffreyH on 31/07/2016 15:20:35
The taste of distilled water leaves a lot to be desired. They wouldn't get many customers.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 15:21:50
Obvious candidates would be
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudomonas_aeruginosa

Obvious?

Wrong.

Quote from: Crit Rev Microbiol. 1997;23(1):47-75.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: assessment of risk from drinking water.[/quote
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium. It can be recovered, often in high numbers, in common food, especially vegetables. Moreover, it can be recovered in low numbers in drinking water. A small per- centage of clones of Pseudomonas aeruginosa possess the required number of virulence factors to cause infection. However, Pseudomonas aeruginosa will not proliferate on normal tissue but requires previously damaged organs. Further narrowing the risk to human health is that only certain specific hosts are at risk, including patients with profound neutropenia, cystic fibrosis, severe burns, and those subject to foreign device installation. Other than these very well defined groups, the general population is refractory to infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: Bored chemist on 31/07/2016 15:22:00
Meanwhile, back at the OP's question
"Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?"

Distilled water won't do you any particular harm- nor with it do you any real good.
Whether it's better than the tap water depends (obviously) on the quality of the tap water.

However, since they are asking the question about drinking tap water, it's fair to assume that the originators of the question live somewhere where it is safe to drink the tap water.
(If they weren't then presumably they would have been asking about different varieties of mineral water vs distilled).

So, if the tap water is reasonable (and, for the sake of argument, lets presume it is chlorinated too) then the question boils down to
"Should we pay a lot more money for water that offers little if any advantage?"
And the answer is almost certainly no.
It would be better for your health to spend that money (even if it's a small sum) on other things that are healthier options.
The exception would be where someone is sufficiently wealthy that price concerns don't affect their health choices.
If you are in that fortunate position I suggest you drink tap water and  give the money you save to someone who needs it.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: Bored chemist on 31/07/2016 15:24:18
Obvious candidates would be
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudomonas_aeruginosa

Obvious?

Wrong.

Quote from: Crit Rev Microbiol. 1997;23(1):47-75.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: assessment of risk from drinking water.[/quote
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium. It can be recovered, often in high numbers, in common food, especially vegetables. Moreover, it can be recovered in low numbers in drinking water. A small per- centage of clones of Pseudomonas aeruginosa possess the required number of virulence factors to cause infection. However, Pseudomonas aeruginosa will not proliferate on normal tissue but requires previously damaged organs. Further narrowing the risk to human health is that only certain specific hosts are at risk, including patients with profound neutropenia, cystic fibrosis, severe burns, and those subject to foreign device installation. Other than these very well defined groups, the general population is refractory to infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Your post makes no sense.
Pseudomonas is an occasional pathogen and - as your post says- it is ubiquitous so it's quite plausible for it to be carried into drinking water on dust.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: Bored chemist on 31/07/2016 15:26:36
That's not distilled water though, is it. So perhaps we should reassign the epithet "douchebag".

Actually it is distilled water genius.
Actually it's impossible to tell from the pictures. However the branding strongly suggests that it's mineral water rather than distilled.
http://www.nestle-watersna.com/asset-library/Documents/AR_ENG.pdf
As has been pointed out, distilled water doesn't taste good (in most peoples opinion).

If you had cited the source of the picture, we could check. It's a pity you forgot to do so.
Perhaps you might want to try doing so now- better late than never.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 15:41:13
Your post makes no sense.

Actually it makes plenty of sense Mr Chemist.


Pseudomonas is an occasional pathogen and - as your post says- it is ubiquitous so it's quite plausible for it to be carried into drinking water on dust.

Nice try.... but unless you have "profound neutropenia, cystic fibrosis or severe burns".... it wouldn't matter if it was present in the water or not.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 15:46:44
That's not distilled water though, is it. So perhaps we should reassign the epithet "douchebag".

Actually it is distilled water genius.
Actually it's impossible to tell from the pictures. However the branding strongly suggests that it's mineral water rather than distilled.
http://www.nestle-watersna.com/asset-library/Documents/AR_ENG.pdf
As has been pointed out, distilled water doesn't taste good (in most peoples opinion).

If you had cited the source of the picture, we could check. It's a pity you forgot to do so.
Perhaps you might want to try doing so now- better late than never.

You honestly think I posted a pic of regular bottled water? Oh lawdy.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Arrowhead+distilled+water+pack


~
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: jeffreyH on 31/07/2016 15:56:15
Well the reviews generally stink. Most buyers appear to be topping up batteries with it and most varieties of arrowhead appear to be no longer for sale. What exactly were you hoping to prove? You seem desperate to always be right. Nothing is ever learned that way but misconceptions.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 16:06:44
What exactly were you hoping to prove?

Hoping to prove? lol

Distilled water comes in bottles.... just like I said.

Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 16:35:01
If your tap water has significant levels of heavy metals then you should complain to the supplier.

Good idea. Maybe the 12,000 children from Flint Michigan that are suffering from systemic led-poisoning as a result of tap water-exposure should've complained too?

Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: jeffreyH on 31/07/2016 16:50:49
What exactly were you hoping to prove?

Hoping to prove? lol

Distilled water comes in bottles.... just like I said.

Teenagers have that same goal. Yes I was wrong. So? Does it make you feel all toasty inside?
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 16:55:54
Yes I was wrong. So?

So what? I pointed out the fact that you were wrong. It's a science forum.... deal with it.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 31/07/2016 17:06:50
Your reading skills and comprehension appear a little impaired. Oh yes I know why.

You really want to compare comprehension & knowledge? I will school you on anything relating to physiology or pharmacology. Try me.

I'd like to hear your comments on the following topic.... then we can talk about how impaired my comprehension skills & cognitive function are:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=65721.msg480458#msg480458

~
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: jeffreyH on 31/07/2016 17:20:18
Pharmacology is your hobby, not mine. I have little interest in it. Then again I haven't consumed bucketfuls of the stuff from dodgy back street merchants. Unless of course you are illegally preparing your own. You aren't doing that now are you?
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: Bored chemist on 31/07/2016 22:15:24
Your post makes no sense.

Actually it makes plenty of sense Mr Chemist.


Pseudomonas is an occasional pathogen and - as your post says- it is ubiquitous so it's quite plausible for it to be carried into drinking water on dust.

Nice try.... but unless you have "profound neutropenia, cystic fibrosis or severe burns".... it wouldn't matter if it was present in the water or not.

It seems you forgot what question you actually asked.
Remember? It was this "Really? Name one airborne "organism" that commonly infiltrates water bottles when you open them."
And pseudomonads do that.

so It turns out that it doesn't matter if they are pathogens or not- because that's not what you asked for.
Nice try at moving the goals there.
But it doesn't work very well on discussion fora- because other people can read that you actually wrote
"Really? Name one airborne "organism" that commonly infiltrates water bottles when you open them."
(I repeated it there in case you had  forgotten again.
Now It's pretty clear that I know it's not likely to be a pathogen.
There's a hint in what I wrote.
"They are not very likely to do any harm"
I see that reading comprehension really isn't your best subject.

Now I guess we could get back to those unfortunate kids in Michigan; but in the context of thsi discussion there's no point is there?
Because I already addressed that when I said
"Meanwhile, back at the OP's question
"Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?"

Distilled water won't do you any particular harm- nor with it do you any real good.
Whether it's better than the tap water depends (obviously) on the quality of the tap water.

However, since they are asking the question about drinking tap water, it's fair to assume that the originators of the question live somewhere where it is safe to drink the tap water.
(If they weren't then presumably they would have been asking about different varieties of mineral water vs distilled).
"
Or is your reading letting you down again.
Oh, BTW using LMGTFY to highlight your own inability to cite a source isn't big and it isn't clever.
Part of the problem is that the first half dozen hits for that search don't actually point to distilled water.

So,why not actually do your job- and cite the godforsaken source of the image as if you were a grown up?


Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 01/08/2016 21:57:42
Or is your reading letting you down again. Oh, BTW using LMGTFY to highlight your own inability to cite a source isn't big and it isn't clever.

So,why not actually do your job- and cite the godforsaken source of the image as if you were a grown up?

"Do my job"? lol.... Go pound sand. You want me to cite sources for pictures of water bottles.... keep waiting buddy.

newsflash: It doesn't matter if it comes in a 6-pack or a 1-gallon bottle.... distilled water still comes in a bottle.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 01/08/2016 22:05:11
Quote from: Bored chemist
It seems you forgot what question you actually asked. Remember? It was this "Really? Name one airborne "organism" that commonly infiltrates water bottles when you open them."

I'm well aware of what I posted. My comment was exclusive to harmful airborne organisms that would have a high-probability of contaminating a water bottle after opening it -- which was in response to.... "once it has been opened to the air it will contain a few organisms that might just be harmful."


Quote from: Bored chemist
it's quite plausible for it to be carried into drinking water on dust.

Riveting. Now tell me what part of "commonly" did you not comprehend?
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 01/08/2016 22:15:13
Whether it's better than the tap water depends (obviously) on the quality of the tap water.

I like how you throw around the word "obviously".

So Mr "chemist".... you wanna try explaining how tap water [of any source] would have a higher purity than molecularly-distilled water????
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 02/08/2016 00:47:59
Quote from: jeffreyH
Pharmacology is your hobby, not mine. I have little interest in it.

Precisely.... which is why your presence and/or comments as a moderator in a physiology/medicine forum is a conundrum of epic proportions.


Quote from: jeffreyH
Then again I haven't consumed bucketfuls of the stuff from dodgy back street merchants.

I don't consume bucketfuls of pharmacology either....

Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: jeffreyH on 02/08/2016 07:57:33
Your mummy might buy you long trousers next year then you'll be ALL GROWN UP.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: syhprum on 02/08/2016 09:30:54
Is Led the correct American spelling for the element Pb we in the UK call it lead
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 02/08/2016 11:13:39
Is Led the correct American spelling for the element Pb

no.....

Any other spelling and/or grammatical errors youd like to discuss?

~
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: puppypower on 02/08/2016 11:32:45
The problem with distilled water is since it pure water, and contains no ions or dissolved solids, its chemical activity is higher than tap or spring water. What that means is distilled water can solubilize many substances of the body, easier, such as ions. Too much distilled water can strip you of your ions and may even impact other body functions that depend on a lower level of water activity. A little bit of distilled won't bother you, but if you drank distilled water, like some people drink spring water, it can cause ion depletion, if not supplemented.
Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: exothermic on 02/08/2016 12:29:55
Too much distilled water can strip you of your ions

References?

Nonetheless, too much water in general can cause death.

Nobody is drinking that much distilled water.

Title: Re: Is distilled water or tap water better for your health?
Post by: evan_au on 03/08/2016 11:31:45
This thread has stopped dealing with the facts.
I've locked this thread - mod.

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