Distilled Water vs Tap Water

This article will cover the key differences of distilled water versus tap water. It will cover the taste difference, the health benefits, the risks, and the usability of each type. There are some benefits to having each type of water, depending on what is in the tap water and what each type of water is being used for.

Some individuals would immediately pass off either type as not being useful over the other. However, both are important types of water that have their pros and their cons.

Health Benefits

Tap water versus distilled bottled water in the terms of health benefits is usually the subject that is often questioned. Which one is healthier, and what are the health benefits that each has to offer? The first thing to note is that normal tap water has more beneficial things in it than distilled water has to offer. This is true 100% of the time when it is compared to distilled bottled water.

Tap water has sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorus, and zinc as minerals in its water. All of these minerals provide a wide array of health benefits to the body. Here is a list of the minerals found in tap water, and their said health benefits:

• Calcium provides benefits to the bones by helping to strengthen them.
• Magnesium helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Sodium helps with fluid balancing outside the cells.
• Copper has antioxidant benefits, it helps the body use iron, and helps support good heart health.
• Iron helps the blood cells in the body utilize oxygen.
• Potassium helps with fluid balancing inside the cells.
• Manganese helps with reproduction and reformation of tissues in the body.
• Phosphorus helps with protein functions in the body, and the maintenance and repair of tissues and cells.
• Zinc helps the immune system.

All of these minerals are found in tap water, but are devoid in distilled water. None of these minerals are left in distilled water, because it is left behind during the distillation of the water that could have previously had it. So in this sense, tap water wins on which type of water provides the most health benefits.

This would put distilled water at a disadvantage if the goal of drinking water was to provide the most health benefits through the extra minerals naturally found in water. In a situation where minerals are scarce in one’s diet, tap water would be the better option. However, studies have shown (by the USDA) that tap water as a whole would supply all of these minerals, but only a small amount of the recommended daily value for some of them.

Of the minerals found in tap water, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, and sodium are the main ones that provide the most health benefits that can give an individual a sufficient supply for their daily recommended intakes.

This means that the average tap water can give 4% to 16% of the average amount of water consumed per day for calcium, 3% to 31% for magnesium, around 44% for copper, 1% to 10% for zinc, and 3% to 33% for sodium. This is based off of the average amount of water consumed by a person a day, which ranges from 1 liter of water to 2 liters of water consumed a day.

So on average from various tests of tap water from many different regions from around the world, tap water is able to provide sufficient health benefits from these minerals. So in essence, tap water can provide health benefits that can support the heart, help iron absorption in the body (which leads to improved oxygen in the blood cells), help the immune system, help strengthen the bones and prevent osteoporosis, and help with fluid management outside of the cells.

Taste

The taste of distilled water versus tap water is also said to be less desirable by most. The taste of distilled water is often described as, weird, bland, tasteless, bitter, metallic, but usually it is said to be flat. Depending on what an individual wants in terms of flavor or taste from their water, this could be determined as a good or a bad thing. Some individuals like tasteless water better, while many others actually make their selection of bottled water based largely on flavor. From a restaurant perspective, bland water is bad water for most.

Tap water versus distilled bottled water for taste has a lot more flavor most of the time. This is again because of the amount of minerals found in the water. However, it could be a good or bad thing, depending on the amount of minerals in the water, and other things that could possibly be in the tap water. This could make the tap water taste better or worse than bottled distilled water. Bad tasting tap water could cause an individual to prefer the taste of distilled water instead.

The Risks Of Tap Water Vs Distilled Water And Vice-versa

Both distilled bottled water and tap water can have their risks when compared to each other, which depends on the individual person’s health and diet. Tap water can still contain things that human beings would not want in their body, despite being considered to be purified water too.

Distilled water can be seen as a benefit to drink in these circumstances, even if tap water had the minerals in them with the health benefits associated to it.

On the other side, distilled water can be less desirable in a diet that is deficient of any of the minerals found in the tap water. However in a situation where the regular diet of an individual is not in need of any of the minerals found in tap water, distilled water would win against tap water as being a better choice for consumption. This is because distilled water not only has a lack of minerals, but also a lack of anything else too, including the bad stuff in water.

Other Uses

Distilled water vs tap water in other uses besides the use of consumption, can definitely be a better option than tap water. The minerals and other agents found in tap water can be a problem if it is used in an ongoing basis in equipment and machinery that use or transport water.

For instance, mineral built up can cause machinery to break down over time if tap water is extensively used instead of filtered or distilled water. This could be the case for a restaurant that is using tap water to run equipment for drinks for example. Distilled water would be better in these circumstances, and could possibly save a lot of money on repairs if used over tap water.

Also distilled water is better if there is a problem with hard water, as it is considered to be soft because of its lack of minerals. It is a better choice for washing, for restaurants, for sterilization, and for vehicles.