The Myths About Drinking Deionized Water

There have been written materials talking about the harmful effects of drinking deionized water. These write-ups indicate that water devoid of minerals, and thus, sometimes referred to as demineralised water, can be potentially harmful to body tissues. Nevertheless, there is little information to either prove or disprove this.

This kind of water we are talking about is usually water in its highly pure form - without minerals or ions dissolved. Water is a very good solvent and the purer it gets the more aggressive a solvent it becomes. Tap water or typical water contains several things dissolved in it. Absurd articles come to discredit deionized water (DI water) as being harmful and will strip your body of minerals and nutrients.

These news articles are untrue. Deionization of water is a purification process that removes ions like calcium, magnesium, sodium and chloride. These ions cause water to become hard and hard water has little value even in household uses. Washing clothes in hard water results in discoloration of the fabric. The removal of ions assures water to be in its purest possible state that can be useful in many household and industrial applications.

Demineralised water is harmless. It cannot be harmful. One can drink this water as much as he wants without ending up in the emergency room. As this water passes through your mouth down to the digestive tract, it will dissolve substances like sugars and ions along the way to become nothing different than plain water. One main probable cause for concern is the resin which acts as an ion exchange material during the deionization process. Resin bed is a favorable ground for bacteria to breed and it also loses some regeneration capacity upon prolonged use, although this one depends upon the kind of material used. In addition, the bacteria that may thrive in the resin beds are relatively harmless. Thus these concerns may not pose serious problems.

One problem about this procedure and the equipment it requires is the cost. The high cost of deionizing water may not be practical to many citizens. There are less expensive purification methods available. The dilemma, however, exists as the more expensive the process the better and safer the water is. For some, a less expensive system of water purification that results to potable water is still convenient.

Lots of bottled mineral water are out in the market and these products contain 1000 ppm (parts per million) of dissolved solids (minerals). They are neither better nor worse than demineralised water. Consequently, there are no proven health risks regarding consumption of DI water.

Deionization removes ions in the water, some of which may even be harmful to human health. Most of the issues thrown against this process say that it strips water's minerals and that it removes the micronutrients that should be present. However, a significant amount of minerals in water does not come from drinking water. In fact, from a nutritional point of view, mineral water and demineralised water is the same, which means that either has no advantage over the other.

Minerals are nutrients needed by the body in small amounts. These are essential to proper body functioning and some are even found in vital bio-molecules. Hemoglobin, bone growth, nerve conduction and muscle function require the presence of minerals which comes in form of ions in the blood stream and tissues.

In the light of the issues lingering against DI water, there is a need to remind everyone that minerals do not and should not come from drinking water. If one were to obtain the needed amount of minerals from drinking water, he would have to drink an amount of water that fills the bathtub. That is outrageous and absurd. Be reminded that these micronutrients come from food such as vegetables, fruits, grains, milk, meat, etc.

So drink your safe, pure water and eat your balanced diet as well.