Gurdur

You've got a nice little beginning of a reductio ad absurdum argument there; but do you have a point ?

No skin off my nose, matey; run along to your nearest gastroenterologist and pop the question; let me know if I was actually wrong with my statement.
Wanna put $ 5 on it ?

No, reeaaally ?
I thought of that already, which explains the use of the term "may" in my statement.

Let me expand:
If you drink a lot of distilled water (and not much else), you may get feelings of lethargy and muscular weakness as a result of salts/minerals imbalance.

The same thing can happen if you drink a hell of a lot of mineral water - say more than 2 bottles a day - in a very hot climate, such as Queensland.

This is not something you can play games with by trying reductio ad absurdum, or silly games such as pointing out that drinking too much water can lead you to drown.

The question was asked for genuine advice. I gave it. If you disagree, please check with a gastroenterologist, who would in any case be more qualified than I on this.

[ December 13, 2002: Message edited by: Gurdur ]</p>

thebeave

This may get slightly off-topic, but I need to vent a bit. As I see it, this obsession that today's society has with regard to drinking water is out of control. First of all, the amount of minerals found in water (bottled water, de-ionized, distilled OR tap water) is harmless and negligible and works neither for or against your health or safety in any significant way. Food provides the VAST majority of our mineral requirements, as was pointed out earlier. Secondly, consider that since the beginning of life a few billion years ago, lifeforms have been consuming fresh water right from the stream, spring or whatever, without any form of filtering, distilling, etc. Our biology and those of other animals, have evolved with and adapted to the extraneous (non H2O) components of water quite well with few exceptions (certain pathogenic bacteria and heavy concentrations of arsenic, etc notwithstanding). It is only in the past couple of decades that everyone seems to think its unhealthy or even unsafe to drink anything except "pure, unadulterated H2O" from a bottle. What changed all of a sudden? Marketing by bottled water companies to a gullible, fear-mongering, follow-the-sheep public, that's what. It's the same marketing ploy that makes people think they need a 4WD SUV just for shopping and commuting. What worries me is that children are growing up today being raised on bottled water by fearful parents who believe that tap water is poison and will increase their risk of cancer.* And of course the kids will continue perpetrating this fraud to their kids. The part that really rattles me though, is that bottled water industry is taking a very unnecessary toll on our environment. Think of all the smog, oil and resources used to manufacture those bottles, caps, labels and packaging. And all the gas used and smog spewed from trucks and ships used to transport it across the country and overseas. The unnecessary oil drilling that has to be done to meet the demand for producing the plastic (plastic is a petroleum product) bottles and caps. I suspect the people who buy tons of bottled water every year are the same ones who are protesting drilling in ANWR. The litter strewn across the highways and recreation areas. When I go hiking in the mountains by my house, about 80% of the litter I see is small plastic water bottles that will take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to degrade. Consider the impact to already overflowing landfills (yes, recycling takes care of some of the waste but certainly not all). All of this is for what reason now? If its a taste issue (which I can understand), then buy yourself a filter system for your kitchen faucet and drink from a cup or reusable Nalgene bottle.

Also, many people don't realize that the requirements for tap water (set by the EPA) are more actually more stringent than the requirements for bottled water (set by the FDA). And, despite what the label on the bottle of water suggests (e.g. glacier springs, etc), much of it is just filtered municipal tap water. It also pains me to see poor, uneducated people (especially immigrants) spend what little money they have on bottled water when they should be spending it on nutritious food for their children.

By the way, what's up with this new "vitamin-charged" bottled water? You pay any extra dollar for what amounts to the vitamin content in a teaspon of milk? What's next, bottled air?

Sorry about the rant. I just get a little cranky in the morning sometimes. Carry on.


* One could argue that the trihalomethanes found in tap water (which are byproducts of the disinfection process) are known carcinigens, however, the fact is, many, if not most, of the "natural" fruits, vegetables and meats you eat every day contain known carcinigens, at levels that are much more worrisome.

Dr Rick

There is no more harm in drinking distilled water than there is in drinking potable water from other sources. Even in a state of starvation, the very low mineral and electrolye concentrations of regular tap water are unlikely to offer much benefit over distilled water. The trace amounts of minerals and electrolytes in tap water are just too low to have much of a physiologic effect.

The vast majority of the minerals and salts we need come from dietary sources (which include sports drinks and fruit juices), not the water we drink. Though there is no harm from drinking distilled water, there is no benefit to it either unless you have no access to any other potable water.

Tim (Gurdur), I am a gastroenterologist; sorry pal, but you owe me $5

Rick

Dr Rick

thebeave post was an excellent one.

I recommend filtering one's own tap water at the faucet or in a pitcher; it's cheap and the brand name filters do remove most heavy metals and pesticide residuals, though for most places in the US there levels are already negligible.

Your comments about bottled water were spot-on: most people don't realize that the expensive stuff in the bottle isn't regulated for purity as municipal water sources are; bottled water is a scam, but one that has been played well enough to fool many Americans.

Rick

btw, thebeave: I grew-up not far from you in San Jose; what is it you do in the Bay Area for a living?

[ December 13, 2002: Message edited by: Dr Rick ]</p>

MortalWombat

I think half of that $5 is mine, since he was responding to my post.

magiksam

Hey

I agree and usually dont use bottled water unless on a road trip instead of coke. Many of them arent any healthier than tap - maybe people just like the taste - thats why i drink the distilled not because its better for you (think for the most part they're all work out to be about the same) but because distilled doesnt have jackson reservoir or UMC pipe taste in it.

Distilled at the groc store is sold in gallon jugs for next to nothing.

thebeave

The Lone Ranger

Water is not digestible.

Water is absorbed, but adding minerals or other "hooks" would not make it easier to absorb. It would be just the opposite, if anything, since that would bring it closer to being isosmotic with body tissues. In any event, even "pure" water remains pure only for as long as it takes to reach the stomach.

Cheers,

Michael