For those who THINK drinking distilled water is beneficial... it is
NOT!
Early Death Comes From Drinking Distilled Water
Dr Z. P. Rona MD, Msc
During nearly 19 years of clinical practice I have had the opportunity to
observe the health effects of drinking different types of water. Most of you
would agree that drinking unfiltered tap water could be hazardous to your
health because of things like parasites, chlorine, fluoride and dioxins.
Many health fanatics, however, are often surprised to hear me say that
drinking distilled water on a regular, daily basis is potentially dangerous.
Paavo Airola wrote about the dangers of distilled water in the 1970's
when it first became a fad with the health food crowd.
Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated and the
vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and, because
of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic
substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits
of drinking distilled water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the
system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time). Fasting using
distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes
(sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium,
deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood
pressure. Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them
and lowers their nutrient value.
Distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes into contact with
air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The more distilled water a
person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes. According to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, "Distilled water, being essentially
mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances
with which it is in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly
absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many metals are
dissolved by distilled water."
The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e. cola
beverages and other soft drinks) are made from distilled water. Studies have
consistently shown that heavy consumers of soft drinks (with or without
sugar) spill huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals
into the urine. The more mineral loss, the greater the risk for
osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, high
blood pressure and a long list of degenerative diseases generally associated
with premature aging.
A growing number of health care practitioners and scientists from around
the world have been advocating the theory that aging and disease is the
direct result of the accumulation of acid waste products in the body.
There is a great deal of scientific documentation that supports such a
theory. A poor diet may be partially to blame for the waste accumulation.
Meats, sugar, white flour products, fried foods, soft drinks, processed
foods, alcohol, dairy products and other junk foods cause the body to become
more acidic. Stress, whether mental or physical can lead to acid deposits in
the body.
There is a correlation between the consumption of soft water (distilled
water is extremely soft) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Cells,
tissues and organs do not like to be dipped in acid and will do anything to
buffer this acidity including the removal of minerals from the skeleton and
the manufacture of bicarbonate in the blood.
The longer one drinks distilled water, the more likely the development of
mineral deficiencies and an acid state. I have done well over 3000 mineral
evaluations using a combination of blood, urine and hair tests in my
practice. Almost without exception, people who consume distilled water
exclusively, eventually develop multiple mineral deficiencies.
Those who supplement their distilled water intake with trace minerals are
not as deficient but still not as adequately nourished in minerals as their
non-distilled water drinking counterparts even after several years of
mineral supplementation.
The ideal water for the human body should be slightly alkaline and this
requires the presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Distilled water tends to be acidic and can only be recommended as a way
of drawing poisons out of the body. Once this is accomplished, the continued
drinking of distilled water is a bad idea.
Water filtered through reverse osmosis tends to be neutral and is
acceptable for regular use provided minerals are supplemented.
Water filtered through a solid charcoal filter is slightly alkaline.
Ozonation of this charcoal filtered water is ideal for daily drinking.
Zoltan P. Rona MD MSc Regency Elite Water Ionizer - Alkalizer. That Uses
The Latest Advances In Water Technology To Produce Pure, Alkaline Drinking
Water.
REFERENCES
Airola, P. 1974. How To Get Well. Phoenix, AZ: Health Plus Publishers.
Baroody, Dr. Theodore A. Jr. Alkalinize or Die. California:Portal Books,
1995.
Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. The Complete Guide to Diet
& Nutritional Medicine. Berkeley, California:Celestial Arts, 1992; p. 22.
Rona, Zoltan P. and Martin, Jeanne Marie. Return to the Joy of Health,
Vancouver: Alive Books, 1995.
Rona, Zoltan P. Childhood Illness and The Allergy Connection. Rocklin,
California:Prima Books, 1996.
Dr. Zoltan P. Rona is a graduate of McGill University Medical School
(1977) and has a Master's Degree in Biochemistry and Clinical Nutrition from
the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut (1985). He is the author of the
Canadian bestsellers, "The Joy of Health" and "Return to the Joy of Health".
He is a past president of the Canadian Holistic Medical Association and is a
consultant on nutritional medicine to the Motherisk Program of the
Department of Pharmacology of the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. Born
22/2/51 in Budapest, Hungary; raised in Montreal, Quebec. Canadian citizen.
The statements enclosed
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