Can drinking distilled water leach minerals from the body or from cookware over time?
Executive summary
Scientific and consumer reporting is split: several technical reviews and medical outlets say distilled water is safe and does not actively “leach” minerals from the body (e.g., Cornell experts, Medical News Today) [1] [2], while some industry blogs and advocacy pieces argue that low‑mineral or distilled water can contribute to mineral loss from food, cookware, or the body over time [3] [4] [5]. Peer‑reviewed and institutional reviews warn that very low‑mineral drinking water supplies reduce dietary mineral input and may require attention to diet or remineralization, but they do not universally endorse the simplistic “distilled water will suck minerals out of you” claim [6] [7].
1. The core scientific divide: absorption versus dietary contribution
Experts quoted in mainstream reporting say distilled water is absorbed and handled by the kidneys like other waters and therefore does not “draw” minerals from body tissues in the simplistic way the myth describes; Cornell food‑science and nutrition experts told the New York Times distilled water does not leach minerals out of the body [1]. By contrast, public‑facing reviews and some water‑industry writers emphasise that distilled or demineralized water contains essentially no calcium or magnesium and therefore cannot contribute to daily mineral intake — a real nutritional point that could matter where diet is poor or water is the major mineral source [2] [4] [6].
2. Where the “leaching” idea comes from — chemistry and cooking
Several consumer pieces report that very pure water is more aggressive at dissolving soluble components from materials it contacts; for example, distilled water can increase leaching of metals from cookware or piping and can extract minerals from foods during cooking, with one source citing large percentage losses of certain minerals from vegetables and cereals cooked in distilled water [5]. Institutional reviews warn that demineralized water can encourage corrosion and reduce mineral content in foods prepared with it — an indirect, plausible route by which distilled water can reduce mineral intake, even if it doesn’t “pull” minerals out of living tissues directly [6] [8].
3. The public‑health angle: does drinking distilled water cause deficiency?
Medical and public‑health reporting summarized by Medical News Today and Health.com states distilled water is safe within a balanced diet but notes it lacks minerals removed by distillation, so people should get minerals from food or other water sources [2] [9]. Technical reviews cited on demineralization caution that long‑term consumption of very low‑mineral water can alter mineral and water metabolism and recommend attention to total dietary mineral intake — a nuanced caution, not a blanket condemnation [6] [7].
4. Competing expert claims and where evidence is thin
Some vendors and blogs assert distilled water “actively leaches” body minerals or causes electrolyte imbalance [3] [10] [5]. Other sources — including cellular‑study proponents and sports‑nutrition writers — counter that studies do not show mineral loss from the body and even argue distilled water can enhance mineral absorption in some contexts [11] [12]. The stronger, peer‑reviewed warnings focus on low dietary mineral supply from demineralized water rather than an active physiological leaching process [6].
5. Practical takeaways for consumers and cooks
If your diet is varied and you obtain minerals from food, drinking distilled water is unlikely to cause clinically meaningful mineral loss, and major outlets call it safe as part of a balanced diet [2] [9]. If you regularly cook with distilled water, live where tap water is a meaningful mineral contributor, or rely on water as a primary mineral source, experts and reviews advise monitoring dietary intake or using remineralization [6] [4]. Also note credible reporting that distilled water can corrode some plumbing or increase metal leaching from containers, which can affect both water quality and cookware longevity [8] [5].
6. Final context and unanswered questions
Available sources show a clear distinction between two claims: (A) distilled water contains no minerals and therefore doesn’t supply mineral intake — broadly supported [4] [2]; and (B) distilled water actively pulls minerals out of living tissue — which mainstream experts dispute and label a myth [1] [13]. Sources do not converge on a single numeric threshold of water mineral content that becomes harmful, and current reporting does not offer comprehensive long‑term clinical trials proving systemic mineral loss solely from drinking distilled water; that specific longitudinal evidence is not found in the provided reporting [7] [6].