?? About RO/DI Water Unit

[Gerwin]

so why is it or is it bad to drink water that is RO/DI or DI? seems to be a bit of questioning on this, and since you like the podium and are our resident scientist (for real folks) enlighten me

[bluwtr]

If I understand your question Gerwin, the answer is RO/DI water is perfectly safe to drink. Drinking TOO much is where the problems come in, but here is the kicker--drinking too much TAP water will kill you just as fast and just as dead. Fluids are absorbed in the mucosal linings of the gut--a little in the stomach, much more in the small intestine and the most in the large. When the water is absorbed the osmotic regulation begins. The cells try and balance the "salt" concentration on both sides of the cell wall. Too much water on the outside makes salts leave the cell trying to balance the two. Not enough of the salt in the cell can stop cellular functions or outright kill the cell. Certain ions in the body are essential for neuro-transmissions and when they become diluted then the nerve impulses are diminished or stop completely.

Our bodies filter out the extra stuff in any water, whether it's bottled Evian or artesian well or city water. It's not needed. Now, if you have a deficiency in something and you drink a fluid with it in it, your body will keep what it needs and dump the rest--i.e. Gatorade after you've cut the yard in August. Again--osmotic balance.


Hope that answers your question and didn't just muddle the confusion anymore.

Wes

[Gerwin]

thats good info, but in the past someone posted that specifically DI water was not drinkable or not good to drink, I believe in the discussion it was narrowed down to the fact that to much was removed and maybe took out trace elements the body would use, of course pure water for hydration and the proper food groups should be a good course to follow to keep those needed elements coming in?

[bluwtr]

That is true, but our bodies were never meant to need trace elements from our water supply. We've been around for 1/2 million years and in our present form roughly 50k years. We have evolved to get what ever we need via diet. You have to understand that we didn't have over cooked hyper processed food until mostly after WWII and as such our nutritional diet value has gone to crap. Ther only problem with drinking DI water is the taste sucks. PURE water has basically no taste--it's the crap in H2O that makes it taste better. Here's a little experiment. Take some RO/DI water and drink it straight. Now put some in a pot and bring it to a boil. When it cools try that--it should taste better. Now, take some and add a little table salt to it--tastes much better. Pure water has been described as having a "flat" flavor. The boiling helps that. Old hurricane trick.

Like you said and has been said--a good diet is the key. Water, is water, is water. It only serves a biochemical function. You can go your entire life without ever drinking water in its pure form and be fine. In other words you can drink Coke everyday all the time and your biochemical processes would be fine. Granted all of the sugar would cause other problems, but your body will filter all of the stuff out and use the water portion when, where and how needed.

I've got a solution to all of the confusion---water your fish with RO/DI water and we can just drink beer!!!

Hope this makes it as clear as Back Bay.

Wes