If you've ever accidentally drank distilled water, you probably know how awful it tastes. Human beings often associate an "off" taste with things that are poisonous or bad for our bodies, so it's easy to associate distilled water with unhealthiness.
In this article, I'll talk to you about why distilled water tastes this way, whether it's safe to consume, and some other serious water concerns: Can I eat snow? What is crunchy ice and where can I get some? Does Smart Water make you smart? Okay, really? Is this whole article really about water?
Yes, my skeptical Internet friend, it is.
Some things to remember: Water is the most abundant natural resource on this planet. Water is the only substance on this planet that exists naturally as a liquid, gas and solid. It's also better at dissolving stuff than anything else, including acid. Our bodies are made of 66% water and accounts for 55 to nearly 80% of our weight.
Water is a very big deal. Without it, you would literally die. Show some respect.
No, really, I'm freaking out now. Can I drink distilled water??
I just swallowed some. Is it going to kill me?
OMG. Go throw up that foul water right now!
Just kidding.
There is a myth that I remember hearing a long time ago that you aren't supposed to drink distilled water because your body's cells will do something weird like BURST** or something. This isn't true. As long as you're getting all your necessary vitamins and minerals from foods and other sources while drinking water, you and your cells should be fine. Distilled water just tastes funky because most of use aren't used to it.
**Maybe not BURST, but there are people that believe that if you drink it enough, distilled water causes minerals to leech out of your body at a dangerous rate. I think it's a bunch of hooey, but if you're really concerned about it, don't drink distilled water. It's gross anyway!
When I would go to the wintry mountains as a kid, I'd prefer to sit in the snow and eat it as opposed to actually exerting myself physically by playing. Ugh, just thinking about it exhausts me. I still prefer this snow behavior. I also prefer my snow cones and shaved ice (or Hawaiian "shave ice") without syrup. So it's just water. I like eating frozen water. WHAT OF IT??
So, is it safe to eat snow?
Snow is formed high up in our atmosphere at temperatures cooler than -35 degrees Celsius (-31 deg Fahrenheit). I had always been told that snow formed from itty bits of dust, but it turns out it's probably formed from bacteria. As you may know, bacteria is all over everything in our world, including the foods we eat and the drinks we drink. So, is the bacteria in snow a problem?
Eh, probably not. As long as you're a healthy non-infant, eating a small amount of snow is fine. Straight from the sky is best, but you are probably fine eating some of the freshly fallen stuff too. For obvious reasons, avoid dirty snow or any kind of colored snow. What's that saying? Don't eat.... YELLOW snow. Don't eat yellow snow. That's it.
There is a myth that I remember hearing a long time ago that you aren't supposed to drink distilled water because your body's cells will do something weird like BURST** or something. This isn't true. As long as you're getting all your necessary vitamins and minerals from foods and other sources while drinking water, you and your cells should be fine. Distilled water just tastes funky because most of use aren't used to it.
"Crunchy Ice" has a name: Nugget Ice. There is one company that makes the ice machines that creates this perfectly crunchy ice and you can track down all the restaurants, coffee shops, and minimarts in the US that serve it in their beverages. GASP. Here is a starter list for you:
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