I've been using distilled water, mainly because I don't want the
fluoride or chloride in tap water. I use filtered tap water for a
quick blanch, then do infusions with the distilled.

Before I went to distilled water, I tried to find out the
consequences, and what turned up on the Internet is not all favorable.

For one thing, distilled water has no minerals, so there's the
possibility that minerals are leached out of your system if you use it
too much. Maybe distilled water also extracts taste from tea leaves?
To compensate for any loss of minerals, I also drink fruit juices and
take a vitamin supplement with minerals. But our main source of
minerals is food anyway.

Then there is the issue about taste, because distilled water not only
is without minerals but is short on oxygen and electrolytes. Minerals
do add something to the taste, I assume, and so does Oxygen. Oxygen
does get reabsorbed into distilled water with agitation and time, but
I don't know at what rate.

If you want to get the complete picture about tea water and health, I
think you have to look at electrolytes, too. Tea is a diuretic, which
means it actually causes loss of water in your system. At the
cellular level, there is a balancing going on between water within
cells and water outside cells that affects your health. This thing
about electrolytes is important because, as best I can understand, it
refers to certain molecules, mainly potassium, sodium, and chloride
that complete an electrical connection in cell walls and nerve
passages. There is also something about a person's enzymes and acidic
pH balance involved here, but it's over my head.

Get in an ambulance as a patient and one of the first things they do
is drip electrolyte into your vein. "Sports drinks," like Gateraid,
have electrolytes in them, plus sugar. If you have a first-rate
physical examination, they measure the electrolyte balance in your
urine.

Basically, I just want to use organic ways of getting my electrolytes,
not some over the counter additive, so I'm looking for ways to keep up
my electrolytes while using distilled water for tea.

bookburn

On May 4, 3:21*pm, wrote:
I've been using distilled water, mainly because I don't want the
fluoride or chloride in tap water. *I use filtered tap water for a
quick blanch, then do infusions with the distilled.

Before I went to distilled water, I tried to find out the
consequences, and what turned up on the Internet is not all favorable.

For one thing, distilled water has no minerals, so there's the
possibility that minerals are leached out of your system if you use it
too much. *Maybe distilled water also extracts taste from tea leaves?
To compensate for any loss of minerals, I also drink fruit juices and
take a vitamin supplement with minerals. *But our main source of
minerals is food anyway. *

Then there is the issue about taste, because distilled water not only
is without minerals but is short on oxygen and electrolytes. *Minerals
do add something to the taste, I assume, and so does Oxygen. *Oxygen
does get reabsorbed into distilled water with agitation and time, but
I don't know at what rate.

If you want to get the complete picture about tea water and health, I
think you have to look at electrolytes, too. *Tea is a diuretic, which
means it actually causes loss of water in your system. *At the
cellular level, there is a balancing going on between water within
cells and water outside cells that affects your health. *This thing
about electrolytes is important because, as best I can understand, it
refers to certain molecules, mainly potassium, sodium, and chloride
that complete an electrical connection in cell walls and nerve
passages. *There is also something about a person's enzymes and acidic
pH balance involved here, but it's over my head. *

Get in an ambulance as a patient and one of the first things they do
is drip electrolyte into your vein. *"Sports drinks," like Gateraid,
have electrolytes in them, plus sugar. *If you have a first-rate
physical examination, they measure the electrolyte balance in your
urine.

Basically, I just want to use organic ways of getting my electrolytes,
not some over the counter additive, so I'm looking for ways to keep up
my electrolytes while using distilled water for tea.

bookburn * * *

I never tried distilled but I think it's more ore less an
agreed point that tea tastes much worse when made
with distilled water, mainly because of minerals.
Why not use spring water?

On Sun, 4 May 2008 18:20:19 -0700 (PDT), Rainy
wrote:

On May 4, 3:21*pm, wrote:
I've been using distilled water, mainly because I don't want the
fluoride or chloride in tap water. *I use filtered tap water for a
quick blanch, then do infusions with the distilled.

Before I went to distilled water, I tried to find out the
consequences, and what turned up on the Internet is not all favorable.

For one thing, distilled water has no minerals, so there's the
possibility that minerals are leached out of your system if you use it
too much. *Maybe distilled water also extracts taste from tea leaves?
To compensate for any loss of minerals, I also drink fruit juices and
take a vitamin supplement with minerals. *But our main source of
minerals is food anyway. *

Then there is the issue about taste, because distilled water not only
is without minerals but is short on oxygen and electrolytes. *Minerals
do add something to the taste, I assume, and so does Oxygen. *Oxygen
does get reabsorbed into distilled water with agitation and time, but
I don't know at what rate.

If you want to get the complete picture about tea water and health, I
think you have to look at electrolytes, too. *Tea is a diuretic, which
means it actually causes loss of water in your system. *At the
cellular level, there is a balancing going on between water within
cells and water outside cells that affects your health. *This thing
about electrolytes is important because, as best I can understand, it
refers to certain molecules, mainly potassium, sodium, and chloride
that complete an electrical connection in cell walls and nerve
passages. *There is also something about a person's enzymes and acidic
pH balance involved here, but it's over my head. *

Get in an ambulance as a patient and one of the first things they do
is drip electrolyte into your vein. *"Sports drinks," like Gateraid,
have electrolytes in them, plus sugar. *If you have a first-rate
physical examination, they measure the electrolyte balance in your
urine.

Basically, I just want to use organic ways of getting my electrolytes,
not some over the counter additive, so I'm looking for ways to keep up
my electrolytes while using distilled water for tea.

bookburn * * *

I never tried distilled but I think it's more ore less an
agreed point that tea tastes much worse when made
with distilled water, mainly because of minerals.
Why not use spring water?

If I could have water from a mountain stream, with the minerals and
oxygenation I assume are desirable, I would still want to make sure it
was free of pollutants from land run-off and animal waste. I'm not
one of those who would try monkey feces in their tea. Also, I object
to buying bottled water when you really don't know what's in it, but
just do it when traveling in foreign places.

Maybe if the taste test is all that matters, a superior tea served in
different ways could determine which is best, distilled water or
mountain water--can't say I've tried this. I do like the taste of tea
made with distilled, which is "soft" water and really lets the natural
taste come through. I like Miller beer because its water is soft, I
think. bb

wrote:

Basically, I just want to use organic ways of getting my electrolytes,
not some over the counter additive, so I'm looking for ways to keep up
my electrolytes while using distilled water for tea.

Ask your local homebrewing supply for Burton Water Salts. It's basically
dehydrated water... just the minerals are left. Add it to distilled
water and you get nice, slightly soft drinking water for cheap.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."