Vapor Distillation 101
Vapor Distillation 101
Water is essential to life in many, many ways. Not only does it play an important role in keeping our bodies functioning (it literally flows through our veins!) but we rely on water to cook, to bathe, to clean our houses and wash our clothes and for many, many other vital things.
Hydrating our bodies is critical for our basic functioning as humans and hydrating with clean and fresh water significantly impacts our overall health for the better. But not all water is created equal and if you only drink unpurified tap water, you’re exposing yourself to contaminants such as chlorine, cyanide, mercury and even asbestos which are allowed in municipal tap water in “acceptable” low amounts, per EPA regulations.
Fortunately, there’s a more refreshing, and much more pure option—vapor distilled water.
What is Vapor Distilled Water?
Let us define Vapor distillation. Vapor distillation is a process by which water is purified through a specialized heating technique that removes chemicals, bacteria and other particulates. Because of how effective this process is in producing clean water, it’s considered the gold standard for removing impurities.
Vapor-distilled water is often considered to be the cleanest form of water you can find.[1] Think of it as the VIP of waters. Due to its level of purification, Vapor distilled water is used for:
- Medical labs – In the medical field, utilizing sterile water within equipment and to clean tools is essential to preventing contamination and infection.
- Scientific research facilities – By relying on vapor distilled water, scientists can guarantee no underlying chemicals or particulates interfering with the results of their experiments.
- Perfumeries – Not only do perfumeries depend on vapor distilled water to capture the purest scents, but also to provide a product free of minerals that have been shown to cause skin irritation, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.
The Vapor Distillation Process
Although your tap water may look pure, the process of vapor distillation can remove inorganic compounds (such as lead and nitrate), microorganisms (such as bacteria) and over 99.9% of dissolved minerals within your water.[2]
The purification process can be broken down into five steps:
- Water is heated to its boiling point
- The boiling water produces vapor (steam)
- The vapor rises, leaving behind heavier solid contaminants, such as salt and minerals that weigh more than air, or have a higher boiling point than water
- The contaminant-free vapor is compressed, heating it even further
- The compressed vapor moves through a condenser where it’s cooled back to its liquid water state
Due to the complexity of the process and the specialized equipment required, few waters can earn the distinction of being vapor distilled, which begs the question:
Is Vapor Distilled Water the Same as Distilled Water?
Take a trip down any grocery store aisle these days, and you’ll be flooded with tidal waves of water bottles boasting pure, distilled water. But is this distilled water the same as vapor distilled water? Not exactly.
While all vapor distilled waters can be considered distilled water, not all distilled waters can be characterized as vapor distilled water. The difference lies in the purification process.
Whereas regular distillation involves collecting condensed, boiled water, vapor distillation takes this process to the next level. It utilizes specialized equipment to further heat and vaporize water, and compress collected vapor, to produce the purest water possible.
Vapor Distilled Water vs Other Types of Purified Water
Alternative water purification methods, particularly at-home methods, have recently grown in popularity to help consumers combat the substances possibly lurking beneath the surface of our tap water. To understand how these methods stack up against vapor distillation, let’s dive into the mechanics of how they work.
Carbon Filters
Carbon filters are a common choice for water purification due to their affordability. They’re often incorporated into refillable water pitchers or attached directly onto sink faucets. Carbon filters work to purify water through adsorption, which attracts contaminants like organic compounds from water and binds them to the surface of the filter.
While carbon filters can effectively remove chlorine (which water plants use to disinfect our tap water), their porous design allows dissolved solids to slip by. This means that even with a carbon filter purification system, you’re left with water that may contain bacteria, nitrates (a contaminant resulting from fertilizer runoff), and harmful heavy metals, including lead and copper. ZenWTR goes through carbon filtration before vapor distillation!
Ion Exchange Filters
Ion exchange filters are specially designed to remove the mineral content from your water, particularly calcium and magnesium. Although these minerals aren’t necessarily detrimental to your health, a high content within your water supply can lead to “hard” water, possibly resulting in:
- Itchy or filmy-feeling skin
- Dry hair
- Mineral stains on freshly laundered clothes
- Spots on washed glasses and dishware
To remove these minerals, ion exchange filters utilize negatively charged resin beads covered in sodium ions. When water runs through these filters, the positively charged calcium and magnesium ions are attracted to the negatively charged resin beads. When this happens, the mineral ions and sodium ions switch places, resulting in mineral-free water.
Although this type of water purification system can provide you with “soft” water for drinking, bathing, and washing your clothes, it doesn’t remove more harsh contaminants that have a greater impact on your overall health.
Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse osmosis systems work by forcing water through a semipermeable membrane at a high pressure to filter out impurities. Unlike a carbon filter, this semipermeable membrane is made of microscopic pores which block any contaminant larger than a water molecule from passing through.
Although reverse osmosis systems are effective at removing such impurities as nitrates and minerals, they’re ineffective against bacteria and viruses, as well as chemicals like chlorine and trihalomethane—a chlorine treatment by-product. ZenWTR also undergoes reverse osmosis filtration before vapor distillation!
The Benefits of Water
When it comes to nourishing your body and cultivating a healthy lifestyle, water is an essential ingredient. If you take into account all the amazing ways in which our bodies utilize water on a daily basis, it becomes clear that the quality of our drinking water is just as important as the quantity.
In addition to keeping us hydrated, water also helps to:
- Regulate body temperature – To keep us cool on hot summer days, or during times of physical activity, our bodies use water to produce sweat and prevent us from overheating.
- Produce saliva – Our saliva is 98% water, along with electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes that are essential for breaking down food.[3]
- Digest food – The water we drink before, during, and after our meals helps dissolve the food we eat, making it easier for our bodies to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.
- Circulate oxygen – Along with carrying nutrients through the body, water is also responsible for carrying oxygen. This means the more water we drink, the better our blood oxygen circulation.
- Fight off certain illnesses – Water has been shown to help prevent illnesses such as kidney stones, urinary tract infection, hypertension, and exercise-induced asthma.
- Boost your metabolism – When you start your morning with a glass of water, you can jumpstart your metabolism and boost your energy levels. In fact, one study found that drinking approximately 16 ounces of water boosted metabolic rates in men and women by about 30%.[4]
- Protect vital organs – Water helps protect our spinal cord, joints, and tissues from damage by surrounding them in a lubricating cushion.
- Promote collagen production – Not only can water help to keep your skin hydrated, but it can also assist in the production of collagen—a naturally occurring protein that keeps skin supple.
- Maintain energy and focus – When our bodies are dehydrated, our brains can’t work as efficiently, making it more difficult to stay focused and alert.
ZenWTR: Not Just Another Alkaline Water
If you’re looking to make a positive impact on your health and overall quality of life, take the plunge into vapor distilled drinking water with ZenWTR. Through our 8-step process, ZenWTR produces pure, hydrating water your body will thank you for.
In addition to vapor distillation, ZenWTR’s water undergoes:
- Advanced micron filtration
- Carbon filtration
- Reverse osmosis filtration
- Ultraviolet treatment
- Ionization (for the perfect pH balance)
- Re-mineralization (adding calcium, potassium, and magnesium for taste)
Plus, by choosing ZenWTR, you can also make a positive impact on the health of our planet. That’s because we are the only beverage in the world that uses 100% recycled, certified ocean-bound plastic to make our bottles. In fact, with every ZenWTR you purchase, you prevent up to 5 bottles from polluting our oceans and endangering marine wildlife.
To nourish your body with ultra-pure water, and help support efforts toward reducing future ocean pollution, choose ZenWTR t. Try us today!
Sources:
Sciencing. Definition of Vapor Distilled Water. https://sciencing.com/about-5128247-definition-vapor-distilled-water.html
Healthline. Can You Drink Distilled Water? https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-drink-distilled-water
NRDC. What’s in Your Drinking Water? https://www.nrdc.org/stories/whats-your-drinking-water
ScienceDaily. Saliva. https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/saliva.htm
Healthline. Why Is Water Important? 16 Reasons to Drink Up. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/why-is-water-important
University of Georgia. Water Quality and Common Treatments for Private Drinking Water Systems. https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B939
[1] Sciencing. Definition of Vapor Distilled Water. https://sciencing.com/about-5128247-definition-vapor-distilled-water.html
[2] University of Georgia. Water Quality and Common Treatments for Private Drinking Water Systems.https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B939
[3] Science Daily. Saliva. https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/saliva.htm
[4] Healthline. Why Is Water Important? 16 Reasons to Drink Up. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/why-is-water-important#energy
