Boiled water vs filtered water, what’s better for your health?

Drinking adequate amounts of water or staying hydrated is crucial for health. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water and that being dehydrated can affect us both physically and mentally however, it is important to consume safe water to prevent any infectious diseases.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Priyanka Lulla, Vlinical Dietitian at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, shared, “Boiling water before drinking is one of the easiest and simplest methods of reducing the risk of water-borne infections. In fact, health inspectors recommend boiling water whenever public water quality is compromised. However, boiling water can only reduce the microbial load but may not completely remove all the harmful toxins.”

On the other hand, she revealed, “Water filters can be used to treat water with a wide variety of contaminants. Water filters have been designed by professionals to eliminate microbes, traces of metals and odour. Compared to boiling, water filtration is much faster and enables people to enjoy clean and healthy drinking water with the touch of a button or lift of a faucet handle. Water filters do not pose any known danger to your health.”

Comparing the two, the health expert highlighted, “Boiling water does not completely purify it leaving some contaminants behind while on the other hand, water filters are scientifically efficient to provide convenient, safe and great tasting water without any hassle but if you do not have access to safe filtered water, it is advisable to consume at least boiled water instead. Perhaps the only disadvantage with filtered water is the initial cost of setting up the water filtration system.”

Sharing her insights on the boiled water vs filtered water debate, Zamurrud M Patel CDE, RD Chief Dietician at Global Hospitals in Mumbai, explained, “Boiled water is the water that is heated at 212 degrees Celsius and then cooled and strained and used for drinking. Filtered water is the water that passes through various filtration process likes osmosis, ion exchange, carbon filters etc and is then used for drinking.”

She advised, “When you use filters at home - ensure that they are cleaned regularly otherwise it can’t provide you the desired quality of filtered water. Boiled water will be free from microbes but it may have contaminants like minerals or metals whereas filtered water will be free from heavy metals and minerals too. I still do have my concerns on how well the filtered water is bacteria/germ free as it does not take water to a high temperature. So, depending in areas one lives – if the water is hard you can choose filtered water and if you are in soft water areas, just boiled water is good. Also, while you travel prefer mineral water.”