Is it possible to re-boil drinking water? Why can't you boil water a second time?

Water, as one of the natural elements, has a powerful meaning in the life of people, living creatures, and the planet. It is a vital factor in the life of every person, creature, plant - absolutely of all earthly origins.

It’s not for nothing that the human body is 80% liquid. Since childhood, we have been told that we need to regularly consume a certain amount of water in our daily diet.

Scientists have even derived a certain formula for combining a person’s weight with the amount of required daily intake of water: the higher the weight, the more a person needs to drink.

But what kind of water to drink? The most common and affordable option is to find regular tap water. As children, many of us make the mistake of quenching our thirst straight from the tap, but this is a huge mistake due to stupidity and lack of consciousness.

After all, in order for the water to undergo at least some purification from the sedimentary layers that have accumulated over the years on the inside of the water pipes, local authorities use chlorine. Indeed, not every resident of the metropolis has the opportunity to go and draw crystal clear water from a well.

And yet, drinking water raw is highly not recommended, because in order to remove actively harmful components in its content, the water needs to go through a boiling process.

What does boiling water do?

There was a funny dialogue on this topic between the girl and her mother. The daughter asks: “Why are you boiling water, mom?” - “So that all bacteria die” - “So I will drink tea with dead microbes?” But in fact, at the moment of boiling, the following happens.

Firstly, when water reaches 100°C, the molecular components of water and oxygen undergo a process of evaporation.

Secondly, the concentration of impurities that cannot be removed anywhere doubles at the time of boiling, since part of the water leaves with evaporation, but particles of salt and dirt remain. This is why sea water is considered unsuitable for drinking.

Third, all unsafe harmful microbes, bacteria and microparticles are destroyed. But you are mistaken if you think that the more times you boil water, the more pathogenic bacteria you will kill. They all die at the moment of initial boiling.

Fourth, hydrogen isotopes contained in water, at maximum heating, settle to the bottom, which entails an increase in the density of the liquid and its weight.

Why can't you boil water again?

We are often lazy when, for example, we are sitting in the office and suddenly wanting to drink a cup of coffee again, we press the switch on the kettle with already boiled water to boil it again. What does this mean?

1. Tasteless. You will no longer get the original taste of a drink prepared with such water. Why? Because raw water when boiled differs from water that has been heated at 100 degrees, and water that has been boiled again loses its taste.

2. “Deadness” of water. Every time the same water goes through the boiling process, its composition is disrupted and oxygen evaporates from the liquid. The water turns “dead.”

3. Increased concentration of impurities. As mentioned earlier, a boiling liquid tends to evaporate, but impurities remain, as a result of which, against the background of a decreasing amount of water, the amount of sediment increases.

4. Chlorine dioxins are formed. Initially, the chlorine found in pipeline water does not disappear anywhere; on the contrary, in the process of repeated heat treatment, its concentration only increases, and this leads to painful sensations in humans when absorbing such water.

How to boil water correctly

Before heat treatment, use only fresh water;
do not add or mix fresh water with the remainder of pre-boiled water;
let the water sit before boiling.
Boil water correctly and drink for your health.

The molecule consists of oxygen and hydrogen, but the water that we drink from springs or from a tap contains a lot of impurities of mineral elements. Each time the water is boiled, the composition of the water changes and its density increases. You cannot boil water twice, and here's why - you can harm your body by drinking heavy water.

When boiling, part of the water evaporates, but only the lightest H2O molecules take on a vapor state. At the same time, salts and minerals remain in the kettle, making the water more concentrated in impurities. Also, when water molecules break down, hydrogen isotopes are formed, which make the water heavier and make it harmful.

If you are going to boil water several times for the purpose of disinfection, biologists have found that the bulk of microorganisms die during the first boiling. New microbes are formed only after a few hours.

Is it possible to boil water twice?

It is not recommended to boil water several times. Ordinary consumers, having seen how scale settles on the bottom and walls of the kettle, often think that a similar process occurs in the stomach and intestines. Therefore, they begin to boil the water almost ten times. But in the body, minerals are absorbed first (in the small intestine), and then in the last stages of digestion of water molecules (in the large intestine). Therefore, the stronger the concentration of impurities in the water, the more you immediately poison your body.

Where do these impurities come from? Artesian water passes through many layers of soil and underground layers, each of which contains salts, chalk, sand, etc. All these layers saturate the water with their components. Tap water must be chlorinated for disinfection purposes. During the boiling process, only pure water molecules evaporate, leaving impurities behind. The hot water supplied through the central water supply is often supplied with many reagents; it is strictly forbidden to drink it, even boiled.

Boiled water has a different taste, many find it unpleasant. Water acquires this taste as a result of the reactions of impurities present in it. Repeated boiling only worsens the taste of the water.

When the temperature rises above 90 degrees, organochlorine compounds are formed. The longer the water boils, the more the production of these substances negative for health is activated. Therefore, water cannot be boiled twice, otherwise you will harm your health - you will provoke the formation of stones in the kidneys and gall bladder, blood vessels will lose elasticity from organochlorine substances and the risk of atherosclerotic plaques will increase. Due to the deposition of the hydrogen isotope in the body, the digestibility of various groups will deteriorate and metabolic processes in the body will be disrupted.

Everyone knows that drinking tap water is extremely harmful. But not everyone has the opportunity to buy bottled water or use special filters. Since time immemorial, there has been one reliable way to disinfect water - boiling. In the days of our mothers and grandmothers, many had a container of boiled water in the kitchen and children were told to drink only from it! Using the same water, some brewed tea or coffee, boiling it again in this way.

And today, many people often boil water several times, mainly for tea or coffee, being too lazy to pour the liquid remaining in it from the last time from the kettle. This is especially typical for offices, where one kettle is filled in the morning and water is boiled in it again every time someone wants to drink tea.

But won't such a habit cause harm to the body? Some supporters of a healthy lifestyle argue that water should never be boiled again. How right are they?

First, let's tell you what impurities are contained in tap water. Firstly, there is a considerable amount of chlorine, which is used to clean it, but can have an irritating effect on the skin and mucous membranes, and in large doses can contribute to the occurrence of cancer. Secondly, these are calcium and magnesium salts, which, when boiled, settle on the inner walls of the kettle - the well-known scale. Thirdly, heavy metals such as lead, strontium and zinc, which at high temperatures form carcinogenic compounds that provoke the occurrence of cancer cells. And fourthly - viruses, bacteria and similar microflora.

Water "living" and "dead"

What happens to all these substances when water boils? Bacteria and viruses definitely die at the first boil, so this is simply necessary for water disinfection. Especially if the water is taken from a dubious source - a river or a well.

Salts of heavy metals, unfortunately, do not disappear from water, and when boiling, their concentration can only increase due to the fact that a certain volume of water evaporates. The greater the number of boils, the higher the concentration of harmful salts. But, according to scientists, their number is still not enough to cause significant harm to the body at one time.

As for chlorine, during boiling it forms a lot of organochlorine compounds. And the longer the boiling process lasts, the more such compounds appear. These include carcinogens and dioxins that can have a negative effect on the cells of the human body. Scientists, in the course of laboratory studies, have found that such compounds appear even if the water was purified with inert gases before boiling. Of course, the harmful effects of such water will not be noticeable immediately; aggressive substances can accumulate in the body for quite a long time, and then lead to the development of serious diseases. To harm the body, you need to drink this water every day for several years.

According to British woman Julie Harrison, who has extensive experience in researching the influence of lifestyle and nutrition on the occurrence of cancer, every time water is boiled, the content of nitrates, arsenic and sodium fluoride becomes higher. Nitrates are converted into carcinogenic nitrosamines, which in some cases cause leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other types of cancer. Arsenic can also cause cancer, heart pathologies, infertility, neurological problems and, of course, poisoning. Sodium fluoride has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system, and in large doses can lead to sudden changes in blood pressure and dental fluorosis. Substances that are harmless in small quantities, for example, calcium salts, become dangerous when boiling water repeatedly: they damage the kidneys, promote the formation of stones in them, and also provoke arthrosis and arthritis. Repeatedly boiling water for children is especially not recommended, since its high sodium fluoride content can seriously harm their mental and neurological development.

Another fact in favor of the inadmissibility of repeated boiling is the formation of deuterium in water - heavy hydrogen, the density of which also increases. Ordinary water turns into “dead” water, the constant use of which can lead to death.

However, scientists are of the opinion that the concentration of deuterium in water, even after several heat treatments, is negligible. According to the research of academician I.V. Petryanov-Sokolov, to obtain one liter of water with a lethal concentration of deuterium, you will have to boil more than two tons of liquid from the tap.

By the way, water boiled several times changes its taste not for the better, so tea or coffee made from it will not be what it should be!

To boil or not to boil?

Boiled water is still more beneficial for the body than water straight from the tap. So boiling once is very reasonable. But it is better to refuse repeated use, since organochlorine compounds are definitely released, even in small quantities, and this is fraught with danger for the body later. It is much easier to acquire a new habit: before each tea party, fill the kettle with fresh water, allowing it to “breathe” a little first to ventilate chlorine and other harmful substances. And be sure to descale the kettle!

How often do we forget that the kettle has already boiled for a long time and has already cooled down, but we still can’t tear ourselves away from our favorite show? We turn the stove back on and boil the kettle again.

What happens when we boil water a second time? Although this is very important to know, it is not taught in school.

When water boils, its composition changes, which is completely normal: volatile components turn into steam and evaporate. Thus, boiled water is safe to drink.

But when the water boils again, everything changes for the worse: Boiled water is completely devoid of taste. If you boil it several times, it becomes very, very tasteless.

Some might argue that raw water also has no taste. Not at all. Do a little experiment. At regular intervals, drink tap water, filtered water, boiled once and boiled many times. All of these liquids will taste different.

When you drink the latter version (boiled many times), you will even have an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth, some kind of metallic taste. Boiling “kills” water.

The more often the heat treatment occurs, the more useless the liquid is in the long run. Oxygen evaporates, and the usual H2O formula from a chemical point of view is actually violated.

For this reason, the name of this drink arose - “dead water”. As mentioned above, after boiling all impurities and salts remain.

What happens every time you reheat? Oxygen leaves, and so does water. Consequently, the salt concentration increases.


Of course, the body does not immediately feel this. The toxicity of such a drink is negligible. But in “heavy” water all reactions occur more slowly. Deuterium (a substance that is released from hydrogen during boiling) tends to accumulate. And this is already harmful.

We usually boil chlorinated water. When heated to 100 °C, chlorine reacts with organic substances. As a result, carcinogens are formed.

Frequent boiling increases their concentration. And these substances are extremely undesirable for humans, as they provoke cancer. Boiled water is no longer useful. Repeated processing makes it harmful.

Therefore, follow these simple rules:

  • For boiling, pour fresh water each time;
  • do not boil the liquid again and do not add fresh liquid to its remains;
  • Before boiling the water, let it stand for several hours;
  • Having poured boiling water into a thermos (for preparing a medicinal mixture, for example), close it with a stopper after a few minutes, not immediately.

Source

You can boil water several times, but it is not necessary. The main factor in the benefits and purity of water is not the amount of boiling, but the degree of quality of the original liquid. Therefore, before use, it is important to purify the water using any existing method.

By the way, using bottled water is also not recommended, since there is no uniform standard or requirements for the quality of such products. In addition, plastic containers have a negative impact on the contents.

In everyday life, it is better to use standard tap water, but before use, purify it using filters or other accessible and effective methods. And in this article we will look at whether it is necessary and possible to boil water several times.

Harm from tap water

The water that we pour into the kettle from the tap contains both useful and harmful elements. On the one hand, it contains such important substances as calcium and magnesium, oxygen and carbon dioxide. On the other hand, it contains dangerous uranium and barium, bleach, fluorine and nitrates. Such components can cause serious harm and damage to human health.

Regular use of untreated tap water over a long period of time causes the formation of stones in the gall bladder and kidneys, worsens the microflora in the intestines and the condition of the mucous membranes, and contributes to the occurrence and development of an allergic reaction.

Poor-quality tap water after purification with bleach has an unpleasant taste and impairs the taste of prepared dishes and drinks. Impurities in its composition can easily ruin the value of tea and coffee.

In addition, tap water is often hard, which deteriorates the quality of items after washing. It makes the material rough and unpleasant to the touch, leaving stains and streaks on clothes. To prevent such harm, you need to purify and soften the water.

Boiling to purify and soften water

The benefit of boiling is that it destroys dangerous bacteria and makes the water softer. This is the easiest and most affordable way to cleanse at home. If you boil water for 15 minutes along with steam, harmful chemical compounds will go away. But along with these elements, the concentration of calcium and other useful minerals decreases. At the same time, bleach and non-volatile substances remain in the composition. In boiled water they turn into more dangerous carcinogens.

The longer and more you boil water, the more useful substances will be lost, the more useless it will become. In addition, after boiling, salt deposits and stains remain on the walls of the dishes, and scale forms. At the same time, the level of dangerous pollutants in the water is low enough that it will not cause serious harm to health.

If you use an electric kettle, it turns off quickly and the boiling time is short. Therefore, repeated or even repeated boiling will not be harmful. However, many experts still do not recommend repeating this procedure and consider it unnecessary. Let's figure out why you can't boil water twice.

Is it possible to boil water twice?

It is not recommended to boil water again. With repeated and subsequent boiling, harmful elements turn into carcinogens that are dangerous to humans. This can lead to cancer and neurological diseases, problems with the heart, loss of vascular elasticity, and impaired development and growth of children.

Note that the danger lies not in the number of boils, but in the duration of the procedure. The longer the water boils, the more active the production of negative and harmful substances.

With prolonged and repeated boiling, the hydrogen isotope settles and deuterium is formed. It disrupts material metabolism in the body and impairs the absorption of vitamins. This is a scientific fact that explains why you should not boil water twice.

In addition, boiled water takes on an unpleasant taste. And with each new boiling it gets worse. The reason for this process is that harmful impurities in water at a temperature of 100 degrees react and become active, as a result they give an unpleasant taste.

Six reasons why you shouldn't boil water again

  1. After you boil water in a kettle, especially repeatedly, it first loses its taste and then acquires an unpleasant aftertaste;
  2. When heated to 100 degrees, chlorine interacts with organic substances, which forms carcinogens that are harmful to the body and human health. Each subsequent boiling increases the concentration of the latter;
  3. The more often heat treatment occurs, the more beneficial substances and properties the water loses. As a result, it becomes useless and “dead”;
  4. When reheated, oxygen leaves, water evaporates, and the content of salts and impurities increases. Such water is no longer suitable for preparing broths and soups, tea and coffee, or cooking pasta;
  5. If after the first boiling the water becomes softer, then after the second and subsequent boiling it becomes heavier. This will lead to increased scale formation in the kettle or pan, deterioration in the quality of the laundry after washing, and the taste of cooked food and drinks;
  6. When water is boiled again in a kettle or other container, a hydrogen isotope called toxic deuterium precipitates. It gradually accumulates, which is dangerous to human health.

How to purify tap water

To get high-quality, healthy and tasty water, it is enough to settle the contents before use. Half an hour is enough for the harmful chlorine to disappear. Before boiling, it is better to stand for several hours so that harmful gases and compounds evaporate. If you pour the contents into a thermos, leave it open for a few minutes and only then close the lid.

For each boil, it is healthier and safer to use new, fresh water. Do not boil the liquid again and do not add fresh water to the water that remains after the previous boil. To make tea or coffee, boiled water can be slightly heated without bringing the liquid to a boil again. Do not do this in the microwave as it kills all the beneficial elements.