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My daughter heard a doctor speak in Seattle recently about the dangers of the
prolonged use of distilled water.  I'm wondering whether this might explain
my dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) condition, which requires me to maintain a
gluten-free diet.  Here's my story.  I'm a 63 year-old woman.  At age 49, at
the recommendation of a friend, I bought a water distiller and began to drink
only distilled water.  Three years later, within one month of returning from
a 4-week vacation in Germany, I began to suffer from DH symptoms.  During the
vacation I drank tap water and consumed a lot of German bread products.  For
the next six years I continued drinking distilled water, an average of  more
than 1/2 gallon per day according to my distiller usage records.  So, for
nine years I drank distilled water.  There is no history of Celiac Disease or
DH in my family except for my case.  For the past five years I have been
drinking Reversed Osmosis water, which I understand still contains some
minerals.  Is there any research to support the claim that prolonged use of
distilled or RO water can cause CD or DH?  Could my body have reacted to the
reintroduction of distilled water after taking a one-month break?  I'm very
curious.
 
Barb Smith