Is Drinking Toilet Water Bad For You?
Short answer
Toilet water can be extremely harmful to your health and should only be consumed in the case of an extreme emergency.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Most people would never consider putting their lips or mouth anywhere near their toilet. However, whether or not drinking toilet water is bad for you is a question which many have considered. Some of these curious individuals are concerned pet owners who nervously observe their cat or dog's daily ritual of lapping up toilet water, while others are avid planners looking ahead to potential future emergencies that might cause clean water sources to become scarce.
The truth is, the water that fills up your toilet bowl comes from the same place as the tap water which is released from your sink, shower, and bathtub. Most people don't think twice about sipping some water from the bathroom sink in the middle of the night and almost everyone uses the tap water from their shower or bathtub to wash themselves each morning.
Therefore, the problem with consuming toilet water does not stem from the water in the toilet, but rather from the toilet itself. Body waste is consistently released into toilet water and, even though the toilet is flushed after each use, residual bacteria can stay behind in the standing water in the bowl. The consumption of this bacteria can cause health problems such as E. coli, severe diarrhea, stomach cramps, and skin infections. Furthermore, even if you clean your toilet extremely often, drinking the water is still not safe. Many cleaning products commonly used to disinfect toilets include toxic chemicals which can be extremely harmful to your health.
If you must drink toilet water in an extreme emergency situation, it's best to drink the water from the tank at the top of the toilet rather than the bowl, as that water has not been contaminated with body waste and cleaning chemicals.
Possible short-term side effects
- skin infections
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stomach cramps
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diarrhea
Possible long-term side effects
Ingredients to be aware of
- bacteria
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cleaning product chemicals
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metal particulate
Healthier alternatives
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Written by Shaylie F
Published on: 12-29-2015
Last updated: 12-10-2016
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Shaylie F
Published on: 12-29-2015
Last updated: 12-10-2016
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