What Is Alkaline Water?

Bottle of alkaline water always costs more than the natural spring water in-store. What is so good about alkaline water? Why everyone is paying good money just to get a sip of it?

In this post, we will explore everything that you should know about alkaline water

Water In Transparent Glass

What Is Alkaline Water? 

In layman terms, alkaline water is defined as water which is having a pH above 7.  Some examples of liquid that has alkaline characteristics are seawater, baking, and bleach. 

Typically, the general guideline for drinkable alkaline water is between 7-8.5 as suggested by EPA. There is even an experiment carried out on the impact of alkaline water with a pH of 9.3 on hydration.

There isn’t a recommended amount of alkaline water or a “magical” pH to be consumed daily as it varies according to individuals. Factors such as age, sex, mass, body, and others may determine the amount of alkaline water that you can drink daily.

Apart from pH, alkaline water has a low or negative Oxidation Reduction Potential, also known as ORP. ORP is a measurement that indicates whether a substance is a reducing or oxidation agent. 

Alkaline water is a reducing or anti-oxidation agent which donates electrons to unstable and harmful free radicals and neutralizes them. 

The pH scale below shows the common items in our lives which have different pH levels.  

What is Alkaline Water

Types Of Alkalinization

There are two separate ways to make to increase the pH of normal tap water.

Natural Alkalinization

Rainwater that passes through the ground and soil will pick up minerals naturally. Minerals such as calcium and magnesium will increase the pH of the tap water. 

An alkaline water filter normally contains natural stones which remineralized the water as it flows through the canister.

Ionized Alkalinization

Water is channeled to a simple filtration system before heading to the electrolysis chamber where the alteration of water molecules takes place.

Scientifically, pH 7 water is derived from a balance of positive hydrogen ions (H+) and negative hydroxyl ions (OH-) ions. Alkaline water will have a greater concentration of OH- ions while acidic water will have more H+ ions.

The two electrolysis plates each attract the amount of positive and negative ions will vary according to the pH that was set on the machine.

Type Of Alkalinization

Minerals That Contribute To Alkaline Water

In natural remineralization, there are a few minerals that will turn the normal tap water into alkaline water. These minerals are known to be beneficial to our bodies. 

Calcium

It is good for maintaining healthy bones and reduce the chances of osteoporosis. Dairy products such as milk and cheese is a good source of calcium which is encouraged to consume daily. According to Mayo Clinic, our heart, nerves, and muscles needed calcium to function properly.

Silica

Natural anti-inflammatory that helps to keep nails, teeth, and hair robust and healthy. According to Medical Medium, it is a bone-protecting and bone-building nutrient that can be part of the healing protocol for osteoporosis.

Potassium

Maintain consistent blood pressure and suppress effects on sodium. According to Medical News Today, it reduced the risk of strokes, reduces the formation of kidney stones, and prevents the loss of muscle mass.

Magnesium

Besides bone formation, magnesium can help with diseases like diabetes, premenstrual health, anxiety relief and migraine headaches, as suggested in this article.

Bicarbonate

According to Healthline, Bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, could help with acid reflux. In addition, it helps to relieve heartburn, indigestion, and ulcer pain.

Ionized alkalinization doesn’t consist of health benefits as it merely relies on altering the water molecules.

Minerals That Contribute To The Alkaline Water

Alkaline Water Benefits

There is not enough scientific evidence yet to support that alkaline water is beneficial to our body. However, there are various studies that had been conducted to test proof the claims.

In one research that was done on rats, alkaline water has an impact on weight loss as compared to a controlled rat which only exposes to normal tap water.

Another study suggested that an alkaline diet with fruits and vegetables has some impact in reducing chronic disease when aging.

Despite the limited research and studies, many advocates strongly believe in that alkaline water has a strong positive impact on humans. These includes:

Neutralize Body Acid

With the help of bicarbonate in the water, it helps to neutralize the acidic in our stomach and helps to relieve heartburn. The food that was consumed daily, primarily fried food, is deemed to be acidic and is the main contributor to heartburn.

Smoothen Nutrient Absorption

Alkaline water will help the probiotic bacteria to react and fight against harmful bacteria. Once the probiotic bacteria succeeded, it will smoothen the absorption of nutrients in the small intestines. 

Improve Water Taste

The taste of alkaline water is more refreshing with a slight sweetness as compared to tap water. It will enhance the flavor of tea and coffee by using alkaline water.

Antioxidant

Oxidation happens when a free radical will ‘steal’ an electron from our cells. Alkaline water is an antioxidant that donates an electron to harmful free radicals. The prevention of free radicals from stealing electrons will reduce the risk of cancer.

Hyper-Hydration

An article shows that experiment result shows that alkaline water will significantly improve hydration status. Water retention was 16% higher if consume alkaline water after a 3 hour recovery period. Besides, it improves resting and exercise-acid-based balance.

Immune System

The antioxidant and alkalinity characteristics of the water will help to boost the immune system. The antioxidant will donate an electron to the free radicals in our body to reduce the risk of cancer as well as neutralize the acid that comes from our daily food.

Weight Loss

As mentioned in this article, the experiment has been conducted on rats on the studies of alkaline water on weight loss. In a period of 6 weeks, the rat that consumes alkaline water is seen to be significantly smaller in size as compared to the rat which was fed with tap water.

Boost Metabolism

Alkaline water tends to be more absorbed as compared to normal tap water. It will increase metabolism by re-hydrating with alkaline water after a workout.

Alkaline Water Benefits

Potential Risk For Alkaline Water 

Nothing is perfect, everything comes with a potential disadvantage or risk. Again, the risk was not scientifically proven. Here are some of the potential dangers of drinking too much alkaline water.

Decrease Acidity in Stomach

Daily consumption of alkaline water depends on several factors such as age, sex, body, mass, etc. Overdose in alkaline water will neutralize the acidity in the stomach. The acidity in the stomach is used to kill bacteria such as pathogens from entering the bloodstream causing various illnesses such as diarrhea.

Gastrointestinal Issues

Mainly due to metabolic alkalosis issue which is the pH of tissue increased to more than the normal range. It might cause illnesses such as tetany and abnormal heart rhythms.

Risks For Alkaline Water Overdose

How To Make Alkaline Water 

Alkaline water has been portrayed to be a premium choice for healthy drinking water. Bottled water and water ionizers are the best choices for all. However, it is unaffordable for many.

The diagram below shows 5 different methods that can be used to make alkaline water at home.

Baking Soda and Lemon For Alkaline Water

Baking Soda

Baking soda also is known as bicarbonate is one of the minerals that contribute to alkaline water. It is one of the essential household items which is easily accessible and affordable.

To make alkaline water from baking soda, just put in 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda in eight ounces of water. Purified, distilled, and filtered water will increase the alkaline properties as there are fewer impurities.

Lemon

You tasted lemon and it’s sour and it supposes to be at an acidic pH. How should it help with alkalinizing our body?

Despite the acidic pH of lemon, it will produce alkaline minerals such as potassium and calcium after it is digested or metabolized based on this article from Healthline.

It is a long preparation time to produce alkaline water with lemon. Adding the lemon into the water without squeezing and let it fully dissolved into the water for 8-12 hours at room temperature.

pH Drop and Water Pitcher For Alkaline Water

pH Drops

pH Drops are concentrated liquids that contain minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium. When dropping pH drops into clean water, it dissolves and increases the pH of the water. You can literally create alkaline water in seconds.

Water Pitcher or Water Filter

Certain water pitchers and water filters have the capability to filter contaminants as well as adding natural minerals to make it alkaline. The majority of it runs through natural stones to remineralized the filtered water. These processes run automatically which is preferred by many.

Water Ionizer For Alkaline Water

Water ionizer

Water ionizer is one of the most expensive options for producing alkaline water. A basic water ionizer costs at least $700.

As mentioned above, it will alter the molecule of the water to make it either acidic or alkaline after a basic filtration. However, it does not include any minerals as it wasn’t a natural remineralization process.

Wrap up

Although there are some experiments to back up the benefits of alkaline water, more studies need to be carried out to have solid proof of the case. However, based on the individual research on minerals and ORP, it is possible to conclude that the consumption of alkaline water did improve our bodies.

It is RECOMMENDED to drink alkaline water in a natural way as our body will benefit from the absorption of those minerals.