Is Alkaline Water Really Better than Ordinary Water?

Many are wondering what the scoop is on alkaline water, whether it’s something to buy into or not, and what sort of benefits can be had from drinking it. There is a lot of contradictory information out there, so it can be quite confusing and it’s hard to know who to listen to. What you really need to look for is some scientific evidence behind all of the claims being made.
You might see devices used to test the pH of different waters and soft drinks, and there are pH testers you can buy that will test your urine for its pH level, but these are really moot because what we’re really looking for is whether the body’s pH level is alkaline, and the fact is that it always is somewhat alkaline, no tinkering required.

The Claims

The claims about alkaline water vary depending on who you’re asking. If you’re at a site that is trying to sell you alkaline water it can do everything from give you more energy to cure cancer. If you’re at a more medically-based site then they’ll say that there isn’t much that alkaline water does in the way of making the body more healthy.

It’s hard to take people at their word, even if they sound like they’re trying to be helpful by relaying their experience. In actuality they could just be shills for a company that sells alkaline water. Hydration in general is a good thing for the body, and many people are in a dehydrated state. Increasing their water intake would lead to many of the benefits cited by those that are marketing alkaline water.

The Real Scoop

From everything we’ve looked at there doesn’t seem to be enough empirical evidence that alkaline water is any better for you than filtered water. Here’s the big flaw in the logic of alkaline water and the bod:
Your body is hard at work right now doing hundreds of things you don’t even know it does. Things like keeping your heart beating and your lungs breathing without your conscious involvement are pretty much standard knowledge. But there are so many other processes going on behind the scenes it’s dizzying to think about. One of these processes is keeping your pH at a specific level.
Without you having to think of it at all your blood’s pH level is kept where it needs to be. The kicker? No matter what you eat or drink your body will make the adjustments necessary to keep your blood where it needs to be, in what’s known as homeostasis.
The medical community is skeptical about alkaline water, and there is some concern with continually drinking it as your source of water. It may act to neutralize your stomach acids which are necessary to break down the food you eat and absorb the nutrients properly. Not enough scientific research has been conducted on either the positive benefits or potential drawbacks of alkaline water.

Acidic or Alkaline Urine

What you’re most doing is tampering with the acidity or alkalinity of your urine. You won’t be changing the pH of your blood, so many of the benefits claimed by those promoting alkaline water are off base. Tests that involve urine samples are often used, and shouldn’t be very convincing because this is how your body helps to regulate the acidity or alkalinity of the body, by raising or lowering how acidic your urine is.

How to Make Your Own Alkaline Water

You don’t have to get roped in by a company trying to sell you alkaline water, or an ionizer that makes your water alkaline. You can effectively alkalize your water at home using some pretty simple and common ingredients and methods. All that’s needed is a few organic lemons added to filtered water. This fruit has an alkalizing effect even though it contains citric acid. Any other products or ionizers are unnecessary if your goal is water than is more alkaline than ordinary water.

Balance your body by including more of these alkaline foods in your diet.

Better Strategies for Health

You can keep your body healthy and able to do its job by eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and getting proper rest, rather than trying to manipulate pH levels by drinking ionized water. You should also be sure to stay hydrated, but you don’t need to drink alkaline water to do that. Just be sure you’re getting enough fresh, clean water each day. This helps to keep your organs well lubricated, helps your digestive system by softening your stools so they can be carried out more easily, and keeps you more alert and focused.

Invest in Filtration

Here’s where you can have a greater impact on your body with the water you drink. Make sure it’s filtered properly, and invest your money in proper filtration rather than worrying if it’s ionized or not. Getting all of the harmful impurities out of the water you drink will make a bigger difference than changing its alkalinity. You’ll be preventing the toxic build up of heavy metals, as well as getting rid of things like chlorine and fluoride.

We’re always on the lookout for the best health advice we can bring you, and also to clear up some of the misconceptions out there on how to be as healthy as you can be. When it comes to the health industry there are plenty of products being marketed as ways to avoid getting sick and developing a disease. What we’ve noticed in the healthiest people on the planet is that they don’t rely on one miracle cure, but treat their health as priority one and take daily efforts to eat well, get exercise, and be as happy as they can be.

Please make sure to like Bembu on Facebook to get the latest tips on how to live a healthier & happier life.

×

Alkaline Water FAQ

Does alkaline water help acne?

Those with acne are hopeful that the claims that alkaline water helps with acne are true. But in what way would drinking alkaline water help with acne? We couldn’t find a good answer to this question, and from our research it looks like many of the claims made on the benefits of alkaline water are bunk, and can be disregarded. It’s a better idea to make srue that your vitamin levels are all in check by eating vitamin-rich foods.

Is alkaline water good for you?

If by good you mean the opposite of bad, then yes it appears to be good for you, inasmuch as you’ll be getting more water into the body, and it’s always good to be hydrated rather than dehydrated. If you’re looking for hard facts that show it’s better for you than plain filtered water, it just doesn’t exist at this point in time.

Does alkaline water make you sick?

We couldn’t find any users that says that they felt sick when drinking alkaline water. The two biggest responses we could find were those that said it worked, and those that said they couldn’t notice any difference from drinking it.

Will alkaline water help me lose weight?

Upping your water intake will help you lose weight, whether it’s alkaline or not. Proponents of alkaline water dub it a miracle worker and will also include weight loss as a byproduct of drinking it. For most though this weight loss will occur as a result of being more hydrated, helping the body to flush out toxins, and an improved rate of digestion.

Can pregnant women drink alkaline water?

No evidence suggests that it’s harmful to drink alkaline water, but common sense says that humans have been drinking regular water since the dawn of man and billions of births have happened without needing to, so why start now based on claims made by alkaline water sellers?

Does alkaline water contain fluoride?

Fluoride is an additive that many cities add to their water supply. In order to make proper alkaline water you should start with water that has been filtered and does not contain fluoride.

Is alkaline water good for kidneys?

Those with kidney problems like kidney stones are especially interested in the claims made for improvement of kidney function. Your kidneys are directly involved in monitoring the acid levels and sending more or less acid to your urine to keep your pH in a healthy zone. We couldn’t find reliable information that shows it’s particularly good for your kidneys, or helps break up kidney stones.

Can alkaline water give you headaches?

There is only anecdotal evidence consisting of stories from those that experienced headaches by drinking too much alkaline water. However, there is no particular reason as to why this would lead to headaches, so it could be a medication these people were taking at the time, or some other unknown cause. It’s never a good idea to base your decision off of individual feedback.

Does alkaline water kill cancer?

There is no evidence that would lead one to believe that alkaline water is a cancer killer. Proponents of alkaline water say that it helps the body’s pH levels become alkaline, and this in turn makes it hard or impossible for diseases like cancer to fester in the body. The problem lies in the fact that it is the body’s role to keep its blood a certain pH, regardless of the foods or beverages that we eat. Any big swing in the pH level of the blood would be severely hazardous to our health.

Will alkaline water help gout?

Gout is a condition that is brought up in relation to both alkaline foods and alkaline water. The idea is that because it is caused by too much uric acid in the system, that the alkalinity of the water will help neutralize that excess and prevent a gout attack.

Does alkaline water cause gas?

Excessive gas is one of the side effects that may occur when you first start drinking alkaline water, as reported by those that have tried it.

Is alkaline water a scam?

For something to be a scam it means that those that created it did so in an attempt to completely defraud the customer and provide a product that they know doesn’t work. Here it seems that those that believe in ionized water really feel that it is doing something for them, and are not merely lying about it in order to sell it. You should be skeptical on the claims presented to you, and do your due diligence before buying into a water ionizer or alkaline water delivery service.

Does alkaline water go bad?

Yes, it can go bad because it has had additives removed from it, like chlorine. You should drink alkaline water as soon as you can to avoid this scenario.

Can alkaline water cause diarrhea?

It’s been said that drinking too much alkaline water at first can lead to a case of diarrhea as the body is adapting to it.

Can alkaline water cause constipation?

We could not find anything that says it causes constipation, but there are claims made that it can actually help with constipation. These are just claims though, and no rationale for why it would do this, or proof that it actually does was provided.

Does alkaline water help with acid reflux?

The idea that drinking alkaline water would help with excessive amounts of acid in the stomach seems like a logical conclusion, but the major proponents of this concept are those that are selling ionizers or running websites touting the benefits of alkaline water, neither of which count as credible sources, so we’d have to say no, until proven otherwise.

Is alkaline water safe?

From what we could determine, alkaline water is safe enough to drink, even if it may not provide all of the benefits that it claims. In order to make proper alkaline water you’ll be using very clean, filtered water, so it should be safer than drinking tap water, all else being equal.

Can alkaline water be harmful?

While we had trouble finding any sort of proof that alkaline water is healthier than regular water, we also couldn’t find any proof that it is detrimental to your health either. Although some have brought up the possibility that drinking alkaline water might disrupt the acidity of the stomach which could disrupt digestion.

Is alkaline water acidic?

As long as it is really alkaline water then it should be on the alkaline side of the pH scale and not be acid-forming once consumed.

Can alkaline water cure herpes?

No scientific results have been offered confirming that alkaline water is a cure for herpes. Currently there is no known cure for herpes.

Can alkaline water cure eczema?

The only “evidence” we could find that alkaline water cures eczema was located on websites that are selling water ionizers or alkaline water.

P.S. Take a look at the 5 veggies that boost female metabolism and burn off lower belly fat.