Alkaline Water

​It is no secret that drinking the suggested eight glasses of water daily is good for your health.  As studies recommend, staying hydrated can improve productivity, mood, memory, energy level, and clarity.  Water is vital to every cell, tissue, and organ in the body.  

Alkaline Water
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

​It is no secret that drinking the suggested eight glasses of water daily is good for your health.  As studies recommend, staying hydrated can improve productivity, mood, memory, energy level, and clarity.  Water is vital to every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. 
 
What Exactly Makes Alkaline Water Different?
Water is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen.  This is why it is called H2O.  The pH level determines how acidic the water is and ranges from 0 to 14.  A pH of 7 is considered neutral, with the seven number considered neutral.  If the water is below 7 on the pH scale, it is acidic, and if it is higher, it is alkaline. 

• pH stands for potential hydrogen, where “p” means potential and “H” stands for the hydrogen.  The pH scale is used to rate the comparative basicity or acidity of substances based on the amount of hydrogen ion activity.

Bottled water comes under different standards depending if it claims that it is alkaline.  Bottled alkaline water has a pH level above 7, and in some cases, the manufacturers use a device designed to change the chemical makeup of the water.  Other times, they add nutrients to the water to change its pH.

• For comparison purposes, orange juice has a pH of 3.3, and black coffee is about a 5.  Tap water in the U.S. falls below that and is in the 4.3 to 5.3 range, depending on where you live.

Note:  EPA guidelines declare that the pH of tap water should be between 6.5 and 8.5.  Still, tap water in the U.S. tends to fall far below that (4.3 to 5.3 range) depending on where you live.
 
What Are the Benefits of Alkaline Water?
The concept that alkaline water is medicinal, curative, and able to bring about optimal health appears to be based on the belief that acidic properties in the body and blood cause ill health and disease that must be neutralized.  For this reason, a more alkaline body will lead to better health.
Alkaline water contains four major minerals:

• Calcium - is essential for bone health, as well as heart, muscle, and nerve function
• Magnesium - helps turn food into energy and is necessary for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body
• Sodium - regulates blood pressure and volume and supports nerve/muscle function
• Potassium - a type of electrolyte that is essential for muscle function and promotes healthy digestion

There are many claims about the benefits of drinking alkaline water, including immune system support, weight loss, and cancer resistance.  Although these claims are notable, they lack proven scientific research.  However, several incredible health benefits to drinking alkaline water have been scientifically proven.
 
Checking the Health Claims
Alkaline water enthusiasts claim that increased hydrogen provides greater hydration than regular water, especially after a hard workout.
Fans say that regular drinking water with a pH below 7 creates too much acid in the blood and cells.  They blame plain water's low pH for all kinds of health problems, from osteoporosis to cancer.  More alkaline water allegedly reduces acid in the bloodstream and:

• Improves metabolism
• Increases energy
• Slows aging
• Improves digestion
• Reduces bone loss

Backers of high-pH water say it also has the power to starve cancer cells.
 
Can Alkaline Water Do All This?
Health claims about alkaline water are much more about sales than science.  There is little research to support them.  Also, your own body can keep your pH levels even.  Your kidneys are your built-in filtration system.  It is their job to balance out acid levels in the body.  If your blood gets too acidic, the body brings it down by breathing out more carbon dioxide.
The stomach is the equalizer.  Gastric juices, a combination of digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid, neutralize everything you eat and drink.  Your stomach will re-acidify alkaline water before it can do anything the health claims suggest.
 
How Does It Taste?
Alkaline water may taste bitter or different from tap water.  It can also change the taste of anything you use it in, such as coffee or tea.
 
Is It Safe?
Unless you have kidney disease, alkaline water does not present any health risks.  The high pH can make your skin dry and itchy or cause an upset stomach, but that is about all.  Just because it is safe does not mean it does anything for you.  Fill up at the tap for all the benefits of a tall glass of water.