Alkaline Water - Good Or Bad????

Alkaline water seems to be the latest fad type water.  I know someone who always buys it in bulk every single week but I've heard it may not be the best thing so today we are going to look at it in detail.  By definition, alkaline water has a higher pH value than regular tap water or most other bottled waters and it has to have negative oxygen reduction potential or (ORP).  Alkaline water usually has a few minerals added to it to achieve the higher pH of 8 to 9 but it is a product that is controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There are a variety of claims out in regard to alkaline water.  Some claim this water can neutralize the acid in your bloodstream. Others claim that alkaline water can prevent cancer and heart disease or even prevent bone loss but that has not been properly researched.

There are two types of alkaline water.  Natural alkaline water is water then has been run over rocks, so it picks up minerals making it alkaline.  The other is water that has been subjected to electrolysis which uses an ionizer to raise the pH.  The ionizer uses electricity to separate the water molecules into either acidic water or alkaline water and the acidic water is drained off. 

Scientists say it is the quality of the original water that determines whether contaminants are present in the finished product. It has been suggested that the original water should be run through a reverse osmosis process before it is run through an ionizer.  If you want to make your own alkaline water, just add a bit of baking soda to it.

Although there are some studies that seem to support many of the claims, there are too few to conclude absolutely that alkaline water is good for people and it is suggested people do not depend on this water for all their hydration.  In fact, it is said that we need to drink water that has more of a neutral pH like regular water because that is what your body prefers. In addition, if the water you drink is too acidic or too alkaline, you can cause health problems.

Remember I said earlier that alkaline water falls under the auspices of the FDA? Well, the FDA says that companies cannot claim any health benefits associated with drinking alkaline water. None of the claims have been properly tested through controlled scientific studies. What does happen is when you drink the alkaline water, it hits the stomach, mixes with the stomach acid and is neutralized so it's benefits don't happen.  In addition, if you drink too much alkaline water, you can throw the digestive process out of wack so your stomach will no longer properly digest food.

All of the major clinics such as Harvard, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland clinic, recommend that people stick with regular water to stay hydrated because it is designed for your body.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.