You may have heard about it or read about it before. Whether it’s from a TV infomercial, some dude doing a demo at the mall, a magazine or newspaper advertisement, or maybe even a random Facebook post.
Alkaline water is good for you. Alkaline water promotes good health. There are many benefits of alkaline water. Alkaline water boosts immunity. And so on and so forth.
Is there truth in these allegations and claims? Is alkaline water truly a lot better than regular water? Is better health really a benefit of alkaline water?
First, it’s important to understand, what is alkaline water? The acidity or alkalinity of water is measured by pH (power of hydrogen). The lower the pH level of water, the more acidic it is. Conversely, the higher its pH level, the more alkaline it is. A pH level of 7 is considered neutral. Anything lower than this is considered acidic and anything higher is considered alkaline.
Drinking acidic water may have negative effects on your health and general well-being. It makes your body susceptible to heavy metals, it creates an environment in your body that is prone to the development of free radicals, and it may lead to the development of unwanted health conditions. That is why we’re sharing with you 9 ways how alkaline water helps you live a healthy life.
1. Alkaline Water Helps Neutralize Excessive Acidity in Your Body
Once your body’s acidity level goes up, you become prone to certain gastrointestinal problems. Your body also becomes susceptible to harmful free radicals when it becomes too acidic. Drinking alkaline water helps neutralize excessive acidity in the body and brings your natural pH levels to within normal levels.
2. Studies Show Alkaline Water Helps Manage GERD and Acid Reflux
Too much acidity in your body oftentimes manifests as acid reflux and even GERD. This is triggered by the naturally occurring digestive enzyme, pepsin. Pepsin breaks down proteins from the food we eat. It also promotes the acidic environment in our digestive system. However, when pepsin becomes too active, which can be the result of too much acidity, it may trigger acid reflux or GERD. In an independent lab study conducted in 2012, it was found that drinking alkaline water with a pH level of 8.8 can help deactivate pepsin, thus reducing the risk of acid reflux and GERD.
3. Alkaline Water Helps Promote a Good Metabolism
Maintaining the body’s acidity-base level is essential in promoting a proper metabolism. When your body has a balanced chemistry, it is able to burn excess fat and calories better. The result is that the body is able to use energy a lot more efficiently and get the most out of the food you eat. The body’s resting metabolism also improves as a result of a well-balanced bio-chemistry.
4. Alkaline Water Helps You Lose Weight
As stated earlier, a well-balanced bio-chemistry aids in digestion and efficient burning of fats. When the body’s acidity levels go up, the body produces more fats to act as a neutralizing agent for the excess acidity. The more fat is produced, the more likely for the body’s weight to increase as well. Combined with proper exercise and diet, regular consumption of alkaline water facilitates weight loss because it keeps the pH level of the body on an even keel, therefore preventing excessive fats from being produced to neutralize acidity.
5. Alkaline Water Helps Keep You Hydrated Better
Top-quality alkaline water contains an abundance of molecular hydrogen which is absorbed faster by the body. More efficient hydration on a cellular level is essential in maintaining the body’s health and well-being. It allows the body to use energy stores more efficiently, keeps the body from overheating during strenuous activities, prevents the buildup of harmful chemicals and allows for the efficient flushing of toxins from the body. In fact, in another independent study in 2017, it was concluded that alkaline water does hydrate better than regular water.
6. Alkaline Water Helps Detoxify Your Body
As a result of more efficient hydration of the body, toxins and harmful chemicals that potentially accumulate in the body are flushed from our system. Regular consumption of alkaline water facilitates the expulsion of unwanted substances from our body through sweat and perspiration, as well as through frequent urination. Fewer toxins in the body allows for more efficient nutrient absorption and promotes overall health.
7. Ionized Alkaline Water Acts as an Effective Antioxidant
Ionized alkaline water has negative oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) which means it has powerful antioxidant properties. Over time, because of the natural process of oxidation in the body (the body gains oxygen molecules), there’s a buildup of unstable molecules that lack electrons (negative particles). These are called free radicals. What these do is attack healthy cells to “steal” their electrons, thereby disrupting the body’s natural processes and resulting in a number of health problems. Ionized alkaline water is rich in electrons that neutralize these free radicals by giving them all the electrons they need so they’ll leave healthy cells alone. Once these free radicals are neutralized, they are either burned as energy or flushed out as waste.
8. Ionized Alkaline Water Helps Boost Your Immune System
Because of ionized alkaline water’s powerful antioxidant properties that help rid the body of harmful free radicals, the body’s natural immune system is boosted. Instead of repairing the damage caused by free radicals on a cellular level, the immune system is preserved and given plenty of chance to get “charged”. Moreover, since one of the benefits of ionized alkaline water is more efficient nutrient absorption, immune system boosting nutrients such as Vitamin C and zinc are readily synthesized thereby making the immune system even stronger.
9. Ionized Alkaline Water Keeps You Healthy
When there’s an abundance of free radicals in your body, your health becomes compromised. And since one of the more established ionized alkaline water benefits is its antioxidant properties, it follows that regular consumption of alkaline water is a great preventative tool. Not only that, an independent study in 2018 found that regular drinking of alkaline water reduces the risk of metabolic acidosis.
I’m sure alkaline water benefits are not limited to the 9 enumerated here. For more information on how alkaline water can help you live a healthy life, talk to your water provider about installing an alkaline water ionizer machine in your home.
What are your thoughts on alkaline water and the possible health benefits of drinking it regularly? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you.