One of the latest fads in town is arguably alkaline water due to its impressive health claims, but how true are all its assertions? Generally, alkaline water is any water with a pH greater than 7. Most alkaline water systems utilise an electrolytic water generator that separates water into alkaline and acid fractions. In this article, we look at the reality of alkaline water claims and whether it is a real boon or merely a fancy fad.

Ability to Prevent Chronic Diseases

Alkaline water is often claimed to be a powerful antioxidant that can correct excess acidity in tissue, thus preventing cancer, arthritis and other degenerative diseases. But consider this: a 2005 study at the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. showed that ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) killed cancer cells. This proves that cancer cells are vulnerable to acidity. The truth is that virtually all alkaline water systems do not add alkalinity to the water. They just change the pH of water. This is a big difference that many people fail to grasp.

Makes the Body More Alkaline

Another popular claim of alkaline water is its contribution to good for health as it helps to make our body more alkaline. This is based on the understanding that an acidic body is detrimental to our health as it often leads to acidosis and chronic diseases in the long run.

However, does the pH of food correlate to its pH in our body after digestion? For instance, people are often shocked to learn that even though a lemon is highly acidic, it is an alkaline-forming food. In contrast, consuming too many acid-forming foods, such as meat, processed foods and sugar, may lead to an acidic condition.

All ingested liquid enters the stomach, regardless of their original pH. As the gastric acid in our stomach has a pH of around 2.0, the acidity or alkalinity of any liquid has little to no effect on our stomach acid. So, no matter what we drink, it will automatically become acidic when it reaches our stomach.

That is why drinking ‘alkaline water’ will not reduce the acidity in our body tissues and make it more alkaline. In fact, drinking too much alkaline water may even interfere with our digestion as it reduces the acidity in our stomach. On the other hand, eating an alkaline diet (vegetables, fruits, algae, etc.) can improve our health because the food is transformed into alkaline matter upon being digested within our body.

Few, if any, true scientific studies have been published on the benefits of alkaline water. In fact, the general scientific community as well as international water organizations and experts have a very sceptical view of the so-called alkaline water craze.

The truth is, there are many studies which show that drinking alkaline water may actually have adverse effects on our health.

Increased Risk of Heart Attack

The first is an increased risk of heart attack. Four Japanese studies published in independent peer reviewed journals showed that alkaline water caused pathological changes in heart cell muscles and increased the risk of heart attack in laboratory animals.

Induce Death of Cells

A study published in Journal of Biological Chemistry found that alkalosis (rising cellular pH) causes alkaline-induced cell death as a result of altering mitochondrial function.

Impair Digestion & Nutrient Absorption

Constant consumption of alkaline water may buffer the stomach’s natural acidity, impair your ability to digest food and possibly cause stomach ulcers. It may also reduce nutrient and mineral absorption in the long run.

Non-Removal of Dangerous Contaminants

Water ionizers (alkaline water machines) just change the pH of tap water. One side has a more alkaline pH and the other side a more acidic pH. However, these machines are usually paired with carbon or fibre filters that do not remove most of the invisible contaminants in water, which would include heavy metals, microplastics, traces of pharmaceutical drugs and many other minute contaminants that are detrimental to your health.

H2O – the Basis of Our Health

What our bodies actually need is pure water, which is actually just H2O. Therefore, when you consider purchasing a water treatment system, it is important to ask which dangerous contaminants it can remove. This is vital as home filtration systems utilise a variety of different technologies, most of which can only remove a certain class or size of contaminants.

Purchasing the right water purification system is important since your health, as well as your family’s, is at stake. Don’t be confused by slick marketing campaigns, celebrity endorsements and the like. One way of discerning the truth is by making sure that product claims are backed up by independent laboratory testing and certification from internationally recognized organizations, such as the WQA or NSF