Pouring water Source: Flickr
Water contains an abundance of life. It comprises 75% of your body weight and is essential to maintain homeostasis in your body. However, would the addition of alkalinity in your water create a greater benefit for your health? Multiple celebrities, such as Beyoncé and Miranda Kerr, have jumped on the bandwagon, promoting companies that sell alkaline water, however, is it really all it’s hyped up to be?
On a pH scale of 0 being acidic to 14 being alkaline, Alkaline water is found to have a pH above 7, more specifically it has a pH between 8-10, thus making it less acidic than pure drinking water which has a pH of 7. Alkaline water is found to contain alkaline minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, which provides it with its electrolytic properties that allows it to maintain the pH balance and homeostasis in your body that may be altered from diet or exercise.
The pH scale. Source: Flickr
Benefits of alkaline water
Companies that promote and sell alkaline water have suggested that drinking alkaline water can help with rehydration during exercise. A study was done on male athletes that tested the effects of consuming alkaline water vs. regular water during combat sports training. When comparing the 2 groups it found that the athletes who ingested alkaline water had a better hydration status, and overall performance.
Another study suggested that the consumption of alkaline water has therapeutic benefits for people suffering from reflux disease, which is a disease that leads to acid reflux causing heartburn and other symptoms. The primary cause of this disease is the damage generated by pepsin 3b, a digestive enzyme produced in the stomach. Upon its activation, it causes esophageal and laryngeal damage which ultimately leads to reflux disease. Researchers found that the pH of alkaline water permanently inactivates this human pepsin 3b through denaturation and as a result decrease its damaging properties.
Some other benefits include flushing out acidic waste and toxins and balancing pH levels in the body.
Risks of alkaline water
There haven’t been specific studies conducted by researchers that reflect on the health risks caused by drinking alkaline water. However, companies that sell alkaline water/ionizers such as DYLN suggests not to drink too much alkaline water too quickly. This is due to the potential negative side effects it can cause such as nausea and vomiting. These side effects are symptoms of metabolic alkalosis, which results from the sudden and severe increase of the pH in your body caused by drinking an excess amount of alkaline water.
There is also the risk of simply wasting your money on more expensive water. Watch below to see why:
There haven’t been many studies conducted that can make us certain that there are health benefits or negative side effects of drinking alkaline water long term. So if you plan to make that switch to alkaline water, make sure to follow the suggestions provided by companies in order to maximize its potential benefits and minimize its negative effects.
-Karina To
