Being the opposite of acidic water, alkaline water has a higher pH level than plain water.

The growing sales of machines that make water alkaline and the increasing popularity of alkaline diets are due to alkaline water’s potential health benefits. But are there scientific evidence to back this claim?

What is alkaline water?

Various health claims about alkaline water have emerged.

Alkaline water has been said to prevent chronic diseases like cancer, slow the aging process, and regulate your body’s pH level.

Alkaline refers to the pH scale, which is the number measuring a substance’ acidity or alkalinity on a scale of 0–14. The lower numbers are more acidic; pH level of 7 is neutral; and the higher numbers are more alkaline.

Plain water has a neutral pH of 7, while most alkaline waters have a higher pH level of 8 or 9, which makes some advocates believe that alkaline water can neutralize the acid in your body. However, it is noteworthy that pH alone is not enough to consider the water’s alkalinity.

Alkaline water also has alkaline minerals, as well as negative oxidation reduction potential (ORP), which is the water’s ability to act as a pro- or antioxidant. It is more antioxidizing when it has more negative ORP value.

Does it really work?

Alkaline water studies come up with different findings, making it controversial. Many health professionals held that there’s not enough scientific study to back the health claims made by manufacturers and users.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there’s no scientific evidence to fully verify the claims made by alkaline water advocates. They therefore recommended that regular water is best for most people.

However, a few studies have demonstrated that alkaline water may be beneficial for certain conditions.

For example, a 2012 study concluded that alkaline water consumption may be beneficial for patients with reflux disease.

Drinking alkaline ionized water has also been found in another study to be beneficial for people with high cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as diabetes.

A more recent study in 100 people found that after consuming high-pH water, they observed a significant difference in whole blood viscosity compared to regular water after a strenuous workout.

Viscosity is the measure of how efficiently blood flows through the vessels.

The study found a 6.3% viscosity reduction in those who consumed high-pH water, while a 3.36% reduction was observed in those who consumed standard purified drinking water.

This simply implies that alkaline water helps blood to flow more efficiently, thereby increasing oxygen delivery throughout the body.

However, further research is necessary to answer other claims made by alkaline water advocates.

In spite of the lack of proven scientific evidence, alkaline water advocates still believe in its proposed health benefits, which include weight loss; immune system support; colon-cleansing properties; cancer resistance; anti-aging properties; and skin health, hydration, and other detoxifying properties.

Alkaline water side effects

Although considered safe, alkaline drinking water may also cause some negative side effects, such as the lowering of natural stomach acidity. This helps kill bacteria and oust unwanted pathogens from entering the bloodstream.

In addition, too much alkalinity in the body may also lead to skin irritations and gastrointestinal issues, as well as agitate the body’s normal pH, which leads to metabolic alkalosis—a condition that may cause muscle twitching, vomiting, nausea, hand tremors, confusion, and tingling in the extremities or face.

Alkalosis may also reduce free calcium in the body, affecting bone health. However, the most common cause of hypocalcemia is having an underactive parathyroid gland—and not from drinking alkaline water.

Natural or artificial?

Natural alkaline water occurs when water passes over rocks and picks up minerals, increasing its alkaline level, i.e., springs.

However, most users buy alkaline water that’s undergone a chemical process called electrolysis, which uses an ionizer to raise the pH level of regular water. Ionizers use electricity to separate molecules in the water that are more alkaline and more acidic, and funnel out acidic water.

Some researchers and doctors held that these claims are not supported by quality research. The quality of the original water source, pre-ionization, is important to ensuring contaminants are not present in the water.

To adequately purify water before connecting an alkaline ionizer, some scientists advise using reverse-osmosis, which can add minerals and raise pH level.

A WHO study cautions against drinking low-mineral-content water, which is a product of other methods, such as distillation and reverse osmosis, on a regular basis.

Where can we get alkaline water?

Alkaline water is available online or in many grocery or health food stores. Water ionizers are made available in several large chain stores as well.

You can make your own alkaline water at home using lime or lemon juices. Although they are acidic, they provide minerals that can create alkaline byproducts after being digested and metabolized.

Simply add a squeeze of lime or lemon to a glass of water and drink it. You make your water more alkaline as your body digests it.

Another way to make water more alkaline is by adding pH drops or baking soda.

Is alkaline water good for you?

Although many claims have been made about the health benefits of alkaline water, its safety is quite controversial, with numerous studies having inconsistent results.

The lack of scientific research to back the use of alkaline water as a treatment for certain health conditions is still an issue to date.

Since natural alkaline water contains natural minerals, it is generally safe to drink it.

However, you should be cautious with artificial alkaline water, which may contain contaminants and only a few good minerals.

Also, drinking too much alkaline water may cause mineral deficiency.

Conclusion

There are various claims about the health benefits of alkaline water. However, no clear scientific evidence can support these claims.

Natural alkaline water is generally safe as it contains natural minerals, but artificial alkaline water may contain contaminants plus only a few good minerals.

The Mayo Clinic therefore recommended that regular water is best for most people.