If you’re like me, you’d heard of alkaline water before but you didn’t really know what it was. You just sort of nodded and smiled as people talked about it and then forgot to Google it later. After all of the buzz, I decided that I actually should look into this mystery beverage. I wanted to find out what all the hype was about. Turns out, this water is a natural product which can be bought at many stores. It’s also pretty easy to make yourself at home. Research on alkaline water is still developing. Most agree that it’s fine to drink in moderation since it has more benefits than risks. Here’s a look at how this type of water can affect your body.

What Is Alkaline Water?

Alkaline water is full of minerals and nutrients.

Where does alkaline water get its name from? pH levels in our body refer to how acidic or alkaline something is, measured on a scale from 0 to 14. For instance, citrus fruits are acidic while toothpaste is alkaline. Low numbers on the pH scale indicate that something is more acidic, while higher numbers mean that something is more alkaline. Consequently, alkaline water gets its name because, with a pH of 8-10, it has a higher pH than pure water and tap water (which have a pH of around 7). Therefore, some hold that alkaline water can aid with balancing acidity in your body.

Additionally, alkaline water consists of alkaline minerals such as magnesium, silica, potassium, bicarbonate, calcium, and sodium. These are minerals which your body uses for things such as strengthening your bones and regulating your blood pressure. Alkaline water can be artificially made and naturally made. When water flows over rocks and gathers minerals along the way, it increases its alkaline level.  

Health Benefits Of Alkaline Water Explained

The verdict is not in on whether alkaline water can really improve your health. Several studies have been done, but nothing is conclusive yet. That being said, alkaline water is generally safe to drink in moderation as long as you don’t have certain conditions such as kidney disease. Plus, some people really do feel that it benefits them in areas such as weight loss, anti-aging, improving skin, helping to boost the immune system, and helping with colon cleansing. Proponents say that alkaline water can help with hydration since the water molecules are smaller than other water molecules. They, therefore, can be absorbed more easily. Additionally, there is a benefit to be gained from the minerals in alkaline water, which your body uses for a variety of purposes.

Although more research needs to be done before determining definite health benefits of alkaline water, studies have shown that it might be able to help with acid reflux and may help those with high cholesterol, diabetes, and elevated blood pressure. A recent study also found that alkaline water can help improve blood flow after a workout, meaning that oxygen can more efficiently reach different parts of the body.

How To Make Alkaline Water

It’s easy to make your own alkaline water.

Once you have the right equipment, it’s pretty simple to make alkaline water by yourself. Make sure you have a glass or plastic jar with a lid that can be secured tightly half a gallon of filtered or distilled water, a lemon, a bowl, sea salt, baking soda, coral calcium powder, and pH test strips.

1: Put half of the water into the jar and add half a teaspoon of sea salt, half a teaspoon of baking soda, and half a teaspoon of coral calcium powder to the jar.

2: Squeeze half of the lemon and let the juice drip into the bowl. Make sure to remove any of the seeds that fall in. 

3: Pour the juice into the jar.

4: Close the jar tightly and then shake well in order to mix the ingredients evenly.

5: Pour the other half of the water into the jar but make sure that there is about an inch of air at the top of the solution in the jar.

6: Close the jar well and shake again.

7: Use a pH strip to test the level of the water. You should get a number between 8 and 9. If you don’t, add 1/8 of a teaspoon of baking soda to the solution and test the pH level again. If needed, slowly continue adding in more baking soda until you get to a pH level between 8 and 9.

In addition to the recipe above, you can also make your water more alkaline by adding a bit of lime juice or lemon juice to your water (the juice contains minerals which affect the water). You can also make water that is more alkaline by adding baking soda or pH drops to your water.

Where To Buy Alkaline Water

Alkaline water is actually pretty common in many supermarkets or health food stores near where you’d find other specialty waters. You can also buy it from Walmart or order online so that you don’t even have to carry it home! Some popular alkaline water brands include Qure, Essentia Water, AQUAhydrate, Evamor, and Waiakea. If you’re buying alkaline water, you should buy ionized spring water.

Alkaline Water Side Effects Explained

There are some side effects of drinking alkaline water.

While drinking alkaline water in moderation is safe, there are some negative side effects linked with its consumption. For example, it has been correlated with:

• Lower stomach acidity (acidity helps your stomach kill bacteria and prevent unwanted contaminants from getting into your blood)
• Skin Irritations
• An imbalance of your body’s average pH level, causing metabolic alkalosis (Which includes symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, confusion, a tingling sensation, hand tremors, and twitching muscles, and can affect your bones by lowering the amount of free calcium in your body)

Studies suggest that artificially made alkaline water, in particular, may cause heart problems. It’s linked to anxiety, hypertension, bladder infections, and urinary tract infections. Side effects can be different for every person, and in fact, you may not experience any side effects at all from consuming alkaline water. However, it is good to know what to look out for in case you do consume too much and start experiencing symptoms.

Alkaline Water And Cancer Explained

The research on alkaline water’s impact on cancer is mixed. The reason for thinking that it might help those with cancer is that alkaline water may help balance out the acid in your blood, boost your metabolism and help your body absorb nutrients. The thought is that drinking alkaline water will hurt cancer cells and inhibit their growth because they do best in an acidic environment. Also, drinking the water will naturally make you more hydrated.

Despite these promising notions, there isn’t currently any actual evidence showing that alkaline water can help fight or prevent cancer. The average person’s body is pretty good at working to maintain proper pH levels, so it’s very hard for you to change them by consuming something. But that’s a good thing- it means your body does a good job of looking after itself!

Conclusion

Well, the alkaline water mystery is now solved. It’s another way of hydrating yourself while getting some key nutrients your body needs to be healthy. It’s pretty easy to find alkaline water to purchase. If you want to save money you can easily make it yourself. The research on the benefits and risks of the water is mixed. Therefore, it’s best to read up on it before deciding if you want to give it a try.