Every year a new health trend surfaces that promises to revolutionize the way we stay fit. We have all been bombarded by ads about keto-diets a few years back and this year we know at least one person who bought an air fryer. Today we’re looking at a method of water processing: Alkaline Water. Let’s put this under the microscope and separate the trend from scientific fact.
But what’s wrong with regular water?
When it comes to the topic of water we may be quick to think that the flavorless drink is perfect as it is but there are many things that aren’t immediately apparent to the naked eye that can pose a health risk. These risks are why we instinctively know not to drink straight from a Metro Manila tap to save us from an interesting trip to the doctor.
Though DOH assures that the city’s water system conforms to WHO’s guidelines, they can only guarantee potable water until it reaches your meter. Factors such as the quality and material of your residential piping affects the water’s overall quality.
So unless you have people go in and out of your house every week to deliver jugs of purified water, which is a hassle in itself, investing in a home based water purifier would be much more preferable than drinking straight from the tap. However, some people might have confused water purification with Alkalinization with their preferred method of tap filtration, which is a different process entirely.
Alkaline Water
Short answer:
Alkaline water won’t hurt you but it’s cracking its knuckles towards your wallet’s direction.
Pure water naturally has a pH level of 7; anything with a pH lower than 7 is considered acidic and anything with a pH greater than 7 is considered alkaline. The people selling Alkaline water claim that it can treat acid reflux, detoxify your body, and in a miracle of modern science: treat cancer. Let’s go over these claims one by one and see if the science holds up.
Acid Reflux Treatment
Their logic is that Alkaline water’s pH will combat your stomach’s natural acidity. While one 2012 study has shown that Alkaline may help deactivate the enzyme causing acid reflux, there simply hasn’t been enough clinical evidence to fully explore how consistent the benefits of Alkaline water is in this aspect.
Detoxifying Agent
“Detox” is the favorite buzzword used by salespeople to push whatever product of the day they’re selling on you. The truth of the matter is that as long as you have a liver and at least one working kidney the process of detoxification already occurs naturally in your body 24/7 for free. A piece of advice: If you read “Detox” on any product’s description, run.
Cancer Resistance
There seems to be a trend that almost every product not endorsed by the FDA, CDC, or EPA miraculously treats cancer. Are all these three letter organizations part of some shadowy conspiracy to suppress cancer treatment? Probably not. Is the Alkaline water industry making big money by making dazzling claims? Certainly yes.
To summarize, alkaline water isn’t necessarily bad for you but using it as a miracle cure for your ailments and choosing it over real clinically backed treatments can ultimately be harmful in the long run.
Sources
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/000348941212100702