Alkaline water is something that has received a lot of hype lately, but the whole idea of alkaline water falls under the concept of pseudoscience.
As you probably realize by now, I believe in pure water….not water with other substances (contaminants) in it. When water is processed through the equipment that produces alkaline water (ionizers), any impurities that are in the original water are left in it. That is not for me. In fact, alkalizing equipment will not work to produce their desired effect unless impurities are in the feed water. It needs inorganic impurities to conduct the electrical current that is necessary to change the pH of the water.
The desired effect is to produce water that is above 7.0 on a pH scale. (Alkaline water) The promoters of this kind of water believe that consuming alkaline water produces desirable health benefits. I do not believe this at all. The benefits are unproven but highly touted by those who are selling this expensive equipment. The pH of various liquids in areas of our body is controlled by the foods we eat….not the water we consume. Some foods tend to alkalize the body. Other foods tend to acidify the body. Some are essentially neutral. There are charts available for this kind of information if interested.
In the process of producing the alkaline water, this equipment also produces acidic water which advocates of alkaline water suggest is good for external uses. This is also questionable but probably not as harmful as consuming alkaline water which can seriously upset digestion more that help it. To me it makes no more sense than consuming a steady diet of Tums or other alkalizing substances. When our digestive systems are working properly, we need an acidic environment in the stomach to digest many foods, especially meats, legumes and other high protein foods. Why would one make a big investment in a piece of equipment that produces harmful effects? Our kidneys adjust the pH of bodily fluids to the proper level and it is my opinion that this should not be messed with for otherwise healthy individuals.
See related links…
Our previous article on “Magic Water” at https://mypurewater.com/blog/2010/08/17/%e2%80%9cmagic%e2%80%9d-water/.
Also, check out this third party web-site on “Water Related Pseudoscience and Quackery” and their scientific perspective on alkaline water (the site doesn’t look good, but the science is solid). http://www.chem1.com/CQ/ionbunk.html
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