You may have heard of alkaline water or seen it displayed in the water section of a convenience store, but what is it? What makes it different from the other hydration options available?
At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, we have decades of experience in water filtration. We understand the importance of filtered water, including alkaline water. In our experience, we’ve had hundreds of homeowners inquire about alkaline water.
Are you curious about what alkaline water is and what it does, we got you covered. In this article, we’ll highlight what alkaline water is, how it’s made, its benefits, and its drawbacks.
Let’s get started.
How Is Alkaline Water Made?
Alkaline water is produced naturally and artificially. Some companies bottle alkaline water at the source, and other brands use different methods to create it using technology.
The purpose of alkaline water is to provide people with water with a high pH (potential of Hydrogen) level, which ranges from 0 to 14. The lower the pH level, the more acidic a substance is. The higher the pH level is, the more basic a substance is.
Regular water has a pH level of seven, which is considered a neutral or balanced level. Alkaline water has a slightly higher pH level of eight or nine, which some believe can provide certain benefits.
Let’s look at how it is produced artificially before reviewing how alkaline water exists naturally.
Artificial Alkaline Water
Artificial alkaline water is produced through electrolysis. In simple terms, this process involves a water ionizer through which the water is filtered. The ionizer uses an electrical charge that separates water minerals responsible for making the water acidic and basic.
A membrane separates the acidic and basic water (pH level). The acidic water is drained away. The resulting basic water is alkaline water, which is then bottled by companies or ready to consume if you have an at-home ionizer.
Natural Alkaline Water
Alkaline water isn’t an artificial liquid; it also occurs naturally. Natural alkaline water occurs when water flows over rocks that are rich in alkaline minerals, like,
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Manganese
- Iron
Some home filtration systems, like water softeners, remove some of these minerals because they cause hard water. Hard water is safe to drink but can cause scale to your plumbing pipes, affecting water flow.
Whether natural or artificial, alkaline water will still keep people hydrated, but how else can it be beneficial?
What Are the Benefits of Alkaline Water?
People drink alkaline water for various health claims. Alkaline water can provide common benefits associated with simple water hydration. According to research, drinking water can help improve stomach issues, prevent headaches, and support physical activity.
You’ll get a hydration boost with alkaline water, plus the proposed benefits.
- Improves digestion: It is believed that drinking alkaline water will help improve digestion. According to some proponents, hydration from alkaline water can help ease constipation.
- Prevents illnesses: Some alkaline water advocates state it can help prevent osteoporosis, a medical condition that affects bone tissue. Alkaline water’s higher pH levels are supposed to balance the acidity levels that affect bone loss. This is based on studies that increased acidity in the body and led to an increase in bone mass.
- Soothes acid reflux: Some proponents claim alkaline water can help settle an upset stomach. The slightly high pH levels in alkaline water are believed to neutralize the acidity in an upset stomach.
- Impacts the body’s natural pH levels: Everyone’s body maintains an internal pH level. Alkaline water supporters state that drinking this specialized water helps balance out pH levels inside the body.
The potential benefits claimed with alkaline water sound appealing, but it’s also important to know if there are any drawbacks.
What Are the Drawbacks of Alkaline Water?
Alkaline water has no negative effects on health since it’s still hydrating water, even if its pH level is slightly higher. The biggest drawback associated with alkaline water is the lack of studies supporting its health claims.
Unlike soft water, which has credible benefits, alkaline water has more studies debunking its health claims than studies supporting it. There are small studies done on alkaline water’s benefits, but scientists and health professionals argue that more research is required to verify its impact on a person’s body.
The benefits of alkaline water need more substantial evidence to prove that it works. Here are some of the arguments against alkaline water benefits.
- Balanced pH levels: Alkaline water’s higher pH levels are believed to balance out a person’s internal pH levels. According to research, people’s bodies already internally work non-stop to maintain a pH level of 7.35 to 7.45.
- Upset stomach relief: The stomach contains strong acids to help neutralize food and liquids. According to a gastroenterologist, alkaline water is ineffective in relieving stomach issues, and acid reflux relief is available through antacids.
- Improves bone health: The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submitted a statement against a company claiming alkaline water can prevent osteoporosis. The FDA can cite companies for making health claims without FDA approval.
Is Alkaline Water Right For You?
Despite its debatable health claims, alkaline water is still water that can keep you hydrated. Alkaline water is available in stores and can be made available in your home with proper water filtration. You can be confident when choosing what kind of water you want to drink now that you understand what alkaline water is and how it is a divisive topic in the scientific community.
At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, we’ve seen how effective water filtration systems can be after installing them all over Los Angeles. While we do not install at-home ionizers to produce alkaline water, we have accumulated decades of experience with many other types of water filtration.
If you have questions about water filtration, contact us using one of the contact buttons below. You can also book an appointment through our water filtration scheduler.
If you want better quality water to drink in your home, check out this article on the benefits of a reverse osmosis system.
