Alkaline water is water that has a higher pH level than regular drinking water. While ordinary water typically has a pH between 6.5 to 7, alkaline water ranges from 8 to 9.5, making it less acidic and more supportive to the body’s natural balance. It is enriched with essential minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium, helping the body neutralize excess acidity caused by modern diet, pollution and stress.
What are people really talking about when they talk about body pH, or alkalinity vs. acidic effects on the body?
The scale used for measuring pH, or hydrogen ion concentration, ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being the neutral point. Values below 7 are acidic, while values above 7 are alkaline.
The optimal pH of the body’s fluids, such as blood, is around 7.4, which is slightly alkaline. If the body deviates from this range, bodily activity becomes less optimal and metabolism can fall out of balance. As a result, the body may begin storing toxins in fat and moving acidic materials around in order to keep blood pH within a healthy range.
The pH of the body is largely influenced by metabolic byproducts and diet. Thus, pH is directly affected by the categories of food we eat and the internal mechanisms involved in processing them.
Some foods that are acidic in composition can become alkalizing after metabolism, such as lemons. Therefore, it is important to become aware of how various foods and eating habits impact the internal environment of the body.
Understanding pH Balance in the Body
From extensive reading, here is a simplified understanding.
First, the body has natural protective mechanisms to keep blood pH within its optimal range. However, to maintain this balance, other systems may compensate. For example, when the body becomes overly acidic, it may retain more weight because excess acid is stored in fat cells when it cannot be eliminated naturally.
Staying “alkaline” does not mean eating only alkaline foods. Instead, it means consuming slightly more alkaline-forming foods to support the body’s effort to maintain a slightly alkaline internal state.
From a lot of reading, this is my take on the subject. First, your body has natural protectors to keep your blood pH in its optimal range. However, to do this, other things might have to give. Perhaps if you are super acidic, you retain more weight because your body stores excess acid that it could not get rid of by natural means, in fat cells.
Also, staying “alkaline” does not mean that you have to only eat foods that have an alkaline-forming effect on your body. What it means is that you need to consume slightly more alkaline-forming food to match with your body working to maintain a slightly alkaline state as well.
What are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body’s cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage.
Antioxidants act as hunter-seekers of free radicals and destroy or inhibit them, thereby preventing and repairing damage done by these free radicals.
Why Drink Ionized Water
If our body has its own protections and buffers to keep our blood pH at optimal levels, why do we really need to drink alkaline-ionized water?
There are many reasons for this:
- Most of us do not eat truly healthy diets
- Most of us live very stressful and hectic lifestyles
- We eat a lot of processed and acid-producing foods
- The current water, even if we think it is healthy, is usually “dead” or worse
- Our body is over 70% water; if we put good water into it, it will have a positive effect versus putting contaminated or less healthy water in
This is just a few reasons why alkaline ionized water is so important.
Think about things way back before industrialization, all the way back to biblical days — the earth was pure. You did not have all the different contaminants, “acid” rain, and harmful substances in the water supply.
There were no pesticides, landfills, and other pollutants contaminating the water supply, so the water that people consumed was “living” water for the most part.
The right balance of minerals was present in the water, and there were no contaminants. The water’s natural makeup prevented bacteria and other impurities that we now associate with fresh water in nature.
Nowadays, we use well water or city water, and it is treated in some way or another. This is because we either have to add something to protect us from contaminants or remove something for the same reason. The water is no longer naturally perfect for us.
Benefits for Alkaline Water
Drinking Alkaline Water
Drink after exercising, as alkaline water replenishes the electrolyte balance up to three times more than other waters. Because of its smaller water cluster size, it is more easily absorbed and recovery is faster. This helps reduce fatigue.
Sleep quality may improve if you drink a glass about one hour before bedtime.
Tea, Coffee, and Other Beverages
Alkaline water enhances flavor and brings out the best in beverages. Drinks taste smoother and lack the acidic tang. Tide marks on cups take longer to form and are easier to clean.
Cooking
When cooking with alkalized water, food absorbs water more easily, enhancing natural taste and texture. Foods cook faster due to the smaller water molecules present in alkalized water.