Is pH or Alkaline Water Healthy or Hype?

Health Wellness

Have you ever noticed that a large number of diet fads that sweep the nation start in California, often with the super-health conscious sun-loving people who are more concerned about how they look than their actual health?

A number of health fads originate in California and other western states. One of the latest health fads that seemed to have started somewhere in the west is pH or alkaline water.

They claim that water infused with substances to raise the pH helps to reduce inflammation in the body and counter some of the results of eating too much red meats and other bad foods. Some claim that pH or alkaline water also helps to prevent a number of diseases including some cancers.

First of all, what is pH?

One source defines pH as:

“pH is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration, a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.”

Most fluids contain either hydrogen ions (H+) or hydroxyl ions (OH-). Fluids with hydrogen ions are considered to be acidic where those with hydroxyl ions is considered to be a base or alkaline. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. Water is the middle or neutral focus point on the scale with a pH of 7.0. anything with a pH of less than 7.0 is acidic and anything with a pH that is higher than 7.0 is a base or alkaline.

One source offers the following example of pH values:

0: hydrochloric acid
2.0: lemon juice
2.2: vinegar
4.0: wine
7.0: pure water (neutral)
7.4: human blood
13.0: lye
14.0: sodium hydroxide

One thing everyone needs to know is that a strong alkaline such as lye and sodium hydroxide can be just as dangerous as strong acids.

The new health fad pushing pH or alkaline water generally has a pH of 8.0 and greater with some of them as high as 10.0. In many cases, water is infused with sodium bicarbonate. If that doesn’t sound familiar, then realize that sodium bicarbonate is very common in most kitchens around the country and referred to as baking soda.

So, is alkaline water really what it is hyped up to be?

Consider the fact that when you drink alkaline water, it goes into your stomach which is filled with gastric acid that is composed largely of hydrochloric acid, sodium chloride and potassium chloride. The pH of gastric acid ranges from about 1.5 to 3.5, indicating that it is a strong and corrosive acid. If you’ve ever had gastric reflux or heartburn, that is the gastric acid’s effect on your esophagus. If not controlled, it can cause ulcers and cancer of the throat, hence the huge market on medications to control reflux and heartburn.

When alkaline water hits the gastric acid in your stomach, it may tend to neutralize some of it. The gastric acid in your stomach is there for a purpose and that is to break down the foods and drinks you take in so that your body can extract what it needs from them. When that acid is somewhat neutralized or weakened, it only makes sense that it will interfere with the normal digestive process.

As for reducing the acid in your blood as some claim, realize that most human blood is already slightly alkaline with a pH of about 7.4 and therefore isn’t acidic to begin with.

Based on what this author understands about the human body and its many processes, pH or alkaline water seems to be more of a marketing gimmick to make money, and that it mostly has little to no real health benefit and it is just a waste of money.

Additionally, there doesn’t seem to be much credible research to support the health claims made by those pushing pH – alkaline water.

Alkaline Water pH

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