Is Alkaline Water Extra Healthy or a Hoax?
Many alternative health experts say that alkaline water -- whether purchased in bottles or created from your own tap with a pricey do-it-yourself ionizing purifier -- is an extra-healthy type of water to drink, with claims that it slows the aging process, increases energy, helps people with fertility issues, regulates your body's pH level and prevents chronic diseases like cancer.
Does alkaline water hold up to all this hype?
Let's consider regular water first. Drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day is important to our overall health. More than fifty percent of our bodies are made of water, and staying properly hydrated is essential to every bodily function.
If you think about it, water is practically a miracle drink. It keeps our bodies hydrated, and it's calorie-free! Those of us who live in the U.S. are lucky to have access to clean drinking water. According to Water.org, 750 million people around the world lack access to safe water; approximately one in nine people.
But what about alkaline water? Is it even better than regular water? Let's take a look at the facts.
What Is the PH of Alkaline Water?
Some of you may recall from high school chemistry class that pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of any substance or solution. The pH (potential hydrogen) scale runs from zero to 14, with 7 as the neutral mid-point. Liquids with a pH of 1 are very acidic, and liquids with a pH of 13 are very alkaline.
Pure water is smack dab in the middle with a pH that is close to 7.
Alkaline water, also called ionized water, has a higher pH than regular water -- generally between 7 and 9.5.
How Does Alkaline Water Work?
In theory, proponents of alkaline water believe it works by making our bodies less acidic. Many people believe that the Standard American Diet (SAD) contributes to chronic low-grade acidosis, a condition associated with health issues including hormonal problems, loss of bone and metabolic problems.
Human blood has a pH of approximately 7.4 — slightly alkaline. It's essential for our bodies to maintain our pH within a tight range. Even a small fluctuation of as little as .05 in our blood pH can have severe health risks, but the pH of the organs throughout the rest of the body can vary widely. In your stomach, where the stomach acids digest your food, the pH is 1.5 to 3.5 (acidic). TUMS and other antacids contain alkaline ions that can cancel out acidity and neutralize stomach gastric acid. You don't want to get rid of all of your stomach acid, however, as it is essential for digestion of your food!
Alternative medicine proponents such as the Budwig Center, an alternative cancer treatment clinic based in Spain, believe that our bodies need to be strictly maintained at 7.4 pH in order to achieve and maintain optimal health and to fight cancer. "If you have ever maintained a swimming pool, you will have had to verify the pH of the water on a regular basis and have had to add different chemicals to keep it at pH neutral," it says on the Center's website. "Our bodies are in effect like a swimming pool, as we are 80% water and our pH needs to be kept at 7.4 neutral to be healthy."
The Budwig Center believes that having too much acid in your body can weaken all your systems. The thinking is that your body has to then borrow minerals from your bones, teeth and organs to neutralize excess acidity. High acid levels, or acidosis, might lead to diarrhea, osteoporosis, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis and impaired immune function. Acidosis could also interfere with your cells' ability to heal or produce energy and also allow cancer to flourish.
In a study called "Acid pH in Tumors and Its Potential for Therapeutic Exploitation" published in August 1989 in Perspectives in Cancer Research, measurement of pH in tissue showed that the microenvironment in tumors is generally more acidic than in normal tissues.
Where's the Proof? What Do the Studies Say About Alkaline Water?
While anecdotal evidence suggests that alkaline water might be beneficial to health, so far, there's not a lot of solid data.
So far there are no peer-reviewed studies demonstrating that consuming alkaline water can reduce a person's cancer risk or help them to better fight cancer. Additionally, the American Cancer Society does NOT make a recommendation for consumption of alkaline water.
Can alkaline water help with other health conditions?
A study in the 2001 issue of "Shanghai Journal of Protective Medicine" found drinking alkaline water for 3 to 6 months lowered cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure levels in participants.
Another study in the July 2012 edition of "Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology" titled "Potential Benefits of pH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease" found that water with a pH of 8.8 effectively neutralized stomach acid and pepsin, making it a possible treatment for acid reflux.
In France, researchers followed the health of 3,777 elderly people between 1988-2004 in rural areas known for their high aluminum or silica content in the drinking water. The study was published in 2009 in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" as "Aluminum and silica in drinking water and the risk of Alzheimer's disease or cognitive decline," and one of the findings was that silica in drinking water (10 mg/day) was associated with a reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
A 2010 study published in "The Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine," titled "Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water" concluded that their test subjects who drank alkaline water showed an improved acid-base balance and hydration status compared to tap water.
What Are the Dangers in Drinking Alkaline Water?
Keep in mind that making your body more alkaline isn't ALWAYS a good thing. For example, for people who have a kidney condition or people who are taking medication that alters their kidney function, the minerals in alkaline water could start to accumulate in their bodies.
Furthermore, drinking too much alkaline water, or drinking water with a high pH, may disrupt the body's normal pH. This can lead to a condition called metabolic alkalosis, which may cause confusion, nausea, vomiting, hand tremors, muscle twitching, and tingling in the face, hands or feet.
Where Can You Get Alkaline Water? Do Ionizing Machines Work?
There are two types of alkaline water: 1. "artificial" alkaline water which is generally tap water run through an electrical ionizer to make the pH more alkaline and 2. bottled spring or mineral water. Natural spring water passes through rocks and soil and picks up various minerals, which affect its pH. Naturally-occurring mineral water contains alkalizing compounds, such as calcium, silica, potassium, magnesium, and bicarbonate.
Spring water with naturally occurring minerals seems to be the healthiest type of alkaline water source. "A good source of alkaline water is spring water -- usually a pH of 8 to 8.5 -- that naturally becomes alkaline by acquiring minerals as it passes over rocks," according to Lawrence Wilson, M.D., who specializes in nutritional balancing at the Center For Development in Arizona.
You can purchase water ionizing machines, but Wilson advises against them, because the machines simply use titanium or platinum to make water alkaline, and they don't introduce the natural minerals the body requires.
Which Bottled Waters Are More Alkaline?
So, if you want to try alkaline water, you may be wondering which bottled mineral waters are more alkaline. Here is a rundown of the pH for many of the brands you can find in stores:
1. ESSENTIA says its water is created from regular water on which they use reverse osmosis, followed by the addition of minerals and then an ionizing process. According to its website, Essentia guarantees a pH of 9.5 (which is more alkaline).
2. WAIKEA HAWAIIAN VOLCANIC WATER says its natural spring water is naturally filtered through thousands of feet of porous volcanic rocks. The source is located at the eastern base of the Mauna Loa volcano. Waikea says their water has a pH of 8.8 (which is more alkaline) and contains magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium and silica.
3. ICELAND SPRING says its spring water -- from a natural source located in a in a nature reserve called "Heiðmörk" near Reykjavik -- is at a pH of 8.8 (which is more alkaline).
4. ETERNAL WATER (naturally-occurring from spring sources throughout the U.S.) says its water ranges between 7.8 - 8.2 depending on many different environmental factors.
5. FIJI WATER says that its natural artesian water comes from an aquifer in the Fiji Islands, and the water's pH is 7.7. (which is more alkaline).
6. EVIAN mineral water from France has a pH of 7.2 (which is more alkaline than tap water).
7. SMARTWATER has a pH of about 7.0 (which is neutral, the same as tap water).
8. AQUAFINA is public tap water that is purified through a process that includes reverse osmosis and other filtering and purification methods. Aquafina's pH ranges between 5.5-7.0 (which is neutral to more acidic than tap water).
9. DASANI is created with public tap water, which is then filtered using reverse osmosis. They then add a blend of minerals. Dasani pH ranges between 5.0-7.0 (which is neutral or more acidic than tap water).
Final Conclusion on Alkaline Water
It is possible that alkaline water may provide some health benefits, to some people, in certain circumstances., such as acid reflux. Currently there is no way of knowing with 100 percent certainty whether drinking alkaline water is truly going to benefit your health. The studies haven't produced any hard evidence yet.
If you don't suffer from kidney problems, you may consider drinking some alkaline mineral water.
Until we have more hard evidence, you may want to stick to regular (filtered) tap water for most of your hydration. It's most important that you drink water and keep yourself hydrated.
Thanks Dr SHAH.----On Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 4:10 AM, 'DR. MAHESH' via Keep_Mailing <keep_mailing@googlegroups.com> wrote:--Subject: The pH Factor - most important medical testImportant message from DR. SUDHIR V. SHAH M.D.,D.M. (Neurology) Consultant Neurologist,Prof. and HOD, Neurology,V.S.G.Hospital, Ahmedabad.Director of Neurosciences, Sterling Hospital, Ahmedabad.Clinic Address:206/7/8 Sangini Complex, Near Parimal Railway Crossing, Ellisbridge,Ahmedabad-380006, Gujarat, India.http://www.sudhirneuro.org/
Tele No. (C) 079-26467052, 26467467 (R) 079-26621742
Recently I spoke at a health conference and had several great conversations with many health-conscious people. Although the questions I was asked during and after my presentation ran the gamut, there was one general reaction that came through loud and clear. Sheer surprise.You see, I talked about the number that is THE most telling indicator about your state of health and is arguably the most important number to pay attention to if you want a life free of pain, inflammation and disease.It's not your weight.Your BMI? Nope.No - it's not your cholesterol. Or your triglycerides. It's not even your blood pressure!It's your pH (pH factor indicates acidic versus alkaline ratio in your body).Here is what kept my audience on the edge of their seats.
Alkaline pH -- why in the world?In a flashback to high school chemistry, remember that the pH scale goes from 0 to 14.
0 is pure acid, 7 is neutral, and 14 is pure alkaline.You came into this world with an alkaline pH.It's how your body was designed and how you're meant to stay.Without exception, ALL of your organs, tissues, bones and joints work best when your blood pH is slightly alkaline (around 7.365).If your pH is even just a little too acidic, that's when your body can begin to literally break down. Aches and pains begin to creep up. Tumours (including cancer) can flourish. Diseases can rear their ugly heads. Although a number of factors can contribute to an acid pH, (including stress, environmental toxins, lack of exercise and smoking), far and away the number one factor is your FOOD.Eating acid-creating foods (especially fast food, processed food, meat, dairy, refined carbs and hard to digest meal combinations) pulls your pH down toward the acid range.On the other hand, when your diet contains many alkaline foods (like fresh fruits and vegetables) and is easy for your body to break down, you encourage a more alkaline pH.A snapshot of your innards:Let's take a look at your innards and see some examples of how your body can break down when you're acidic:Your HeartYour heart pumps an unbelievable 13,000 quarts of blood a day -- enough to fill a small swimming pool! If there are toxins in your blood, that puts a huge strain on your heart to do its job. Acid wastes, in your system also rob your blood of oxygen, which causes your heart tissue to deteriorate. And you don't want your ticker breaking down, do you?Your LiverThe liver serves over 300 different functions -- with two of the most important being, to remove acid wastes from your blood and make alkaline enzymes for your body. If you're like most people who live in industrialized countries, your blood resembles a war zone, with far too many toxins floating around, and your liver is constantly being stressed cleaning them out. If that goes on long enough, it can completely shut down.And so will you.Your PancreasThe pancreas is super important ... in fact, it's responsible for completing digestion in your small intestine. And it helps regulate blood sugar by producing insulin.Like I said, super important.More so than any other organ, the pancreas is extremely sensitive to your pH and absolutely CANNOT function when you're acidic -- it MUST have an alkaline environment. If your pancreas is not working right, you can be looking at type II diabetes, (which can kill you FAST).Your Kidneys
The kidneys create urine and help get rid of excess acid from the body. About one litre of blood passes through them every single minute! If your blood has too much acid and toxins, your kidneys are over-stressed and unable to do their job.(Ever hear of Dialysis? Kidney stones?)Your Stomach
When your stomach properly breaks down your food, the small intestine can finish the job and digestion is completed like it should be. But foods that are acid-creating are hard for your stomach to break down, and in its efforts to do its job, it may overproduce acid. The result can be poorly digested food, fewer nutrients being absorbed, and acid rising up into your throat. Acid reflux, GERD, IBS, hiatal hernia and gastritis are all on the rise and this is why. The typical American diet is LOADED with hard to digest, acid-creating food.Your Colon
Wastes are supposed to easily pass through the colon and "out your back door." But if digestion has not been accomplished properly, they don't move through like they should. Instead they can clog your colon walls, become a breeding ground for bacteria and disease and cause you to put on weight.Plus, the toxins can be reabsorbed into your bloodstream, make you ill and encourage the development of food sensitivities. It's no surprise that colon cancer is the number one cancer killer, and that so many people suffer with IBS, diverticulosis/itis and chronic constipation, is it?An acid pH is GOOD -- when you're DEAD.There is one time when you're SUPPOSED to have an acid pH. When you're DEAD. Your body automatically becomes acidic upon death so it can decompose like it's supposed to. I don't want that happening any time too soon, do you?
So ... how do we get this magic 7.365 pH?Hopefully you've gotten the idea of how important it is to have a slightly alkaline pH while you're still breathing and vertical.
Now I'll tell you the 4 steps to attaining and maintaining an optimal alkaline pH:
Step 1- Check your pH at regular intervals
You can get a saliva test or urine test kit at most drug stores or health food stores.The saliva test is the least accurate and urine is slightly more accurate. You can also have your blood tested by a doctor. This is the most accurate measure but also the most expensive. If you want this done and your doctor won't do it, find one who will.The normal pH for urine is about 6.5-6.8 (it's acidic because urine is an exit for toxins), for saliva 7.0-7.4 and for blood 7.365 is your target.If you're testing your pH with saliva or urine, it's important to perform the test several times at different times of the day, since pH can be affected by what you eat or drink.Step 2- Drink pure water
Aim for at least 5-8 glasses per day.Stir in a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice to make it more alkaline if you'd like.Alkalizing drops are also available at health food stores.Water means water and does not mean coffee, tea, Gatorade, soda or other sweetened drinks.But avoid drinking tap water as it can contain chlorine and/or fluoride.Strive to drink filtered or bottled water.Step 3- Eat more alkaline foods
The important thing to note here is you CAN continue to eat some "good" acid foods that have valid nutrients - so if you don't want to give up that juicy steak you love or that roasted chicken, you don't have to.Just make sure that those acid foods are counterbalanced by a good portion of alkaline foods. 50/50 is a good place to start, and the more alkaline, the better."Good" acid foods include nourishing things like:
*Eggs, *Fish, *Chicken,*Turkey' *Brown rice, *Yogurt, * Beef (preferably grass fed and organic).These foods have nutrients that do benefit your body. So it's not necessary to eliminate them. You just need to make sure to keep them under control, and make sure they represent no more than 50% of your calories.And remember it's NEVER a good idea to eat processed food, fast food or drink soda. Keep those to a bare minimum or preferably none at all.Step 4- Keep your digestion efficient
In order to keep your digestion humming, it's vital to eat meal combinations that are easily broken down and don't cause your stomach to over produce acid, and make sure you have adequate enzymes to do the job.
Simply put:
Easy digestion = proper elimination of wastes = a more alkaline pH
Poor digestion = acid waste build-up = Sickness and a more acid pHWithout the proper enzymes for digestion, you can suffer from gas, bloating, constipation, waste build-up ... and you'll have a more acidic pH!So remember -- while your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc., are all very important too, it's vital to keep your eye on the MOST important number -- your pH.Do that and your body will thank you many times over.
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