Everybody knows drinking water is great for your health. There are what seems like endless benefits to drinking enough water everyday. Water makes up roughly 60% of your body weight and every system in your body needs it to survive. According to Mayo Clinic, the average adult male should be drinking roughly 13 cups (3 litres) a day and 9 cups (2.2 litres) for women.[i]
Drinking alkaline water can help benefit your health and wellness even further. Alkaline water differs from regular water because of the pH level. All liquids have a certain measurement on the pH scale, which ranges from 0-14. A pH of 7 is neutral, like tap water for example. Anything under 7 is extremely acidic (i.e. black coffee and vinegar), while anything above 7 (i.e. baking soda) is now in alkaline territory. When liquids land above 7 on the pH scale it means that it has a lower concentration of hydrogen ions.
Let’s find out how drinking alkaline water can help to improve your health!
1. Soothe Acid Reflux
If you have ever suffered from the uncomfortable havoc of acid reflux, you might be able to understand the desperation to soothe it. If something might work, chances are you could be willing to give it a try. Some people have found that alkaline water with a pH of 8.8 can help to soothe the discomfort, and at times unbearable, effects of acid reflux.
How does it help? Well, the higher pH level found in alkaline water can help to reduce pepsin. Pepsin is an enzyme that aids in the digestion process, essentially what helps break down food and proteins. This can be one of the main causes of acid reflux. So, the next time you feel acid reflux creeping up, some alkaline water just might be your saving grace.
2. Neutralize Acids And Boost Your Metabolism
Drinking alkaline water can help to neutralize acid found inside the bloodstream. Neutralizing the acid can result in increased oxygen levels, improve your energy and ultimately boost your metabolism. Those with a poor metabolism are often looking for ways to improve it, to help with things like weight management and digestion. Although your metabolism doesn’t directly affect how you gain or lose weight, it does aid in converting calories into energy. If you lack energy, your chances of wanting to get out and be active might drop a little. As mentioned earlier, drinking water in general can help to improve digestion, weight maintenance, and overall health – so drink up!
3. Detox-Time!
Alkaline water is known to contain a number of antioxidant properties. Antioxidants can help benefit your health in numerous ways, including improvements in the following areas:
- Vision
- Prostate
- Heart
- Urinary tract
- Skin
- Immune system[ii]
These are only a few of the areas antioxidants can benefit. The antioxidant properties found in alkaline water can specifically help to improve your skin and colon, while lubricating muscles and joints. Some have found that drinking alkaline water can help reduce the signs of aging.[iii]
4. Help With Back Pain
If you suffer from chronic low-back pain, drinking alkaline water could help to improve your condition.[iv] It has been shown that the implementation of alkaline minerals can help with back pain because of the significant increase of pH and intracellular magnesium in the bloodstream.[v] Having a healthy amount of intracellular magnesium in the bloodstream can help improve the function of your enzyme systems and allow for an enhanced activation of vitamin D[vi] – ultimately helping to improve back pain in some cases.[vii]
Drinking any kind of water can be beneficial to your overall health and wellness, regardless if it has a pH of 7 or 8.8. So drink up!
[i] “Water: How much should you drink every day? | Mayo Clinic” [Online]. Available: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256. [Accessed: 2017-02-10].
[ii] “Antioxidants: Beyond the Hype | Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health” [Online]. Available: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/. [Accessed: 2017-02-10].
[iii] “The Benefits of Alkaline Water, Unfiltered | Shape” [Online]. Available: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/benefits-alkaline-water-unfiltered. [Accessed: 2017-02-10].
[iv] Vormann J, Worlitschek M, Goedecke T, Silver B. Supplementation with alkaline minerals reduces symptoms in patients with chronic low back pain.Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology.2001;15(2-3):179–183.[PubMed]
[v] “The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health? | NCBI” [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/. [Accessed: 2017-02-10].
[vi] Zofková I, Kancheva RL. The relationship between magnesium and calciotropic hormones.Magnesium Research.1995;8(1):77–84.[PubMed]
[vii] Schwalfenberg G. Improvement of chronic back pain or failed back surgery with vitamin D repletion: a case series.Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.2009;22(1):69–74.[PubMed]
