Alkaline Water Benefits, Risks, and How to Make It?

Alkaline water has been in the limelight lately. You may have heard people tell you how alkaline water is highly beneficial for health and how it prevents diseases.

To put it in simple language, alkaline water has high pH levels compared to regular water. It also contains certain minerals that make it special. In this guide, we will talk about the alkaline water benefits while telling you ways to make alkaline water on your own. 

Let’s delve right into the article! 

What is Alkaline Water?

Alkaline water has grasped all the hype. Alkaline is the term used to describe the pH level. It is believed that alkaline water helps neutralize the acid present in our body as it has a higher pH level.

The regular water that we consume has a pH level of 7. On the other hand, alkaline water usually has a pH level of 8-9. 

However, there are more factors associated with alkaline water, such as alkaline minerals that are present in it along with -ve ORP.

Oxidation-reduction potential or ORP is nothing but the term used to describe the water’s ability to act in the form of an antioxidant. The negative value of the ORP indicates its antioxidizing capacity. 

The Alkaline Water Benefits

Alkaline water has several benefits. Let’s take a look at some of the many health benefits that alkaline water provides. 

1. Good for your Heart 

Alkaline water boosts the hydration levels of your body. As per studies, it is seen that dehydration in both can increase blood viscosity, and it can also lead to severe heart diseases such as arteriosclerosis and high BP. It becomes vital to drink alkaline water to maintain sugar and cholesterol levels in your body. 

Consumption of alkaline water proves to be good for your heart as it will keep your sugar levels in check, and it will further ensure that your heart stays healthy. 

2. Helps in Weight Loss

In the modern world that we live in, our consumption of junk food has increased rapidly, and as a result, our diet is highly acidic. Due to this, our body produces more fat cells to neutralize our body, and it further leads to weight gain. 

Consumption of alkaline water helps your body lose weight as it neutralizes the acid levels in your body. Further, alkaline water reduces fat storage in your body and boosts the process of weight loss. 

3. Strong Bones 

As mentioned earlier, alkaline water comes with several necessary minerals that are needed by your body to stay fit and strong. Alkaline water contains minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium that are required for strong bones.

Excessive levels of acidity in the body lead to bone loss, and alkaline water decreases acidic levels in your body, further increasing your bone strength. Alkaline water proves to be a healthy way of maintaining your bone health. 

4. Balances pH Levels of your Body 

As per experts, the pH balance of your body is highly important. Power of hydrogen or pH is the term used to describe the measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in your body.

The pH scale consists of levels starting from 1, and they go upto 14. 7 is known to be a neutral pH level of one’s body. Your body’s pH level is also the key element that balances your respiratory system, immune system, and digestive system. 

5. Keeps you Hydrated 

Alkaline water provides better hydration compared to normal drinking water. It is easier for your body to absorb alkaline water, and it is highly effective when it comes to hydrating your body.

Alkaline water helps in better digestion of the body as well. 

6. Detoxifies your Body 

Toxins present in our bodies can lead to severe illnesses and diseases. One of the many benefits of alkaline water is that it washes away these toxins from our bodies.

These toxins make their way into our bodies through acidic food and junk food that we consume in our everyday life.

Alkaline water ensures that your body stays away from impurities and toxic minerals. You should consume up to 10 glasses of alkaline water to ensure that it detoxifies your body in the best ways. 

7. Good for Overall Health

Alkaline water is loaded with vital minerals that are necessary for our overall health. Alkaline water balances the pH levels inside your body and maintains the acidic levels.

Alkaline water proves to be a healthier option compared to normal water when we talk about the good overall health of our body. 

How to Make Alkaline Drinking Water?

Here’s a few ways you can use to make alkaline drinking water…

1. Invest in a Water Ionizer 

Investing in a water ionizer is proven to be the most efficient way of making alkaline water at home. However, this is also the most expensive way of making alkaline water at home, as buying a water ionizer can be heavy for your pocket. Even the cheapest water ionizers can cost $500. 

To make alkaline water efficiently, a water ionizer works in the form of a water electrolyzer. To put it in simple words, a water ionizer frames an electrochemical procedure that works so that it separates the positive and negative electrodes present in water. 

Two separate streams of water run through the machine. One stream consists of acidic water, while the other consists of alkaline water. The best part about the machine is that it does not use any extra substances or chemicals to complete the process. 

If you drink alkaline water regularly, a water ionizer will prove to be cost-effective in the long term compared to buying alkaline water bottles regularly. Another benefit of investing in this machine is that it proves good for the environment as you won’t be stocking up on plastic water bottles. 

2. Use Baking Soda

If you think that baking soda is only used for baking, then you are highly mistaken. Baking soda’s pH level is nine, and it is known to be one of the most hyped and convenient ingredients used to make alkaline water. Chances are, you already have baking soda in your kitchen as it is a commonly used ingredient present in most households. 

To make alkaline water using baking soda, mix 8 ounces of water (purified) with ⅛  tablespoon of baking soda. Then, stir this mixture properly. Alternatively, you can also shake it. It would help if you mixed it till the baking soda properly gets dissolved in the purified water. 

Note: Baking soda contains high levels of sodium. If you’re someone who’s restricting their salt intake, you should avoid using this method to make alkaline water. 

3. Experiment with pH Drops 

Unlike baking soda, pH drops are specifically made to fulfill the requirements of making alkaline water. These drops are formulated in a way that they contain electrolytes and minerals, and adding a few of these drops to your water will increase its pH levels instantly. 

These drops often come packed in small bottles, and they are handy, so you can take them with you no matter where you go.

To decrease their acidic levels, some people also add these drops to other acidic beverages, such as coffee. These drops are flavorless, so you won’t have to worry about them adding any sort of taste to your drink. 

4. Get Ionizing Water Pitcher 

A water pitcher performs similar to a water ionizer, but it is pocket-friendly and easier to maintain. The cheapest models of an ionizing water pitcher start from as low as $40. To make alkaline water using an ionizing water pitcher, all you need to do is pour water inside its filter and then let it do its job for about 5 minutes. 

These machines perform two main tasks. To begin with, they filter the water to eliminate or reduce the amount of chlorine and other toxins present in it. Next, they add the necessary minerals to the water to make it alkaline. Hence, they perform just like a normal water filter, but they also perform a few other steps at the end.  

Is it Safe to Drink Alkaline Water?

There are no scientific facts to support the statement that alkaline water can treat any harmful health problems. However, drinking alkaline water is completely safe for your body mainly because the water is packed with natural minerals. 

Note: You should beware of artificial alkaline water that is available in the markets. Artificial alkaline water is advertised as safe water packed with natural minerals.

On the contrary, the water may be infused with contaminants that will harm your health in the long haul. Moreover, you should not consume alkaline water in large quantities as it may create a deficit of minerals in your body. 

Potential Side Effects of Alkaline Water

Although alkaline water is safe for the human body, it may have a few possible side effects attached to it. The natural acidity of your stomach is important as it works towards killing unwanted pathogens, bacteria, and it also stops them from entering your blood. Consumption of alkaline water can sometimes lead to a decrease in the natural acidity of your stomach.

Moreover, excess levels of alkalinity in your body can lead to skin irritation and gastrointestinal problems. It can also hamper the normal pH level of your body, which can further cause metabolic alkalosis.

Metabolic alkalosis is an issue that shows symptoms like confusion, muscle twitching, hand tremors, vomiting, and nausea. Furthermore, alkalosis can decrease the levels of free calcium in your body, and it can have an adverse impact on your bone health. 

Final Thoughts

Everything consumed in moderation is good, and the same fact holds true for alkaline water. Alkaline water has several health benefits, but we recommend you start consuming it regularly after consulting with your doctor. There are no scientific facts to prove that alkaline water prevents or cures chronic diseases such as cancer.

Regardless, you cannot ignore the health benefits that the water comes with, making it the elixir that it has become in the world today. 

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