What Is Alkaline Water?

Alkaline water is a form of water with a different pH level than regular drinking water. PH level is a measurement value between zero and fourteen that represents the degree of acidity of a substance. A very acidic substance would have a pH level of zero, one, or two. Very alkaline substances have a pH level of thirteen or fourteen. Therefore, alkaline water is water with a greater pH level than usual. The standard pH level of regular drinking water is seven and it is eight or nine for alkaline water. Alkaline water also contains minerals with an alkaline pH and negative oxidation-reduction potential, which means the substance acts as an antioxidant, giving an extra electron to reactive molecules that are missing an electron. This process allows these molecules to become more stable and less reactive in the body.

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Natural Versus Artificial

Alkaline water can be naturally alkaline, or it may be put through processes to become alkaline or artificial alkaline water. The chemical makeup of natural alkaline and artificially alkaline water is not the same. Artificially alkaline water is water that has been altered to raise its pH level, but it does not contain the same levels of the corresponding alkaline minerals. It may be difficult to distinguish whether a source or type of alkaline water is natural or artificial because they are advertised similarly. Certain terms that can indicate an artificial process has been used on the alkaline water include purification process, electrochemically activated water, ionizers, remineralizing filters, Kangen water, scientific processes, electrical machine, water alkalizers, carbon filters, enhanced water, and reverse osmosis. The pH level of natural alkaline water is directly correlated with the quantities of minerals present in the water. The health benefit claims that go along with alkaline water are associated with more than just the higher pH level. Without the bioavailable minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium, the nutritional and health value of the alkaline water is greatly reduced.

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Health Claims

Over the past decade, alkaline water has increased in popularity due to claims it can be beneficial to an individual's health. Such health claims include alkaline water having anti-aging properties due to liquid antioxidants, additional immune system support, weight loss, colon-cleansing properties, enhanced skin health, detoxifying properties, amplified hydration, and resistance to cancer. Natural alkaline water contains rich sources of minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Alkaline water is known to help eliminate excess mucus build up on the inside walls of the intestines, allowing for better absorption of nutrients from the food an individual consumes. Claims have been made that alkaline water helps an individual with weight control by decreasing the necessity for adipose tissue around the body, which serves the function of protecting the internal organs by moving acidic byproducts to less important regions. The health claims that alkaline water provides superior hydration stem from its property of having a smaller water cluster size, which is thought to diffuse into the cells more efficiently.

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