The Sunday Sleuth - Investigating Alkaline Water

In this edition of Sunday Sleuth, we're going to investigate Alkaline Water to see if really is a better than purified water. We'll take a closer look at all the clues to discover weather it has legitimate health benefits, is guilty of false claims, or is a red herring that is just misleading the public. Will it turn out to be a legitimate health drink or high-priced hoax?

What are we waiting for? The game is afoot...

Clean, pure water is a cornerstone of good health. Most of us know that drinking enough clean water is important to maintaining health.Your body is mostly water, so the ongoing intake of water is essential to your every function. The trouble is, many public water supplies are loaded with hazardous contaminants, such as disinfection byproducts (DBPs), fluoride, and pharmaceutical drugs, to name just a few. So you should be concerned about increased pollutants and contaminants in our tap water. Many people opt for bottled water, however, some brands are simply bottled tap water that may or may not have gone through any additional filtering. So in some cases, bottled water isn't necessarily any purer than filtered water -- it's just more expensive. But beyond water filtration, there’s also the issue of pH - alkaline versus acidic water. There are quite a few astonishing health claims being made about alkaline water, but are they true? Let’s take a closer look at these claims.

What is alkaline water? 

First, a little chemistry: A pH level measures how acid or alkaline something is. A pH of 0 is totally acidic, while a pH of 14 is completely alkaline. A pH of 7 is neutral. Those levels vary throughout your body. Your blood is slightly alkaline, with a pH between 7.35 and 7.45. Your stomach is very acidic, with a pH of 3.5 or below, so it can break down food. And your urine changes, depending on what you eat – that's how your body keeps the level in your blood steady.

The theory behind alkaline water is, in a nutshell, that alkaline (ionized) water is a powerful antioxidant with surplus electrons that can “mop up” the dangerous free radicals you have coursing through your veins. Marketers claim alkaline water can correct excess acidity in your tissues, which can then prevent or reverse cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases. You can buy a machine, called a water ionizer, which supposedly creates alkaline water via a process called ionization. Manufacturers claim that these machines allow water to interact with electrodes to split hydrogen ions from oxygen, influencing the pH of the water. Many of these in-home ionizers are quite expensive. My investigation found several that products that cost well over $1000. Proponents of alkaline water believe that it can neutralize the acid in your bloodstream and help your body metabolize nutrients more effectively, leading to better health and performance.

Many of the online claims are based on the theory that ionized alkaline water has smaller “clusters” of molecules. According to the Kangen Water website, for instance, “These small clusters make alkaline water Kangen Water more soluble and permeable, allowing you to absorb the important vitamins and nutrients your body needs.” And The Alkalizer (“A Wetter Water for a Better Body”) maintains that, “The smaller mineral clusters, as measured by the use of a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance device is a more hydrating water than normal tap water. Through electrolysis large tap mineral clusters are reduced from their original size. The smaller cluster size gives the water excellent hydrating properties, high solubility and good permeability.”

Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D.

Unfortunately, many chemists say that “ionized water” is a meaningless term, and that health claims made for ionized water are scientifically unfounded. In fact, alternative-health guru Andrew Weil used the word "Bogus" in response to a question about Kangen Water in 2010. “It is the latest variation of so-called alkaline water, which promoters claim is essential for elimination of the acidity in our bodies—attributed to all the evils of the modern world .... The human body needs absolutely no help in adjusting its pH.” He added, “Unless you have serious respiratory or kidney problems, body pH will remain in balance no matter what you eat or drink .... Bottom line: The health claims for water ionizers and for alkaline water are bogus.”

Hmmmm.... a respected Holistic, Naturopathic Doctor, a Medical Doctor no less, shoots down the the manufactures scientific claims? Could Alkaline Water Manufacturers be trying to profit by selling snake oil? Dubious, dear Watson.

Alkaline water is water that’s less acidic than regular tap water. This means it is rich in alkalizing compounds, including calcium, silica, potassium, magnesium, and bicarbonate. Many people believe that the typical North American diet contributes to chronic low-grade acidosis – a condition that may be associated with poor health outcomes including heart problems, altered hormonal status, and the loss of muscle or bone.

Though North American tap water often contains chemicals,it’s relatively safe when compared to the water in many other parts of the world. Tap water contains different dissolved elements that influence its pH level. Pure water has a pH level close to 7. Alkaline water has a pH above 7.

Alkaline water & acid-base balance in the body 

The Human body has the complex job of maintaining blood pH within a tight range. And it performs this task amazingly well. Alkaline advocates argue that even if your pH levels look fine", your body could be drawing on stored buffers from bone and muscle to maintain pH within the ideal range. And that can damage your overall health and lead to disease.

Proponents of Alkaline water claim that everyone needs to “alkalize” your tissues in your body but this might be an over-simplification.For starters, each organ system has a unique pH range. And since there are various ways that the body maintains pH balance, if pH is out of whack, it’s important to get to the underlying cause. Without knowing the cause, you can’t determine whether alkaline water will really help you.

While anecdotal evidence suggests that the pH of water could be relevant to health, so far, there’s not a lot of firm data.

But focusing on the pH level of our water might be somewhat beside the point. Because if alkaline water is helpful, that might be due to the minerals it contains rather than its inherent pH level.

Data does suggests that consuming alkaline water can increase overall body alkalinity but this may not always be a benefit. For example, if someone has a kidney condition, or is taking a medication that alters kidney function, some of the minerals in alkaline water could start to accumulate in the body. For these people, high alkalinity might lead to negative side effects. If kidney patients should avoid alkaline water, athletes and exercisers are one sub-group who might benefit from drinking it. Why? Because alkaline water may allow active people to retain more fluid in the cardiovascular system, while decreasing their urine output and blood osmolality. That’s important because high plasma osmolality is associated with elevated risk of death from stroke.

The research suggests that these effects might not be instantaneous, but rather, gradual.Thus: Alkaline water might improve overall hydration status in active people over time. And proper hydration is important to our health. But again, this is a big “maybe”.

So, what are the recommendations for optimal drinking water pH?

The WHO has published a nearly-600 page document called “Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality.” In this voluminous tome, you would expect to find everything you’d ever want to know about your drinking water, right? Well, everything EXCEPT a pH recommendation - there are no health-based guidelines for pH! They state that pH usually has “no direct impact on consumers,” yet they also write pH is one of the “most important operational water quality parameters.”

They do recommend your water pH be in the range of 6.5 to 8.0 so as not to corrode your pipes - and they’re NOT talking about your body’s plumbing:

“Alkalinity and calcium management also contribute to the stability of water and control its aggressiveness to pipe and appliance. Failure to minimize corrosion can result in the contamination of drinking water and in adverse effects on its taste and appearance. Failure to minimize corrosion can result in the contamination of drinking water and in adverse effects on its taste and appearance.”

It appears that the WHO is more concerned about the pipes in your house than the pipes in your body.

Most likely the optimal pH of the water you were designed to drink is somewhere between 6.5 and 8. Above or below this level may have other purposes, such as disinfection, but I would be careful drinking water outside of these ranges.

Alkaline Water to fight Cancer

There has been a great deal of debate about battling cancer by making your body alkaline. This has become a focus of interest as cancer rates have skyrocketed (along with many other chronic, debilitating diseases), while our bodies have become more acidic from our processed-food diets.

The scientific research about the benefits of alkalinity is by no means conclusive. PH appears to have a major influence on cell mitochondria:

Normal cells die under extremely alkaline conditions. A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that alkalosis (rising cellular pH) causes alkaline-induced cell death as a result of altering mitochondrial function.

Another study out of Cornell University states that antioxidants have not proven to be effective against many neurodegenerative diseases, and they state it may be a result of how the mitochondria operate within the cell in certain pH conditions.

There are some scientific studies that really argue against alkalinity, at least with respect to preventing or treating cancer.

Consider the research by Robert Gilles, who has studied tumor formation and acidity. According to Gilles, tumors, by their very nature, make themselves acidic - even in an alkaline cellular structure. In other words, they make their own acidity.

Scientists who are in the process of developing prototypes for potential new anticancer agents that selectively kill tumor cells by interfering with the regulation of intracellular pH, have found that alkaline treatments do NOT have the desired effect - but strongly acidic treatments do.

Talk about fighting fire with fire - they are fighting acid-loving cancer cells with acid!

LESS alkalinity inside a cancer cell seems to be what you want, not more.

So, all of those salesmen promising alkaline water will lower your cancer risk are completely clueless when it comes to what the scientific research actually shows.

Even more interesting is a 2005 study by the National Cancer Institute, which revisits the use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to treat cancer. They found that, in pharmacologic doses administered intravenously, ascorbic acid successfully killed cancer cells without harming normal cells. This is yet another example of cancer cells being vulnerable to acidity, as opposed to alkalinity.

It’s clear that the relationship between alkalinity and cancer has been grossly oversimplified by those jumping to premature conclusions - and of course by those trying to profit off your fear.

The bottom line is that alkaline water isn’t cancer’s magic bullet.

Too much of a Good Thing?

If you drink alkaline water all the time, you’re going to raise the alkalinity of your stomach, which will buffer your stomach’s acidity and impair your ability to digest food, as low stomach acid is one of the most common causes of ulcers. This can open the door for parasites in your small intestine, and your protein digestion may suffer. It also means you’ll get less minerals and nutrients over time - in fact, some of these health effects can already be seen in hardcore alkaline water drinkers.

Alkalinity is also potentially a problem because it is antibacterial, so it could potentially disrupt the balance of your body’s beneficial bacteria.

Exercise

Physical activity and diet can alter pH balance. A diet high in fresh vegetables will usually result in greater alkalinity.

So alkaline water’s benefits might be more obvious in people who do not exercise, or those who eat a typical Western diet of processed foods. Meanwhile, folks who exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet of whole foods might fail to notice much change from drinking alkaline water. But even if they don’t particularly notice a change, active people might benefit from alkaline water for reasons that go beyond improved hydration. Intense exercise spurs our muscles to produce more hydrogen ions than our body can efficiently remove. Fatigue increases. Drinking alkaline water might enhance the body’s buffering capacity and temper the acidity, thus improving our performance. Note that mineral supplements (calcium, magnesium, potassium) decrease cardio-respiratory stress and blood lactate responses, while improving power output in endurance athletes. That’s why long-distance runners sometimes supplement with sodium bicarbonate. This practice would seem to support the benefits of mineralized water.

Toxins

Tap water is disinfected to protect us from bacteria and toxins. But when disinfectants interact with organic matter in our tap water, disinfectant by-products form. DBPs can lead to health and environmental problems – a good reason to avoid them. Alkaline water seems to break down some DBPs, neutralizing their dangers to us. Meanwhile, alkaline urine might help to draw certain environmental toxins and pharmaceuticals from the body, another potential benefit. Sounds great, right? But other DBPs seem to thrive in an alkaline environment. So all in all, alkaline water is not necessarily better at protecting us from toxins.

Gut Health

Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) is a measure of the tendency of a solution to either gain or lose electrons when it is subject to change by the introduction of a new species. ORP seems to influence bacteria in the gut. Electrochemically activated (i.e. ionized) water possesses a negative oxidation-reduction potential, which means it might offer extra disinfectant properties, helping to protect us from dangerous microorganisms.

Glycation 

Glycation is a reaction that takes place when simple sugar molecules, such as fructose or glucose, become attached to proteins or lipid fats without the moderation of an enzyme. This results in the formation of rogue molecules known as advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). AGEs are associated with health risks such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Ionized water seems to result in lowered glycation levels and reduced liver damage in rats with poor blood sugar control. Now, rats are not humans, and it is tricky to extrapolate directly from animal studies to human health. Even so, this evidence is worth weighing in the balance.

Living Water

We need to drink pure water - water that is clean, balanced, and healthful, neither too alkaline nor too acidic. Ideally, the pH of your water should be somewhere between 6 and 8.

And some of the most healthful waters in the world - that which emerge from mountain springs - are actually acidic in the range of 6.5. Mountain spring water is “living water,” which is living in the same way that raw food is "living food." One reason I try to eat plenty of fresh, organic raw food is for its biophotons. Biophotons are the smallest units of light, which are stored in and used by all biological organisms - including Humans. Vital energy finds its way into your cells from the biodynamic foods you eat. In the same way that raw foods are alive with biophoton energy, natural water is “alive” in a similar way. Visionary Japanese researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto experimented with the crystal forms of water. What he discovered is that different forms of energy influence water’s ability to organize into crystal forms. He demonstrated that water crystallization depends on the natural health of the water. He found that water from natural springs, healing water sources, etc., formed beautiful and complex crystalline geometries - like snowflakes. Water that had been distilled or polluted lost its inner order, and its ability to crystallize was profoundly disturbed. Living water becomes dead water.

Along with drinking clean, PH balanced water, you can optimize your body’s pH by eating like your ancestors did - a diet rich in raw, organic, whole foods. This will help your body achieve homeostasis without the need of spending your hard earned money on an Ionizer.

I think I smell a Herring

So far I am seriously doubting the validity of Alkaline Water's miracle health claims. I do believe that many people are overly acidic, and could benefit from increasing their alkalinity. But paying thousands of dollars to "scientifically" manipulate the water, while laying out a serious cash investment, seems fishy.

The Claims versus the Supporting Evidence

There are a plethora of testimonials and so-called scientific studies on the Internet claiming alkaline water will cure your every ill. As we have seen, there is a lot of evidence that conflicts with the hype. Many consumers, struggling to make sense of the scientific jargon, eventually throw up their hands in frustration. The reality is, most of the circulating information is distributed by clever marketers, with very little scientific validity to back up their claims. Complicating matters is the fact that most water alkalizers are being marketed by multi-level marketing (MLM) companies with less-than-stellar ethics. They sell you a very expensive machine, for which you get a good discount if you sign up as a rep, and once you're part of the MLM, you can't very well change your mind about its benefits (especially if you're going to sell the units) - even if you realize that the alkaline water is no longer "working" for you.

Here’s a brief overview of the claims for alkaline water and the clinical research evidence that currently supports them.

CLAIM	CURRENT EVIDENCE STRENGTH
Alkaline water helps treat chronic acidosis	Weak / speculative. The body regulates pH tightly, and different organs have slightly different pH requirements. There is little clinical evidence that “chronic low-grade acidosis” exists.
Alkaline water improves overall health	Weak / speculative. Alkaline water may increase overall body alkalinity, but it’s not clear that this improves health outcomes. People with certain health conditions should avoid excessive mineral intake.
Alkaline water is important for athletes	Weak / speculative. Proper hydration helps athletes, but there’s no evidence that alkaline water is anything special in this regard. Some benefits may be derived from buffering acidity.
Alkaline water protects us from toxins	Weak / equivocal. We may avoid toxins from disinfectant by-products in tap water, but other toxins can thrive in alkaline water.
Alkaline water contains a negative oxidation-reduction potential, helping protect us from pathogens	Weak / speculative. ORP seems to influence bacteria in the gut. Electrochemically activated (i.e. ionized) water possesses a negative oxidation-reduction potential, which means it might offer extra disinfectant properties, helping to protect us from dangerous microorganisms.
Alkaline water reduces advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) Alkaline water fights Cancer	Suggestive / speculative. Ionized water seems to result in lowered glycation levels and reduced liver damage in rats with poor blood sugar control. Suggestive / speculative. There is no hard evidence to support the claims. Some evidence indicates that cancer is vulnerable to acidity and NOT alkalinity.

Conclusion: Red Herring!

The more I investigate Alkaline Water, the more I uncover that the "miracle liquid" is more hype than fact, and the claims and scientific support for it's supposed health benefits mislead the public into spending more money than they probably should.

There isn't enough evidence to back up the claims that Alkaline Water is the key to vibrant health and longevity. And the "Scientific" evidence of it's Cancer fighting properties is a bit murky. Though it is not unhealthy to consume in moderation, it looks like consuming large amounts of alkaline water for an extended duration can actually have a reverse effect on good health. There are lots of marketers out there that want to sell you their products so they can profit on your fears, wants and needs.

So until science leaves a smoking gun that proves Alkaline Water really does what it claims, I suggest you save your money and stick to filtered tap water or purified drinking water.

In my humble opinion, if you really want to alkalinize your body, it would seem wise to encourage it by eating clean and avoiding overly acidic foods. Another way to get your PH in balance is by drinking green vegetable juice. Green vegetable juices will help your body normalize your body’s pH naturally. Without costing you thousands of dollars. My very first juicer was a second hand one I got for $25 at Goodwill. Hardly beaking the bank. Eventually, I saved up enough money and upgraded to a Breville, but my point is that you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to bump up your alkalinity with ionization. If you are interested in learning more about the power of green juice, check out my earlier post: Juicing Greens For Health and Vitality.

Thank you for taking your valuable time to read this article.

The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

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