Over the last few years, alkaline water has been gaining popularity in the global health community for its potential health benefits over regular drinking water. The years following the pandemic have seen a significant rise in the sales of alkaline water, leading one to believe that the bottles on store shelves might actually contain the mythical rejuvenating spring itself. Is the hype around this 'elixir of life' backed by scientific evidence or is it just another exaggerated nutritional product?
For us to dissect this notion, we need to comprehend what alkaline water is and what it has to offer to modern society.
What is alkaline water?
Alkaline water/Alkaline ionized water is specially treated water with a pH value higher than normal water. Typically, the pH of natural water ranges between 6.5 and 8.5, and it is controlled by the carbon dioxide-bicarbonate-carbonate equilibrium system. However, in the case of alkaline water, the amount of carbon dioxide is decreased, resulting in a high pH. It is rich in basic minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate.
How is alkaline water produced?
Alkaline ionized water can be formed both naturally and through the commercial process of electrolysis. Natural alkaline water results from water interacting with the rocks, which enhances the mineral content and alkaline level in the water. However, commercial alkaline drinking water is usually produced by electrolysis of source water, which results in separate alkaline and acidic streams of water.[1] The hydrogen ions are extracted by passing the water through an ionizer using electromagnets. Additionally, alkaline drinking water can be produced by adding alkaline minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium to potable source water, such as tap water.
Are there any proven benefits of alkaline water?
Despite being promoted as a nutritional alternative by the media, alkaline water does not have any scientifically proven health benefits as such. One of the major claims about alkaline water is that it keeps you better hydrated than conventional water. On the contrary, there is no valid scientific evidence supporting this claim.
Another prominent benefit pointed out by proponents is its reduced acidity and the presence of essential alkaline minerals. Even though it is generally safe to consume, no research has provided evidence for the benefits associated with it. The belief that it can neutralize the acidity of the body (improving digestion) is not backed by any evidence. Furthermore, there are other mechanisms such as kidneys to regulate the pH level in the human body.
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, (MD, FAAP), used social media platform 'X' to criticize the proponents of alkaline water in his recent post made through his profile @MunishRaizada1 on X (formerly known as Twitter).
In his post, he raised a crucial question: Is drinking alkaline water beneficial? Well, companies that sell this product will like you to believe so, but medical research says it has no proven benefits. Dr. Munish Raizada says, "The advocates of alkaline water preach what is called pseudoscience."
A study published in the Journal of Menopausal Medicine suggests that alkaline water may help slow bone loss. The experiment involved analyzing the bone density of two groups of women suffering from osteoporosis, which found that the group who drank alkaline water had better bone density compared to those who consumed normal water. [2] More research is required to find out whether alkaline water plays a role in bone strength and if that benefit continues over the long term. Some suggest that a high-alkaline diet could slow our aging process and help prevent cancerous tumors. Just like other claims, there's not enough research to say for sure.
Moreover, the use of alkaline water has been found to cause a few health concerns, like high blood potassium levels among the public, which could worsen health, especially in those with existing kidney complications.
References:
1. Abramowitz, Robert M., and George Arnold. n.d. “Process for Producing Improved Alkaline Drinking Water and the Product Produced Thereby.” https://patents.google.com/patent/US6572902B2/en.
2. Fasihi, Sanaz, Siavash Fazelian, Farinaz Farahbod, Fateme Moradi, and Morteza Dehghan. 2021. “Effect of Alkaline Drinking Water on Bone Density of Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis.” Journal of Menopausal Medicine 27 (2): 94–101. https://doi.org/10.6118/jmm.20036.
By Jithin Paul
SSK
