What Is Alkaline Water?

A popular topic currently in the health interest is alkaline water. Touted as one of the latest way to increase your health at the touch of a button - the theory is simple: that using an alkaline water drinking machine to increase the PH level of the water you drink will in fact bring you health benefits. Alkaline water machines use the process of electrolysis which separates the positive and negative charged molecules of the water. This will result in production of either acidic or alkaline water depending on the setting used. Fans and supporters of alkaline water machines believe by drinking alkaline water regularly you will be able to cleanse toxins from your body and improve your overall state of health.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Alkaline Water?

Supporters of alkaline water claim that neutralizing toxins in the body will improve general health and give a boost to your immune system. Alkaline water contains smaller molecule clusters than ordinary water and therefore can be absorbed more easily into the cells and bloodstream. This helps flushing out toxins and overall hydration of the body as a result. Active practitioners of alternative medicine claim that a lot of diseases and common ailments can be dealt with by increasing the alkaline level of the body. Some claim that since cancer cells cannot survive in an environment which is high in alkalinity, it may therefore prevent cancer and other diseases such as diabetes, and arthritis. Alternative medicine officials also believe that the ionization process of water, which means dissolving minerals into the water, can also help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. Since the human body naturally maintains a certain alkalinity level, the addition of minerals will ensure that minerals such as calcium or magnesium are not stripped from bones in order to maintain the balance of alkalinity. Your body is a living organism and requires plenty of water regularly to maintain it sufficiently hydrated and healthy. Experts claim that cleansing toxins from the body and easier absorption of alkaline water into cells and the bloodstream is a critical aspect of a good immune system and staying healthy – hence alkaline water machines are one of the most popular alternative health products on the market today.

If It’s So Good – Why Isn’t Everyone Using It?

There is however, another side to the whole argument about whether alkaline water really is more beneficial for you than ordinary water. Many medical and chemistry experts state that the supposed positive benefits of drinking alkaline water are simply not supported by any real results. While it is possible to make water which has a higher alkalinity level, that alone is not enough to change the overall PH level of your whole body.

The main counter argument from doctors and chemists against alkaline water is that the natural acid contained in the human stomach will change the PH of any water just as soon as it enters the stomach, as enzyme secretions emitted from the pancreas will make the water alkaline anyway - through a natural process.

Other reasons why doctors do not support using alkaline water as a health tonic are the fact that the reported health benefits are not founded on any scientific evidence - only testimonials from users. The fact that it may help prevent cancer because cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline environment is brushed aside – because many other cells cannot live in an alkaline environment either.

They also say that you can achieve detoxification or cleansing of toxins from your body by simply taking calcium pills, magnesium pills or Alka-Seltzer, which all cost much less than an alkaline water machine.

It seems that while some people make amazing claims regarding a wide variety of health benefits credited to drinking alkaline water, the medical profession is not convinced that the relationship between alkaline water and any improvement in health does in fact exist. After all, as the doctors explain, the human body has many ways of regulating the PH level of the body naturally, and none of them include an alkaline water machine.