Lots of people know that alkaline water has health benefits. But very few people know that alkaline water has other uses as well.
What is alkaline water good for?
- Health
- Athletic performance
- Cooking
- Neutralizing pesticide residues
- Coffee and tea
Alkaline water is good for a lot more than just health! In fact for me, the most important benefit of alkaline water is it’s benefit to athletic performance. I train at very high intensity, and I depend on alkaline water to maintain my hydration and combat performance robbing muscular acidosis. Second to that usage, I make my coffee with alkaline water. It improves the taste and increases my coffee’s antioxidant potential!
Alkaline water health benefits
What health conditions is alkaline water good for? There are many health conditions that alkaline water is good for. Alkaline water is good for you the way a healthy diet is good for you. It supplies things your body needs for good health, such as:
- Easy-to-absorb calcium and magnesium
- Improved hydration
- Antioxidant benefits
- Acid-fighting alkalinity
What is alkaline water good for? Bone health.
Alkaline water has been shown in several studies to reduce your rate of bone loss. The older you get, the more alkaline water can help you slow bone loss. As we age, our bodies’ natural defense against acidity begin to decline. What are your bodies’ natural defenses against acidity?
- Breath – You exhale acidity in the form of CO2
- Urine – Your kidneys excrete acidic wastes from your diet
- Bone – As a last resort, your body will take calcium from your bones to neutralize acidity
Out of breath? Your lungs are the most efficient system for ridding your body of acidity. But for breath to work effectively, you must have good stamina. If you run out of breath easily, as many older people do, that limits your body’s ability to expel acidity from your lungs. If you have health conditions that limit your ability to breathe, such as asthma, your lungs can’t keep up with the acidity your body generates. The inability to effectively exhale acidity can lead to bone loss.
Alkaline water will do two things that will help you reduce the rate you are losing bone:
- Supply calcium and magnesium
- Provide acid-fighting alkalinity
Your body will steal calcium and magnesium from your bones to neutralize acidity. Alkaline water can act as it’s supply of calcium and magnesium instead. Both minerals supply acid-fighting alkalinity that reduces bone loss. Studies show that alkaline water lowers two enzyme markers of bone loss that doctors use to determine your rate of bone loss. In short, alkaline water helps you keep the healthy bone you have.
Got an upset stomach? Acid reflux?
Possibly the most important health benefit of alkaline water is it’s benefit to digestive health. Alkaline water can do a lot to improve your digestive health. Here are two of the most important things it does for you:
- Inactivates pepsin, the enzyme that triggers acid reflux
- Supports the growth of beneficial probiotic microbes in your gut
Alkaline water and a sensible diet have been shown to be just as effective as PPI medication for stopping acid reflux. PPI medications have dangerous side effects:
- Allows harmful organisms to flourish in the gut
- Impairs nutrient absorption
- Increases your risk of heart trouble
- Bad for your kidneys
- Increases your risk of dementia
Japanese clinical testing showed that 88% of people in that study found relief from minor chronic digestive upset just by drinking alkaline water alone. Here are the types of digestive upset that alkaline water helped with:
- Chronic diarrhea
- Constipation
- Gas/bloating
- Indigestion
- Acid indigestion
Alkaline water’s effects are gradual. The people in the study reported gaining relief about two weeks after starting alkaline water. The study compared the effect of drinking plain water to alkaline water. Researchers found that drinking plain water had no effect on digestive complaints.
What is alkaline water good for? Detoxification
Mercury and lead contamination is a growing problem. Over 1,000 US cities have water with unsafe levels of lead. People who eat seafood are exposed to harmful levels of mercury. Hexavalent Chromium 6 is found in water supplies nationwide. Thanks to crumbling infrastructure, these problems will only get worse. Thankfully, alkaline water can help. A clinical study on people new to alkaline water showed that they discharged 10 different heavy metals including mercury and lead, after starting alkaline water. Other studies from Sweden showed that the pH of the water you drink has an effect on what your body absorbs. The study examined women who drank well water. One group drank well water that was naturally alkaline, the other group drank water that was naturally acidic:
- Alkaline water drinkers absorbed calcium and magnesium
- Acidic water drinkers absorbed mercury and boron
Those test results were confirmed by other research that compared the effect of pH on calcium absorption. One group drank calcium rich acidic water, the other group drank calcium rich alkaline water. The alkaline water group absorbed calcium from their water. The acidic water group didn’t absorb the calcium, it was discharged in their urine.
Alkaline water is good for weight loss
One of the most popular reasons people drink alkaline water for is weight loss. There are a few different ways that alkaline water helps in the weight loss process:
- Supports beneficial probiotic microbes
- Reduces appetite
- Improves hydration
How alkaline water supports beneficial probiotic microbes
Probiotic microbes are harmed by oxidation in the gut. Antioxidant alkaline water reduces oxidation. That helps probiotic microbes thrive. Reducing oxidation in the gut also suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause weight gain and some diseases. The harmful bacteria in the gut thrive in oxidative environments.
A pilot study on new alkaline water drinkers found that they lost an average of 12 pounds over two months. The study participants were middle-aged and overweight. During the study the participants ate their same diet, got the same amount of exercise, and the pounds came off.
Appetite reduction
Drinking alkaline water at the right time can help reduce your appetite. Drink an 8 ounce glass of alkaline water about a half an hour before a meal. There are a couple of theories as to why that helps reduce your appetite. First, beneficial probiotic bacteria release a hormone called GLP-1, which reduces your appetite. Second, in older adults the thirst impulse is often misinterpreted as hunger. Drinking alkaline water helps reset that thirst impulse in people who are chronically dehydrated. The CDC estimates that 3 out of 4 Americans are chronically dehydrated.
Why alkaline water is good for athletic performance
Alkaline water provides three key benefits for athletes:
- Improved hydration
- Acid-fighting alkalinity
- Performance boosting antioxidant potential
Athletic performance drops off with as little as 2% dehydration. At that level, the body has a harder time regulating heat, and the metabolism slows down. Both of those responses to dehydration have the effect of reducing athletic performance and can also contribute to depression.
Alkaline water hydrates faster and more thoroughly than plain water. It also provides alkalinity that has been shown in research to raise blood pH in conditions of exercise-induced acidosis. Professional athletes alkalize their bodies prior to working out because alkalinity buffers performance-robbing lactic acid in the muscles. In conditions of exercise-induced acidosis, alkaline water has been shown to raise blood pH by as much as 40 – 70%.
Alkaline water plus electrolytes makes a potent sports beverage
Antioxidant alkaline water combined with a powdered electrolyte (such as Gatorade) has significant benefits for athletes seeking maximum performance. A study conducted in Serbia showed that; compared to plain water mixed with electrolytes, alkaline water mixed with electrolytes:
- Reduces Rates of Perceived Exertion
- Improves Heart Rate response during and after exercise
- Reduces blood lactate levels during and after exercise
- Increases blood bicarbonates
The study compared plain water mixed with Gatorade to alkaline water mixed with Gatorade. Athletes in the study consumed both; plain water with Gatorade, and then after a washout period, alkaline water mixed with Gatorade. The athletes in the study reported that the exercises they performed felt like they required significantly less effort when consuming alkaline water mixed with Gatorade.
Another benefit that was noted in the heart rate of the athletes: Their heart rate was significantly lower when exercising on the alkaline water with electrolytes mix than it was with plain water and electrolytes. That means that the athletes experienced significantly less cardiovascular stress while exercising. The athletes also returned to their normal resting heart rate faster after exercising.
Blood lactate levels were also lower in the alkaline water and electrolytes group than they were in the plain water with electrolytes group. Lactic acid robs you of performance. Professional athletes alkalize their bodies prior to working out to minimize that loss of performance.
The final benefit noted in the study was that the athletes serum bicarbonate levels were higher in the alkaline water group versus the plain water group. That means that the alkaline water group had a greater amount of alkaline minerals in their bloodstream than the plain water group. Those alkaline minerals buffer performance-robbing acidity. That increases an athlete’s’ endurance.
Alkaline water is good for cooking with
Alkaline water improves food’s texture and taste.Use the highest alkaline setting on your water ionizer for best results. Here are some tips on cooking with alkaline water:
- Mix it with citrus juices to make those juices less acidic.
- Soak raw meat in alkaline water to make the meat to tenderize it and keep its flavor
- Use alkaline water when making drinks with enticing aromas. It will enhance their fragrance
- Soak eggs in alkaline water before boiling to make them easier to peel
- Bake with alkaline water for extra fluffiness
- Use alkaline water in omelets and scrambled eggs to make them fluffier
Neutralize acidic pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables
Rinsing your fruits and vegetables in the sink before eating them doesn’t remove pesticide residues. But soaking them in alkaline water will remove and neutralize those residues. You can even see this effect for yourself: Simply soak some fruits or vegetables in a bowl of plain water and a bowl of alkaline water. Wait about 20 minutes, and you’ll see the alkaline water turn muddy brown. The plain water will still be clear.
Alkaline water makes the best coffee and tea
Possibly the best use for alkaline water is making coffee and tea. It makes both beverages more flavorful and aromatic. It also reduces the bitterness of both beverages. Most notable is the fact that alkaline water increases the antioxidant benefits of both coffee and tea!
Coffee has more antioxidants in it than fruit or vegetables. Making coffee with alkaline water triples it’s antioxidant strength. Making it with alkaline water also makes coffee a lot easier on your stomach because it makes it less acidic. The higher the pH of the water you brew your coffee with, the better.
Tea is also an antioxidant, and alkaline water boosts its potency too. Research on brewing tea with alkaline water shows that alkaline water increases the amount of catechins, which are antioxidants in tea. It also reduces the formation of tea cream. Tea cream is deposits that form on the bottom of a tea cup as the tea cools. Tea cream robs tea of its antioxidant potential. Just like with coffee, you want to use the highest pH water you can get.
Why a water ionizer is the best source for alkaline water
As you can see, the answer to the question: “What is alkaline water good for?” Is that alkaline water is good for lots of things. For health purposes, you’ll want to drink at least two liters of it per day. Then you’ll want additional alkaline water for cooking, working out, detoxifying fruits and vegetables, and for your coffee and tea. If you tried to do all those things with bottled alkaline water, it would get expensive quickly! Also, bottled alkaline water won’t work the same for:
- Athletic performance
- Making coffee and tea
- Gut health and some other health issues
Bottled alkaline water won’t work for those things because it doesn’t have any antioxidant potential. The antioxidant potential of the ionized alkaline water made by a water ionizer is responsible for some of its most important benefits. You’ll miss out on those benefits if you drink bottled alkaline water.
References
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity in Physically Active Men.” . Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>.
Ostojic, S.M. “Al. Drinks with alkaline negative oxidative reduction potential improve exercise
performance in physically active men and women: double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial of efficacy and safety..” Serbian Journal of Sports Sciences. 5.3 (2011): 83-89. http://www.sjss-sportsacademy.edu.rs/archive/details/drinks-with-alkaline-negative-oxidative-reduction-potential-improve-exercise-performance-in-physically-active-men-and-women-double-blind-randomized-placebo-controlled-cross-over-trial-of-efficacy-and-safety-223.html
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Ericson, John. ” 75% of Americans May Suffer From Chronic Dehydration, According to
Doctors.”Medical Daily. Medical Daily, 03 Jul 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393>.
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009. http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Weidman, Joseph and et al. “Effect of electrolyzed high-pH alkaline water on blood viscosity in healthy adults” Journal of the International Society of Sports NutritionBioMed Central. 28 November 2016. Web. 3 May 2017. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0153-8
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>.
Rosborg, I, B Nihlgard, and L Gerhardsson. “Hair element concentrations in females in one acid and one alkaline area in southern Sweden.” PubMed NCBI. Ambio, n.d. Web. 3 Jul 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14703901>.
Vorobjeva, N.V.. “Selective stimulation of the growth of anaerobic microflora in the human intestinal tract by electrolyzed reducing water.” Medical Hypotheses. Elsevier, 14 Jun 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(04)00489-X/abstract>.
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
Holsworth, R, , and et al. “Effect of Hydration on Whole Blood Viscosity in Firefighters.” NCBI. PubMed, Aug, 2013. Web. 27 Dec 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23981371>.
Shirihata, Sanetaka, and Takeke Hamasaki. “Advanced Research on the Health Benefit of Reduced Water ☆.” Advanced Research on the Health Benefit of Reduced Water. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224411002408>.
Water fasting is becoming a popular way to lose weight. It has also been suggested in studies as a way to lower
How Water Fasting Worksyour risk of chronic diseases and extend your lifespan. One big downside to water fasting is that it induces fasting-acidosis: A condition where blood pH drops to unsafe levels during the fast. Fasting acidosis can lead to acid reflux, nausea, and heartburn, among other effects. Alkaline water is the best water for water fasting because it can raise blood pH from 40 – 70% under acidosis conditions. It also inactivates pepsin, the enzyme that triggers the painful burning of acid reflux.
During a water fast, you consume nothing but water. If you are water fasting without medical supervision, your fast should last no longer than 24 to 72 hours. You should choose the dates you plan to fast carefully: You will experience low energy levels, so try to choose days where you can keep your activities to a minimum. Definitely, plan on not driving or operating machinery.
It’s a good idea to build up to fasting slowly. Begin in the days ahead of your fast by reducing the size of your meals. Avoid fasting if you are feeling unwell or very tired, When fasting, be sure to drink plenty of alkaline water. You should drink about 3 liters per day.
After your fast, you should begin with small, easy to digest meals like chicken soup. Then build up gradually to normal-sized meals.
Benefits of Alkaline Water for Water Fasting
Stop acidosis: Alkaline water will help raise your blood pH when your body enters into a state of fasting-induced acidosis. Acidosis is a temporary condition where the blood pH drops to unsafe levels. Your body can compensate for it, but that compensation might cost you some bone mass. That is because the body will steal calcium from your bones to neutralize the excess acidity. Drinking alkaline water during your fast helps protect your bones.
Stop acid reflux: You are also likely to experience acid reflux while water fasting if you don’t drink alkaline water. Acid reflux is a common side effect of water fasting. Alkaline water inactivates pepsin, the enzyme that triggers the painful burning of acid reflux.
Detoxification: Alkaline water hydrates you faster and more thoroughly than plain water. While fasting, you want to flush your body of toxins as much as possible. Alkaline water’s alkaline pH enables your kidneys to effectively flush toxins like fluoride and heavy metals.
What to do during a Water Fast
You’re going to feel tired and low on energy, so plan to get lots of rest, avoid intensive exercise, and drink lots of alkaline water. You need to drink more water than usual because 20 – 30% of the water you consume on a daily basis comes from your food. You’ll need to replace that water.
Caution: It’s normal to feel a little dizzy when you get up during a fast, so be careful that you don’t fall down. If a person doing a fast begins to feel disoriented or confused, seek medical help right away.
People who should not fast
Some people shouldn’t fast. If you are under a doctor’s care for any reason, you must ask your doctor before starting a fast. If you are over 65 or under 18, talk to your doctor before starting a fast. In addition, the following people should never fast:
- People with an eating disorder
- Those who are underweight
- Women that are pregnant or breastfeeding
- People with heart trouble
- Anybody who has type one diabetes
- Persons with uncontrolled migraines
- People receiving blood transfusions
It is a good idea for anyone planning to do a water fast to talk to their doctor first. Your doctor can make specific recommendations that will enable you to get the most out of your water fast.
For best results, use alkaline water from a water ionizer
During your water fast, you’ll be drinking about 3 or more liters of alkaline water per day. A water ionizer is ideal because you can make and drink as much alkaline water as you want. You should also drink the highest pH alkaline water your machine makes. You need high pH alkaline water because your body will be in a state of fasting-induced acidosis. The bottled alkaline water at the store isn’t as strong as the ionized alkaline water from a water ionizer, it won’t fight your acidosis as effectively as the alkaline water from a water ionizer.
References
2017 A. “Water Fasting: Benefits and Dangers. Healthline. 22 October 2017. Web 17 July 2018. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/water-fasting
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity
in Physically Active Men.”. Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>.
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of
cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009.http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of
mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>.
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as
an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
Recent breakthrough research has shown the way to a new, all natural approach to better brain health. That research has shown that there is a strong link between gut health and brain health. But the most surprising finding is that leg exercise is critical to brain health. This groundbreaking finding fundamentally alters sciences understanding of the brain and nervous system medicine. It will lead to novel new therapies in the future. But you don’t have to wait for that future; there are natural ways that you can use right now to give you better brain health in the future
Why leg exercise is critical to better brain health
Research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience reveals that brain health depends on signals sent from the leg muscles to the brain. That research showed that when people are unable to do load-bearing exercises – such as walking – that their body chemistry is altered at a fundamental level. According to Dr. Raffaella Adami:
“Our study supports the notion that people who are unable to do load-bearing exercises—such as patients who are bedridden, or even astronauts on extended travel—not only lose muscle mass, but their body chemistry is altered at the cellular level and even their nervous system is adversely impacted”
In the study, researchers found that limiting physical activity reduced the number of neural stem cells in an area of the brain known as the subventricular zone. The subventricular zone is responsible for maintaining nerve cell health. The research shows conclusively that using your legs, especially in weight-bearing exercises, sends signals to the brain that are vital for the production of healthy neural cells.
Exercise and oxygen in the body
Researchers found another important fact about exercise when they studied individual cells: Restricting exercise lowers the amount of oxygen in the body. That loss of oxygen creates an anaerobic environment (one that lacks oxygen) in the body and slows your metabolism. Reducing exercise impacts genes which are important for the health of mitochondria: The powerhouse in cells that produce energy in the body.
This finding has profound implications for people who feel too tired to exercise. That constant fatigue is made worse by lack of exercise! It suggests something that every successful athlete has known intuitively: When you are most tired, that is the time to push it the hardest.
The brain/gut connection
Research has also uncovered another astonishing medical fact: Brain health is affected by gut health. High levels of harmful microbes in the gut have been shown to have a link to the development of brain diseases like Dementia. The link is clear: If you have an unhealthy gut, your chances of developing many degenerative diseases is much higher.
Antioxidant alkaline water is good for gut health
The beneficial microbes in your gut are called probiotic microbes. You can increase the levels and diversity of the beneficial probiotic microbes in your gut by consuming probiotic foods and drinking antioxidant alkaline water. Research on gut health shows that antioxidant alkaline water reduces oxidation in the gut. Reducing oxidation helps the beneficial probiotic bacteria in your gut thrive. In fact, improving gut health was the very first medical benefit from alkaline water that was documented by science.
Some of the health benefits of antioxidant alkaline water that have been observed in studies for gut health are:
- Relief from digestive upset
- Inactivates pepsin: The enzyme that triggers the painful burning of acid reflux
- Weight loss
- Relief from constipation/gas/bloating
In Japanese clinical studies, 88% of people with chronic digestive upset found partial or full relief from their digestive problems from drinking alkaline water alone! Some of the test subjects had been struggling with gut health issues for years before finding relief from drinking antioxidant alkaline water.
Notable: Improving your gut health will protect your brain health. Studies prove it!
Alkaline hydrogen water can help you get more exercise and achieve better brain health
Leg exercise will help you develop healthy new neural stem cells, but it doesn’t protect the brain cells you already have from oxidation: A process where particles called radicals attack and destroy brain cells. Oxidation is a major factor in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Parkinson’s. Alkaline molecular hydrogen water can protect brain cells from being destroyed by oxidation.
Alkaline hydrogen water has two antioxidants: Particles that fight harmful oxidation: Molecular hydrogen and the antioxidant hydroxyl ion. These two antioxidant particles can protect the brain because they can pass through the blood/brain barrier: A membrane in your brain that separates it from the rest of the circulatory system. That blood/brain barrier blocks antioxidants that you get from food or supplements from entering the brain.
Energize your body with alkaline molecular hydrogen water and electrolytes
Do you feel too tired to exercise? Alkaline water and electrolytes can change that – fast! If you mix alkaline water with a powdered electrolyte such as Gatorade, it makes a potent sports drink that will energize you and enhance your workout. I use this formula personally in high-intensity interval training – it really works!
- Use 16 Ounces of level 4 alkaline water
- Add powdered electrolytes (follow instructions on the package)
- Mix and drink right away
Note: Bottled alkaline water will NOT work for this drink mix. Bottled alkaline water has no antioxidant potential. The antioxidant potential of alkaline hydrogen water is what makes this sports drink work.
Why you need a water ionizer to make alkaline hydrogen water
For best results, you need to drink two or more liters of alkaline molecular hydrogen water per day. Two liters is the amount of alkaline water researchers had test subjects drink per day in alkaline water health studies that showed positive results. You can’t get alkaline hydrogen water in stores. That is because hydrogen escapes through plastic, you can’t bottle it!
A water ionizer makes alkaline hydrogen water for pennies per gallon. That alkaline hydrogen water is at its most potent when it is fresh. By using your own water ionizer, you can make alkaline hydrogen water and consume it while it’s still fresh. That way you get the maximum health benefit possible.
Pro Tip: Storing alkaline hydrogen water: If you want to store alkaline hydrogen water, you must use an aluminum bottle. Hydrogen escapes right through plastic and glass.
References
Raffaella Adami, Jessica Pagano et al. “Reduction of Movement in Neurological Diseases:
Effects on Neural Stem Cells Characteristics” Frontiers in Neuroscience. 23 May 2018. Web 4 June 2018. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2018.00336/full
Vorobjeva, N.V.. “Selective stimulation of the growth of anaerobic microflora in the
human intestinal tract by electrolyzed reducing water.” Medical Hypotheses. Elsevier, 14 Jun 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(04)00489-X/abstract>.
Ostojic, S.M. “Al. Drinks with alkaline negative oxidative reduction potential improve exercise
performance in physically active men and women: double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial of efficacy and safety..” Serbian Journal of Sports Sciences. 5.3 (2011): 83-89. http://www.sjss-sportsacademy.edu.rs/archive/details/drinks-with-alkaline-negative-oxidative-reduction-potential-improve-exercise-performance-in-physically-active-men-and-women-double-blind-randomized-placebo-controlled-cross-over-trial-of-efficacy-and-safety-223.html
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Yan, H, and et al. “The neuroprotective effects of electrolyzed reduced water and its
model water containing molecular hydrogen and Pt nanoparticles.” BMC Proceedings. Europeans Society for Animal Cell Technology, 22 Nov 2011. Web. 29 Oct 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1753-6561/5/S8/P69>.
Kashiwagi, Taichi, and Et Al. “Electrochemically Reduced Water Protects Neural Cells from
Oxidative Damage.” Electrochemically Reduced Water Protects Neural Cells from Oxidative Damage. Hindawi Publishing, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2014/869121/abs/>.
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as
an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
Shirihata, Sanetaka, and Takeke Hamasaki. “Advanced Research on the Health Benefit
of Reduced Water ☆.” Advanced Research on the Health Benefit of Reduced Water. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224411002408>.
Atsunori Nakao and et al. “Effectiveness of Hydrogen Rich Water on Antioxidant Status
of Subjects with Potential Metabolic Syndrome—An Open Label Pilot Study” Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, 24 February 2010. Web 28 July 2016
Hydrogen sticks and hydrogen pills generate hydrogen in water. While hydrogen has been shown to have some antioxidant health benefits, there is something that the companies that sell them don’t tell you: They also put magnesium hydroxide in your water.
Why is that a big deal? Because magnesium hydroxide has health effects of its own. Consumed properly, magnesium hydroxide is beneficial to your health, but you can overdo it. If you overdose on magnesium hydroxide, it can lead to digestive problems like diarrhea. The problem with hydrogen sticks and hydrogen pills is that they make it easy to overdo it.
What can go wrong with hydrogen sticks and hydrogen pills
Diarrhea: Magnesium hydroxide is the active ingredient in Ex-Lax, Milk of Magnesia and other laxatives. If you consume too much of it you’ll get diarrhea.
Pregnant or nursing mothers: Women who are expecting or nursing should be especially careful: The effects of magnesium hydroxide on unborn or new-born infants is unknown. If you are pregnant or nursing, speak with your doctor before consuming anything with large amounts of magnesium hydroxide in it. That includes water that has been spiked with hydrogen sticks or pills.
Overdose: If you do consume too much magnesium hydroxide, you may experience the following overdose symptoms: severe diarrhea, muscle weakness, mood changes, slow or irregular heartbeats, and little or no urinating.
How much magnesium hydroxide is safe to consume for daily use?
The smartest thing you can do is to follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation: You should get 10 – 20% of your daily needs for calcium and magnesium from the water you drink. For adults, that means:
- Calcium: 120 – 240 mg
- Magnesium 40 – 80 mg
Otherwise, you should get the rest of your magnesium from the foods you eat. The problem with hydrogen sticks and hydrogen pills is that they put a lot more than 40 – 80 mg of magnesium into your water. The potential health effects of taking high doses of magnesium in water haven’t been studied. Your safest bet is to stay within the WHO guidelines listed above. They also don’t supply any calcium, and for best results, you should consume calcium and magnesium at the same time. Calcium and magnesium are co-factors: They are easiest absorbed when you get both at the same time.
The safer way to get calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide in your water
A water ionizer machine is the safest way to get beneficial amounts of calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide in your water. This is because the machine converts the naturally-occurring calcium bicarbonate and magnesium bicarbonate in your tap water into calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. The calcium and magnesium in your tap water come from nature. Both are present in the same concentrations you find in nature.
Because the calcium and magnesium present in ionized alkaline water are at natural levels, you can’t overdo it. You can drink 2 – 4 liters per day ionized alkaline water, and not overdo it on magnesium or calcium.
A water ionizer combines the benefits of hydrogen and alkaline water
The best reason to get your healthy water from a water ionizer is that the machine combines the benefits of antioxidant ionized alkaline water with the benefits of hydrogen. You get water with naturally healthy levels of calcium and magnesium in it, plus molecular hydrogen!
A potential medical breakthrough. That’s what Dr. Toru Ishibashi suggested that molecular : The only hydrogen water machines powerful enough for arthritis
hydrogen could be for sufferers of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Dr. Ishibashi conducted a review study, called “Molecular Hydrogen: New Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Related Diseases” which examined the results of clinical experiments that tested the effects of molecular hydrogen on people who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis.
The Hydroxyl Radical: The silent killer behind Rheumatoid Arthritis
Dr. Ishibashi’s research discussed in detail the primary cause behind Rheumatoid Arthritis attacks. The hydroxyl radical (⦁OH) which is a Reactive Oxygen Species that destroys DNA and tissues. The hydroxyl radical destroys tissues and DNA by stripping electrons from them in a process called oxidation. It’s the same process that causes iron to rust, and cut apples to turn brown. What the hydroxyl radical does to your joints is it oxidizes them, that causes bone and connective tissues to be destroyed. It also attacks your DNA, and that causes the joint mutations associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Your body has no natural defense against the hydroxyl radical. The body has antioxidant enzymes that defend it against other harmful radicals. But it has none to defend it against the hydroxyl radical. The hydroxyl radical is 100% responsible for the painful inflammation you feel in a Rheumatoid Arthritis attack.
That’s why doctors often prescribe antioxidants to try to slow down the progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis. The problem is, those prescribed antioxidants show only limited effectiveness. Sometimes, they aren’t effective at all. The problem with conventional antioxidants is that the molecules they are made of are too big to enter the cells where the hydroxyl radical is doing the damage.
Molecular Hydrogen may be the most effective antioxidant
The hydrogen molecule is the smallest molecule in the universe. It can easily penetrate cell walls to get at the hydroxyl radical. Better yet, molecular hydrogen is actually attracted to the hydroxyl radical. Inside a cell, it seeks it out and neutralizes it. What’s left is just water.
In studies reviewed by Dr. Ishibashi, it was reported that the beneficial effects of drinking molecular hydrogen could last as long as four weeks! Daily consumption was found to have the strongest benefits. In early-stage cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis, some of those studies found that the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis disappeared completely!
Hydrogen water with 4 – 5 parts per million hydrogen reported effective in four weeks
The clinical research cited by Dr. Ishibashi used hydrogen water with 4 – 5 parts per million (ppm) of hydrogen water. Patients drank only half a liter (500 mL) per day for four weeks. Dr. Ishibashi reports that: “oxidative stress was effectively reduced and the disease activity in RA was significantly improved.”
What did he mean by that? Oxidative stress in Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by the hydroxyl radical. Because that stress was effectively reduced, what he meant was that the hydroxyl radicals that were causing Rheumatoid Arthritis were being neutralized by the molecular hydrogen. What Dr. Ishibashi meant when he said: “the disease activity in RA was significantly improved” was that the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Pain, swelling inflammation, were reduced significantly. In other words, patients in that study found relief from Rheumatoid Arthritis from drinking the hydrogen water. They got that relief in 4 weeks.
Reference
Ishibashi, Toru. “Molecular hydrogen: new antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy for
rheumatoid arthritis and related diseases” Current Pharmaceutical Design 2013, 19, 6375-6381 Web. 17 April 2018. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cpd/2013/00000019/00000035/art00013
Are you drinking bottled water to avoid the pollutants in tap water? If so, here’s some bad news: Bottled water and tap water have both been found to have microplastic contamination. In fact, bottled water is worse than tap water when it comes to microplastic contamination. The World Health Organization calls microplastic contamination a “growing concern” and promises to study its health effects. Currently, the health effects on humans of microplastics in water are largely unknown. Research on fish has shown that consuming microplastic particles makes young fish slower and stupid.
What is Microplastics contamination?
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic, it can be found virtually everywhere on Earth. The most common plastics found include: Polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate. They are called microplastics because they are tiny particles, usually measuring as large as 100 microns across. By way of comparison, a human hair is about 60 microns wide. Researchers tested 259 bottles of water. Only 17 of those bottles were free of plastic contamination.
Bottled water: Testing on bottled water showed that contaminated brands had an average of over 300 plastic particles per liter. One brand, Nestle Pure Life, had 10,000 particles per liter!
Tap water: Testing on tap water showed that it had about half the microplastic contamination of bottled water.
Microplastic contamination can be easily filtered from tap water with a simple sediment filter. In fact, when properly filtered, your tap water is a healthier choice than bottled water.
Microplastic particles can contain other toxins
Have you ever stored spaghetti sauce in Tupperware, and later found out that you can’t wash away the red stain? That happens because plastic absorbs oils from the spaghetti sauce. Plastic can absorb many chemicals, and then it can release those chemicals once inside your body. Additionally, plastic contains harmful chemicals like BPA, antimony, and others. It is well known that chemicals like these in plastic are harmful to our health. What isn’t yet known is how much of these harmful chemicals we are absorbing when drinking bottled water. To emphasize, when properly filtered, tap water is a safer bet!
11 Foods and Two Beverages that lower Cholesterol and Why?
Can you eat your way to lower cholesterol levels? Yes, according to a recent report from Harvard Health. Eating the right kinds of foods, and drinking the right beverages, can help you lower your cholesterol without drugs and their harmful side effects. You also have to eat less of the wrong kinds of foods and drink less of the wrong kinds of beverages.
The bad vs. the good: Confused about which kind of cholesterol is good and which is bad? Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is bad for you (except in moderate amounts). High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is good for you.
Exercise helps too. It raises good HDL cholesterol levels. Even moderate physical activity helps, as long as you keep at it. If you can maintain a high-intensity workout schedule, that helps even more.
Alkaline water can help lower your cholesterol! Click here for more information on cholesterol reduction and other health benefits of alkaline water
How foods can lower cholesterol levels
There are three ways that foods can lower your cholesterol levels. Some foods provide soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and it’s precursors in the gut. Once bound, the cholesterol can then be excreted from the body in the stool. Other foods deliver polyunsaturated fats, which actually reduce levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind of cholesterol) in the body. Third, some foods contain plant sterols and stanols, which prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol.
Foods that lower cholesterol
Apples: Are rich in pectin, which is a type of soluble fiber
Barley and whole grains: Provide you with soluble fiber, which can help reduce your risk of heart disease along with lowering your cholesterol levels.
Beans: Are loaded with soluble fiber. They take a long time to digest, so they make you feel full longer after a meal. This makes beans a great choice for people who are trying to lose weight.
Citrus fruits: Such as oranges, grapefruit, and lemon provide pectin, which is a soluble fiber
Eggplant: Good source of soluble fiber. Note: People with arthritis may want to avoid eggplant, it’s a nightshade vegetable and can trigger painful inflammation in some people with arthritis.
Fatty fish: Eating fish lowers cholesterol by replacing the bad LDL cholesterol provided by meats with omega-3 fats, which lower cholesterol levels.
Foods fortified with sterols and stanols: Many foods have sterols and stanols added to them, your best bet is to read the label. Some examples include: chocolate, granola bars, margarine, and orange juice.
Grapes: Are rich in pectin, a non-soluble fiber.
Nuts: Eating 2 ounces of nuts per day can lower cholesterol levels by 5%. Nuts provide nutrients that are good for your heart.
Okra: Supplies non-soluble fiber.
Soy: Consuming 25 grams of soy per day can lower LDL cholesterol by 5% – 6%. 25 grams is approximately 10 ounces of tofu or 2 ½ cups of soy milk.
Two beverages that lower cholesterol levels
Tea, especially some herbal teas, and antioxidant alkaline water both can help lower cholesterol levels. In fact, you can give cholesterol a knockout “one-two punch” by making your tea with antioxidant alkaline water!
Note: Bottled alkaline water isn’t an antioxidant: You can’t get the benefits described here if you use bottled alkaline water because it has no antioxidant potential.
Antioxidant alkaline water and tea help lower cholesterol levels because they supply antioxidant potential. Antioxidants break down cholesterol which prevents it from clogging arteries and enables the body to expel it.
When you make your tea with alkaline water, it increases the number of tea catechins – antioxidant compounds from tea leaves – that you get in your tea. Making your tea with alkaline water also reduces the formation of tea cream: Deposits that form on the bottom of your teacup. Tea cream robs tea of antioxidant benefit, so making your tea with alkaline water helps preserve and increase your tea’s antioxidant benefit. For best results, use the highest pH (level 4) alkaline water your water ionizer can make. The higher the pH, the lesser tea cream forms in your cup.
Antioxidant alkaline water doubles the amount of antioxidant gallic acid in your tea. Gallic acid acts as an antioxidant, antifungal, and antiviral agent. It protects your body from harmful invaders while dissolving cholesterol. The higher the antioxidant potential of the alkaline water you use, the higher the amount of gallic acid you will have in your tea.
Top-of-the-line Life Ionizers can reach a pH level of over 11, with an antioxidant potential of over -800 ORP! Making your tea with alkaline water that powerful will maximize the health benefits of the tea.
Foods to avoid because they raise cholesterol
Saturated fats and trans fats are the two main sources of bad LDL cholesterol in foods, but the whole truth is a bit more complex than that: Saturated fats can lower triglyceride levels and boost levels of good HDL cholesterol. The best choice is to eat the foods containing saturated fats in moderation, you don’t have them avoid entirely. You should avoid foods with trans fats entirely, trans fats are not good for you in any amount.
Saturated fats: Eggs, red meats, whole fat dairy products, and oils including palm oil, coconut oil (there is some evidence for beneficial health effects from coconut oil) and cocoa butter. These foods can be part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation.
Trans fats: Trans fats are produced by a chemical reaction that turns vegetable oil into margarine or shortening. It is well established that trans fats in any amount are bad for your heart. Trans fats increase bad LDL cholesterol and harmful triglyceride levels and decrease levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol.
The FDA recently banned trans fats from all foods: They will be phased out in three years. Until then read the label carefully on margarine, shortenings, and any pre-prepared foods.
Exercising to cut cholesterol: How much, when, and what kinds help
Regular exercise will help lower your levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and at the same time, it helps increase your levels of good HDL cholesterol. Exercise also helps protect your heart; 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise provides significant protection against heart disease. Combining aerobic and strength training is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease.
How much and when: The American Heart Association (AMA) recommends an average of 40 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic activity, three or four times per week. For best results, the AMA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.
Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise regimen, and tell your doctor if you plan to engage in an intense exercise regimen. Intense training can increase your risk of heart attack if you are at risk for heart attacks.
Cholesterol reduction means a healthy lifestyle
If you are currently on cholesterol-lowering medications, don’t stop or reduce your dosage unless told to by your doctor. Quitting cholesterol-lowering medications cold turkey can have serious health consequences. Instead, inform your doctor about your plans to lower your cholesterol levels naturally. Your doctor is going to want to monitor your progress. Your doctor will tell you when, and by how much, to reduce your medications.
Put all the recommendations in this article together, and you get a healthy lifestyle. Eat the right foods, drink the right beverages, get plenty of exercises, and don’t smoke. All these things together can have a significant impact on your cholesterol levels. Put these simple recommendations into practice, and you’re well on your way to a healthy new you!
References
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Gumashta, J, R Gumashta, and et al. “Hard water and heart: the story revisited.” IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://iosrjournals.org/iosr-jpbs/papers/vol1-issue1/B0110720.pdf>.
N.A “11 Foods that lower cholesterol” Harvard Health Publications. Harvard Medical School. 11 August 2015. Web 2 August 2017
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol
McDermott Annette, and Jewell, Tim. “Can herbal teas lower my cholesterol?” healthline. 18 May 2016. Web. 2 August 2017. http://www.healthline.com/health/high-cholesterol/herbal-tea
Hope, Toni G. “How to cut high cholesterol and heart attack risk with exercise” everyday Health. n.d. 28 July, 2016. Web 2 August 2017 https://www.everydayhealth.com/high-cholesterol/treatment/fitness-and-cholesterol/
Weight Loss Facts and What you need to know to succeed where others fail
Why won’t the weight come off? Is the most asked question about weight loss. People diet, they exercise, and still, the pounds don’t come off. How come? The answer isn’t simple, but thankfully the solution is: You need to know what kinds of fat your body has, and you must understand your basic body chemistry to create a weight loss plan that’s right for you.
There are two kinds of fat: Subcutaneous and Visceral
We all have both kinds of fat, but only one type – visceral fat – associated with increased health risks. In men, visceral fat has been linked to metabolic problems like metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and type II diabetes. In women, visceral fat is linked to breast cancer and the need for gallbladder surgery.
People with lots of visceral fat have apple-shaped bodies. This group is mostly men, but women can have visceral fat too. People with lots of subcutaneous fat have pear-shaped bodies, obviously, this group is all women.
Visceral fat is easy to lose, subcutaneous fat isn’t
Here’s the part that many women rightfully feel just isn’t fair: Visceral fat yields easily to diet and exercise, subcutaneous fat doesn’t. This is why it’s easy for men to lose fat, while at the same time it’s a struggle for women.
Fact: Most men can successfully lose weight with proper diet and exercise. Alkaline water may help. Research has shown that both sexes may be helped by alkaline water.
Fat cells, particularly visceral fat cells, are biologically active. They produce hormones and other substances that affect your health. Visceral fat produces chemicals called cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6, which can increase your risk of heart disease. Cytokines are also linked to high cholesterol levels and insulin resistance.
Diet and exercise aren’t enough to lose subcutaneous fat. It is also influenced by hormones and thyroid activity. Women who struggle to lose weight should consider seeing an endocrinologist have their hormonal balance evaluated. Another hormone associated with subcutaneous fat is cortisol – the stress hormone. If you are stressed out, forget about losing subcutaneous fat!
Mindfulness: Cut the stress to lose the subcutaneous fat
If you are stressed out, one way to de-stress that really works is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a meditative process that focuses your attention on being in the moment. It works because a mind that isn’t in the present moment isn’t a happy place.
Click here for information on Mindfulness: http://www.alkalinelifestyle.com/mindspirit_Phase1
Stress is an under-appreciated factor in weight gain. It’s enough of a factor that stressing about your weight may actually be sabotaging your efforts to lose weight! If you are trying to lose weight, the time to start becoming mindful is right now. Your efforts are more likely to fail if you don’t deal with your stress.
Alkaline water and weight loss: What we know
Some research has suggested that drinking alkaline water may help you lose weight. The research does not specify whether it helps you lose visceral or subcutaneous fat. What we do know is that in one study, middle-aged obese participants lost 12 pounds over the course of two months after starting to drink alkaline water.
The reason they lost weight is currently not known. But one possibility is that the antioxidant potential of alkaline water reduces intracellular oxidation, and because of that, it reduces inflammation. As mentioned earlier, fat cells release cytokines, which cause inflammation. Elevated levels of cytokines are associated with insulin resistance and weight gain. Alkaline water may reduce inflammation caused by cytokines, and that may encourage weight loss. This theory needs to be tested by further research.
How to find out if alkaline water could help you lose weight
Everybody’s body is different. Because of that, the only way to find out if alkaline water could help you lose weight is to try it. has a 75-day return policy with a 15% restocking fee. This means that you could basically “rent” a water ionizer and see if you lose weight. Based on the existing research, if alkaline water is right for you, then you’ll see weight loss within two months.
Special advice on weight loss for women
Because of the hormonal aspect of subcutaneous fat, recommends that women who struggle to lose weight get tested by a doctor for hypothyroidism: An underactive thyroid. Hypothyroidism can cause weight gain. Studies have shown that alkaline water may help with hypothyroidism. So women interested in alkaline water for weight loss should have their thyroid hormone levels checked before starting the alkaline water. After starting alkaline water, have your thyroid hormone levels checked again. If they are higher than alkaline water is helping you with thyroid function, which can lead to your reaching a healthy weight.
Worried that you might have hypothyroidism? Here are the symptoms
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
- Coarse, dry hair
- Dry, rough pale skin
- Hair loss
- Cold intolerance (you can’t tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
- Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
- Constipation
- Depression
- Irritability
- Memory loss
- Abnormal menstrual cycles
- Decreased libido
If you suffer from many of those symptoms, talk to your doctor about hypothyroidism. There are medications your doctor can prescribe that can help you. You can combine medication and alkaline water to improve your chances of healthy weight loss. Just don’t take your medication with alkaline water, it may cause your body to absorb the medicine too fast.
Who are the Mainstream Health Professionals who Recognize Alkaline Water Benefits Health?
Mainstream health professionals recognize that alkaline water has benefits health.
What do doctors say about? Click here to read testimonials from doctors about It’s easy to find alternative health practitioners and celebrity doctors that tout alkaline water. But not all of these alternative health practitioners are recognized by mainstream medicine as holding legitimate medical opinions. Because of this skepticism is the prevailing opinion of some doctors and scientists. But that may finally be changing, as some mainstream health experts are beginning to suggest that alkaline water may have benefits. Most notably for things like bone health, acid reflux, ph balance, and hydration.
Hydration and blood pH: Daniel Heil, Professor, Montana State University
Professor Daniel P. Heil conducted two experiments on alkaline water. One to compare alkaline water’s hydration to plain water hydration. The other to measure the effect of alkaline water on blood and urine pH as compared to plain water. In both studies, positive results were found:
- Alkaline water hydrated better and faster than plain water
- Alkaline water raises blood and urine pH
In the first study, male cyclists were subjected to a dehydrating bout of cycling. Their blood viscosity was then measured. The group that drank alkaline water hydrated faster and more thoroughly than the group that drank plain water.
In the second study, 38 people were divided into two groups. Both groups had their urine and blood pH tested. One group drank plain water. The other group drank alkaline water. The group that drank alkaline water had higher blood and urine pH than the second group that drank plain water.
Bone health: Katherine Zeratsky, Nutritionist, Mayo Clinic
Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic had this to say about alkaline water:
“Some studies suggest that alkaline water may help slow bone loss, but further investigation is needed to determine if this influences overall bone mineral density and if the benefit is maintained over the long term.”
What does she mean? There are some studies that have shown that alkaline water lowers the two markers of bone loss. Bone loss markers are enzymes that doctors use to measure bone loss in patients. Further investigation is needed. Scientists want to confirm that these reduced markers of bone loss result in the maintenance higher bone density over the long term. Studies like these would take about 5 years to complete. Further research has been conducted, and it has shown that alkaline water does have promise as a way to maintain bone density. But we are still waiting for a 5 year study on alkaline water and bone density.
Hydration and Bone Health: Georgiana Gross, Dietician, UT-Health
Georgina Gross, writing for San Antonio’s KENS channel 5 evaluated some health claims about alkaline water. She is a health expert for a regular series on that news channel called ‘Verify’. She was asked if any health claims made for alkaline water were true. This is what she said:
“Alkaline water is, I believe, could be looked at as protective because of the mineral content and some of the studies that are noted to have positive effects. However, to promote it as some cure-all, I couldn’t do that,”
She also said that there have been studies that found that alkaline water may help people with acid reflux. Plus she said that it may help maintain bone density.
Update: Further research on alkaline water for acid reflux has been conducted. It has confirmed that alkaline water benefits acid reflux sufferers. It has been shown that alkaline water neutralizes pepsin, the enzyme that triggers the painful burning of acid reflux. Notably, a follow up on the study has shown that eating a sensible diet and drinking alkaline water is as effective against acid reflux as PPI medications.
How to separate trustworthy medical advice from fake cure claims
When you are considering any beverage, food, supplement, or health procedure, it’s important to know who you can trust. Trustworthy claims are narrow in scope. For example, both Katherine Zeratsky and Georgina Gross made specific, narrow claims that alkaline water “may maintain bone density”. They didn’t make a broad claim like: “Alkaline water cures weak bones.” Claims that are narrow in scope are trustworthy because any legitimate health research will also be narrow in scope. For example: Research on alkaline water for bone health looked specifically at:
- Markers of bone loss used by doctors to measure bone loss
- Calcium and oxalate excretion
Researchers used both of those indicators to see if alkaline water made a difference in two specific ways that doctors use to estimate bone loss. They found that it had a positive effect on both indicators. The results of those studies suggested that alkaline water may slow bone loss. But as Katherine Zeratsky said, more research is needed. As mentioned earlier in this article, that additional research would be a five year study comparing people with similar lifestyles: One group would drink alkaline water, the other group would drink plain water. Doctors would then compare bone density in both groups after five years.
Untrustworthy medical advice is often given by “celebrity” doctors such as Dr. Mercola. Dotors like Mercola have something to gain from the advice they gave. It’s easy to spot fakers like Mercola: They don’t have actual medical practices. All they do is give advice and sell products. If a celebrity doctor makes sweeping broad health claims for or against any product, watch out.
The Future of Alkaline Water Research
We here at believe strongly that alkaline water is good for your health. We would love to see a long term study done on alkaline water for bone health. We would be willing to support that kind of research in any way we could. Alkaline water has shown promise in many studies. But long term research is needed to verify the results of much of the work done so far. As alkaline water becomes more popular, we can hope that the health benefits demonstrated so far will finally be confirmed. Then alkaline water can take its rightful place as part of a healthy diet for people the world around. Want to learn more about Mainstream Health Professionals who Recognize Alkaline Water Benefits Health?
Yes, you can drink too much alkaline water. You can drink too much of any kind of water. Overconsumption of water causes hyponatremia, a serious condition. But you have to drink a lot of water to risk hyponatremia. A better question could be: Can you become too alkaline by drinking alkaline water? The answer is no, because your body tightly regulates its pH levels. The condition of becoming too alkaline, called alkalosis, can only be caused by consuming too much of something that is highly alkaline, like baking soda.
Did you know? The condition of becoming too alkaline, called alkalosis, is extremely rare. But the condition of becoming too acidic, called acidosis is extremely common. That’s why alkaline water is good for your health: Your body needs the alkalinity.
Why you can’t over alkalize with alkaline water
Alkaline water only contains small amounts of alkalis. The alkalis in alkaline water are primarily calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. These beneficial mineral hydrates are typically present at no more than 200 milligrams per liter. In solid form would be less than a quarter of a teaspoon. In a normal day, you only need to drink 2 – 3 liters of alkaline water per day. So it’s simply impossible to over-alkalize on alkaline water.
Better bone health is only a glass away!
Clinical studies show that drinking alkaline water reduces your rate of bone loss. It also helps you keep the healthy bone you have. Even the prestigious Mayo Clinic agrees: There is a link between alkaline water and bone health
For good health, you only need to get a tiny amount of calcium and magnesium from your water. This is why alkaline water can have such a profound effect on your health. The World Health Organization recommends that you get 10 – 20% of your daily needs for calcium and magnesium from the water you drink.
Daily need for calcium and magnesium:
- Calcium – 1,200 milligrams
- Magnesium – 320 milligrams per day
Alkaline water always contains more calcium than it does magnesium. This is because calcium is present in far greater quantities in the earth’s crust than magnesium. So alkaline water comes with the perfect balance of calcium and magnesium for good health.
Daily need for calcium and magnesium from water:
- Calcium – 120 to 240 milligrams
- Magnesium – 32 to 64 milligrams
Drink 2 – 3 liters of alkaline water per day, and you’ll get the WHO recommended amounts of calcium and magnesium from water, and you can’t overdo it!
Symptoms of hyponatremia
Overhydration can be caused by drinking too much water too quickly. It can be caused by some medical conditions that interfere with the body’s ability to expel water. The symptoms of hyponatremia look a lot like heatstroke:
- You may feel hot
- Have a headache
- Feel sick
- Can also be accompanied by diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
You should ask a person with the above symptoms if they drank a lot of water recently. If they answer yes, then get medical attention right away. Hyponatremia can lead to:
- Swelling in the brain
- Seizures
- Coma
How to prevent hyponatremia
The best way to prevent hyponatremia is to not drink more than you sweat out. It’s hard to measure how much you’ve sweated out. Therefore simply moderate your consumption of water. For example, a gallon in an hour would be too much. Professional athletes manage their hydration, you should too.
How much alkaline water should you drink?
The most accurate method for determining how much water you should drink is based on body weight. Here’s the math:
- Divide your weight in pounds by two
- The result you get is the amount of water in ounces that you need to drink daily
For example: If you weigh 170 Lbs, you would want to drink 85 ounces of water per day. You should increase your water intake on hot days and days where you exercise vigorously. Add 16 ounces of water per hour of vigorous exercise. On hot days, listen to your body and drink when thirsty. By following these simple rules, you’ll never have to worry about drinking too much alkaline water.
Why you should drink alkaline water
Alkaline water hydrates better than plain water. Drink alkaline water for your recommended daily intake of water. You’ll give your body the mineral nutrition from the water it needs. Furthermore, you’ll improve your hydration status, which could:
- Prevent a heart attack or stroke
- Give you more energy
- Help you lose weight
- Reduce depression and anxiety
In conclusion, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 3 out of 4 people are chronically dehydrated. Chronic dehydration is linked to the development of many diseases. Drink alkaline water to provide your body with two important health benefits. Acid-fighting alkalinity and better hydration. Most notable is that these benefits could make all the difference in your health.
References
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity in Physically Active Men.” . Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>.
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>.
Rylander, Ragnar, and Maurice Arnaud. “Mineral water intake reduces blood pressure
among subjects with low urinary magnesium and calcium levels.” BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health, 30 Nov 2004. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/4/56>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Ericson, John. ” 75% of Americans May Suffer From Chronic Dehydration, According to
Doctors.”Medical Daily. Medical Daily, 03 Jul 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393>.
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009. http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>
World Health Organization, . “Nutrients in Drinking Water .” WHO | Nutrients in drinking water. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsbegin.pdf>.
Gumashta, J, R Gumashta, and et al. “Hard water and heart: the story revisited.” IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://iosrjournals.org/iosr-jpbs/papers/vol1-issue1/B0110720.pdf>.
Recent breakthrough research has shown the way to a new, all-natural approach to better brain health. That research has shown that there is a strong link between gut health and brain health. But the most surprising finding is that leg exercise is critical to brain health. This groundbreaking finding fundamentally alters sciences understanding of the brain and nervous system medicine. It will lead to novel new therapies in the future. But you don’t have to wait for that future; there are natural ways that you can use right now to give you better brain health in the future
Why leg exercise is critical to better brain health
Research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience reveals that brain health depends on signals sent from the leg muscles to the brain. That research showed that when people are unable to do load-bearing exercises – such as walking – that their body chemistry is altered at a fundamental level. According to Dr. Raffaella Adami:
“Our study supports the notion that people who are unable to do load-bearing exercises—such as patients who are bedridden, or even astronauts on extended travel—not only lose muscle mass, but their body chemistry is altered at the cellular level and even their nervous system is adversely impacted”
In the study, researchers found that limiting physical activity reduced the number of neural stem cells in an area of the brain known as the subventricular zone. The subventricular zone is responsible for maintaining nerve cell health. The research shows conclusively that using your legs, especially in weight-bearing exercises, sends signals to the brain that are vital for the production of healthy neural cells.
Exercise and oxygen in the body
Researchers found another important fact about exercise when they studied individual cells: Restricting exercise lowers the amount of oxygen in the body. That loss of oxygen creates an anaerobic environment (one that lacks oxygen) in the body and slows your metabolism. Reducing exercise impacts genes which are important for the health of mitochondria: The powerhouse in cells that produce energy in the body.
This finding has profound implications for people who feel too tired to exercise. That constant fatigue is made worse by lack of exercise! It suggests something that every successful athlete has known intuitively: When you are most tired, that is the time to push it the hardest.
The brain/gut connection
Research has also uncovered another astonishing medical fact: Brain health is affected by gut health. High levels of harmful microbes in the gut have been shown to have a link to the development of brain diseases like Dementia. The link is clear: If you have an unhealthy gut, your chances of developing many degenerative diseases is much higher.
Antioxidant alkaline water is good for gut health
The beneficial microbes in your gut are called probiotic microbes. You can increase the levels and diversity of the beneficial probiotic microbes in your gut by consuming probiotic foods and drinking antioxidant alkaline water. Research on gut health shows that antioxidant alkaline water reduces oxidation in the gut. Reducing oxidation helps the beneficial probiotic bacteria in your gut thrive. In fact, improving gut health was the very first medical benefit from alkaline water that was documented by science.
Some of the health benefits of antioxidant alkaline water that have been observed in studies for gut health are:
- Relief from digestive upset
- Inactivates pepsin: The enzyme that triggers the painful burning of acid reflux
- Weight loss
- Relief from constipation/gas/bloating
In Japanese clinical studies, 88% of people with chronic digestive upset found partial or full relief from their digestive problems from drinking alkaline water alone! Some of the test subjects had been struggling with gut health issues for years before finding relief from drinking antioxidant alkaline water.
Notable: Improving your gut health will protect your brain health. Studies prove it!
Alkaline hydrogen water can help you get more exercise and achieve better brain health
Leg exercise will help you develop healthy new neural stem cells, but it doesn’t protect the brain cells you already have from oxidation: A process where particles called radicals attack and destroy brain cells. Oxidation is a major factor in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Parkinson’s. Alkaline molecular hydrogen water can protect brain cells from being destroyed by oxidation.
Alkaline hydrogen water has two antioxidants: Particles that fight harmful oxidation: Molecular hydrogen and the antioxidant hydroxyl ion. These two antioxidant particles can protect the brain because they can pass through the blood/brain barrier: A membrane in your brain that separates it from the rest of the circulatory system. That blood/brain barrier blocks antioxidants that you get from food or supplements from entering the brain.
Energize your body with alkaline molecular hydrogen water and electrolytes
Do you feel too tired to exercise? Alkaline water and electrolytes can change that – fast! If you mix alkaline water with a powdered electrolyte such as Gatorade, it makes a potent sports drink that will energize you and enhance your workout. I use this formula personally in high-intensity interval training – it really works!
- Use 16 Ounces of level 4 alkaline water
- Add powdered electrolytes (follow instructions on the package)
- Mix and drink right away
Note: Bottled alkaline water will NOT work for this drink mix. Bottled alkaline water has no antioxidant potential. The antioxidant potential of alkaline hydrogen water is what makes this sports drink work.
Why you need a water ionizer to make alkaline hydrogen water
For best results, you need to drink two or more liters of alkaline molecular hydrogen water per day. Two liters is the amount of alkaline water researchers had test subjects drink per day in alkaline water health studies that showed positive results. You can’t get alkaline hydrogen water in stores. That is because hydrogen escapes through plastic, you can’t bottle it!
A water ionizer makes alkaline hydrogen water for pennies per gallon. That alkaline hydrogen water is at its most potent when it is fresh. By using your own water ionizer, you can make alkaline hydrogen water and consume it while it’s still fresh. That way you get the maximum health benefit possible.
Pro Tip: Storing alkaline hydrogen water: If you want to store alkaline hydrogen water, you must use an aluminum bottle. Hydrogen escapes right through plastic and glass.
References
Raffaella Adami, Jessica Pagano et al. “Reduction of Movement in Neurological Diseases:
Effects on Neural Stem Cells Characteristics” Frontiers in Neuroscience. 23 May 2018. Web 4 June 2018. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2018.00336/full
Vorobjeva, N.V.. “Selective stimulation of the growth of anaerobic microflora in the
human intestinal tract by electrolyzed reducing water.” Medical Hypotheses. Elsevier, 14 Jun 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(04)00489-X/abstract>.
Ostojic, S.M. “Al. Drinks with alkaline negative oxidative reduction potential improve exercise
performance in physically active men and women: double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial of efficacy and safety..” Serbian Journal of Sports Sciences. 5.3 (2011): 83-89. http://www.sjss-sportsacademy.edu.rs/archive/details/drinks-with-alkaline-negative-oxidative-reduction-potential-improve-exercise-performance-in-physically-active-men-and-women-double-blind-randomized-placebo-controlled-cross-over-trial-of-efficacy-and-safety-223.html
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Yan, H, and et al. “The neuroprotective effects of electrolyzed reduced water and its
model water containing molecular hydrogen and Pt nanoparticles.” BMC Proceedings. Europeans Society for Animal Cell Technology, 22 Nov 2011. Web. 29 Oct 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1753-6561/5/S8/P69>.
Kashiwagi, Taichi, and Et Al. “Electrochemically Reduced Water Protects Neural Cells from
Oxidative Damage.” Electrochemically Reduced Water Protects Neural Cells from Oxidative Damage. Hindawi Publishing, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2014/869121/abs/>.
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as
an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
Shirihata, Sanetaka, and Takeke Hamasaki. “Advanced Research on the Health Benefit
of Reduced Water ☆.” Advanced Research on the Health Benefit of Reduced Water. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224411002408>.
Atsunori Nakao and et al. “Effectiveness of Hydrogen Rich Water on Antioxidant Status
of Subjects with Potential Metabolic Syndrome—An Open Label Pilot Study” Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, 24 February 2010. Web 28 July 2016
Free radicals, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) are oxidants that your body produces from normal metabolic processes, and from external sources such as X-rays. As long as oxidants remain in balance with antioxidants, your health is fine. But if oxidant levels in your body become excessive, then premature aging and degenerative diseases can develop. The key to maintaining good health is to supply your body with antioxidant foods and ionized alkaline water, plus avoid external sources that increase levels of harmful radicals in the body.
Radicals can be good or bad
Harmful radicals are oxidants, they harm your cells and DNA by stealing electrons from them. That process of stealing electrons is called oxidation. You can see oxidation in action when you see iron rust or cut apples turn brown. Oxidation destroys your cells and DNA just like it destroys iron by turning it into rust. Oxidation literally destroys your health from the inside out.
Helpful radicals are called reductants because they reduce oxidation. They are able to reduce oxidation because they have excess electrons which they can donate to oxidants, thereby sparing your cells and DNA from destructive oxidation. The antioxidant hydroxyl ion (OH-) is an example of a helpful radical. The hydroxyl ion gives ionized alkaline water it’s antioxidant benefits.
When free radicals attack
Free radicals are unstable and highly reactive, when they attack your cells and DNA it sets off a chain reaction that destroys additional cells and DNA. When cells and DNA are destroyed by oxidation, they release additional free radicals that go on to attack other cells and DNA, thereby creating a chain reaction of destruction inside your body. The main targets of free radicals in your body are lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins, but they attack all cell types in the body.
The main free radicals in your body that attack cells and DNA are: hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen singlet, hypochlorite, nitric oxide radical, and peroxynitrite radicals. Note the first radical in the list, the hydroxyl radical (OH) is the opposite of the antioxidant hydroxyl ion (OH-) which is called hydroxide. They both belong to the hydroxy group: Ions that consist of one oxygen atom, and one hydrogen atom.
How free radicals are produced in your body
Free radicals, plus both Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) – types of radicals – are produced in the body by normal metabolic processes. They can be generated as a response to injuries, inflammation, and even exercise. Some external sources of free radicals include:
- Cigarette smoke
- Environmental pollutants
- Radiation
- Certain drugs, pesticides
- Industrial solvents
- Ozone
You should definitely avoid or minimize your exposure to the things on that list. Note that ozone is on that list, there are water machines that make ozonated water, it is definitely bad for your health! Ozonated water fills your body with harmful radicals like the oxygen singlet (a single atom of oxygen).
Oxidative Stress: The condition that leads to premature aging and disease
When the balance between free radical generation and your antioxidant defenses is unfavorable, then your entire body is under oxidative stress: You are literally rotting away from the inside out. Short term oxidative stress can be caused by:
- Injured tissues
- Infection
- Burns
- Hyperoxia (excessive exposure to oxygen)
- Exposure to toxins
- Excessive exercise
Long-term oxidative stress can be caused by cancer, side effects of radiation, and chemotherapy.
Diseases caused by excessive levels of radicals
Oxidative stress is a factor in many adverse health conditions. It is a factor in all inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, Lupus, and Adult respiratory disease syndrome. It’s also a factor in ischemic (loss of blood flow) diseases such as heart disease (the #1 killer, responsible for about half of all deaths), stroke and degenerative neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Free Radicals, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) all play a role in the development of cancer. ROS and RNS induce DNA damage in cells, that damage then leads to mutations that research suggests then leads to cancer.
Antioxidants are believed to decrease the oxidative stress that can lead to cancer by neutralizing ROS and limiting cancerous cell proliferation. Primarily, the antioxidants B-carotene and Vitamin C may work to prevent the damage and mutations to DNA strands that lead to cancer. Research is ongoing in this very important area of medicine.
Ionized Alkaline water’s effect on radicals
Ionized alkaline water is rich in antioxidant hydroxyl ions which act to reduce harmful radical’s ability to oxidize cells and DNA. Reduction is one half of a chemical reaction that chemists call the redox reaction: One half of the reaction is oxidation, the other half of the reaction is called reduction. The reason for this is because when a radical is oxidizing anything, the thing that is being oxidized is simultaneously reducing the oxidants’ ability to oxidize. So the reaction that ionized alkaline water has with harmful radicals is that it reduces their ability to cause harmful oxidation.
Research on ionized alkaline water as an antioxidant is preliminary, much of it has been done in the lab. There is limited clinical research available, but there are a few things we do know from clinical research. Alkaline water:
- Has an antioxidant enzyme sparing effect
- May help reduce oxidation in the brain
- Reduces intracellular oxidation during exercise
- Has a protective effect on the liver
- Slows aging and extends lifespan in model organisms
Antioxidant enzyme sparing effect: The most powerful and effective antioxidants are the antioxidant enzymes produced by your body. A two-month clinical trial showed that after people new to alkaline water started drinking it, they had higher levels of antioxidant enzymes in their bodies, while at the same time levels of harmful radicals were reduced. This led researchers to conclude that alkaline water may reduce oxidation in the body, and simultaneously spare the body’s own antioxidant enzymes, allowing their levels in the body to increase.
Oxidation in the brain is a major factor in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Research conducted on mice shows that alkaline waters antioxidant hydroxyl ion pass through the brain/blood barrier, which is something that other antioxidants can’t do. The blood/brain barrier is a protective barrier between your bloodstream and the brain, it keeps impurities out of the brain. Antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E which help reduce oxidation in other parts of the body can’t pass that brain/blood barrier, so they can’t protect your brain. Ionized alkaline water is thus far the only known antioxidant that has the potential to pass that barrier and reduce oxidation in the brain.
Oxidation during exercise: When you work out, radicals are produced as a byproduct of your muscles production of energy. Clinical testing has shown that drinking alkaline water before and during exercise reduces intracellular oxidation. This helps athletes train harder and recover faster.
The protective effect on the liver: Research on mice shows that alkaline water may protect the liver from alcohol-induced damage. When the liver breaks down alcohol, it produces hydrogen peroxide, which is a harmful radical. Alkaline water’s hydroxyl ion breaks down hydrogen peroxide into hydrogen and water, effectively neutralizing it. That protective effect was so pronounced that researchers have speculated that alkaline water may be helpful in preventing and treating hangovers. Despite the fact that it would probably be very easy to find volunteers for that sort of experiment, it has not yet been tested.
Slow aging, extend lifespan: Research conducted in model organisms like mice show that alkaline water may slow aging and extend lifespan. Model organisms are creatures such as mice that have very similar metabolic processes to our own, and that makes them ideal for testing something that may be too difficult or expensive to test in humans. These anti-aging studies have been primarily conducted in a type of worm called Caenorhabditis elegans and in mice. All of these studies have shown that drinking ionized alkaline water may extend your lifespan. This preliminary research is exciting, but it needs to be confirmed in human trials.
Fighting harmful radicals: Use common sense
Doctors urge you to eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise for good health, and with good reason: It’s the best advice available. Vitamin C and Vitamin E have both been shown to be helpful antioxidants – but not when taken by themselves as supplements. To get the antioxidant benefits from Vitamin C and Vitamin E, you need to consume them in your food. They don’t help as pills.
A healthy diet, exercise, and alkaline water together is a smart, sensible way to ensure that your body has an abundant supply of antioxidants to fight harmful radicals. In fact, alkaline water has been shown to significantly increase the antioxidant power of vitamin C, and it’s easy to combine them. Simply mix alkaline water and any citrus juice, and you’ll have the antioxidant benefits of both.
References
Lee, MY, YK Kim, and et al. “Electrolyzed-reduced water protects against oxidative
damage to DNA, RNA, and protein.” Springer Link. Humana Press, 01 Nov 2006. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1385/ABAB:135:2:133>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Yan, H, and et al. “The neuroprotective effects of electrolyzed reduced water and its
model water containing molecular hydrogen and Pt nanoparticles.” BMC Proceedings. Europeans Society for Animal Cell Technology, 22 Nov 2011. Web. 29 Oct 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1753-6561/5/S8/P69>.
Tsai, Chia-Fang, Yu-Wen Hsu, and et al. “Hepatoprotective effect of electrolyzed
reduced water against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in mice.” Sciencedirect. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 01 Aug 2009. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691509002464>.
Magro, Massimiliano. Corian, Livio and et. al. “Alkaline water and longevity: A murine
study” Hindawi Publishing Company. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 11 May 2016. Web. 30 November 2016. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2016/3084126/
Yan, Hanxu, Tian, Huaize. Et al. “Extension of the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by the
Use of Electrolyzed Reduced Water” Taylor Francis Online. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 22 May 2014. Web. 30 November 2016 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1271/bbb.100250
Kashiwagi, Taichi, and Et Al. “Electrochemically Reduced Water Protects Neural Cells from
Oxidative Damage.” Electrochemically Reduced Water Protects Neural Cells from Oxidative Damage. Hindawi Publishing, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2014/869121/abs/>.
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of
mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>.
There are two kinds of ionized water made by a water ionizer: Ionized alkaline water and ionized acidic water. Each type of ionized water has special properties that make them useful for health, beauty, and sanitation purposes. Ionized alkaline and acidic waters are made by a water ionizer, and the benefits you get from each type of water will pay you back many, many times over the price of the machine. Some say that good health is priceless, but by following these 10 ways to be healthier with ionized water, you can have better health for less than you might be paying for bottled water right now.
1) Lose the weight
An average of 12 pounds, gone. Just by drinking alkaline water. That’s what happened to four, middle-aged, obese test subjects in a study when they started drinking alkaline water. They ate the same and got the same amount of exercise. Two months, later? They’d lost an average of 12 pounds. There are several reasons that drinking alkaline water can help with weight loss
- Improve hydration – Dehydration slows your metabolism down, so your body retains fat
- Suppress appetite – A glass of alkaline water a half hour before a meal reduces your appetite
- Favors probiotics – Probiotic bacteria convert food into energy, rather than fat
- Detoxification – The body may release weight as it detoxifies
2) Digestive health
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine said: “All disease begins in the gut.” 2,000 years later, science is finding out that – for many diseases – Hippocrates was right. Many chronic degenerative diseases do in fact, begin in the gut. What gets those diseases started is an imbalance of beneficial probiotic bacteria versus harmful microbes. Ionized alkaline water tips the scales in your gut in favor of beneficial probiotic bacteria because it delivers high antioxidant potential into the gut. Alkaline water with antioxidant potential causes probiotic bacteria to thrive. The harmful microbes hate it, so they die off and are flushed from the body. In fact, 88% of people in a Japanese clinical study found relief from digestive upset from drinking alkaline water alone!
3) Detoxify your food
Use both ionized acidic water and ionized alkaline water for this: First, soak your produce in ionized acidic water for about 10 minutes. That helps inactivate surface bacteria on the food. Then soak it in ionized alkaline water for about 20 minutes, the water will turn muddy brown. That muddiness is pesticide and other toxic residues on your food. To finish, simply rinse with alkaline or purified water, and your food is ready to prepare. This two-step soaking process removes all kinds of toxins from your food, which reduces the toxic load your body must endure when you eat
4) Good to the bone
“There is a link between alkaline water and bone health” That’s according to the prestigious Mayo Clinic. Drinking ionized alkaline water lowers two enzyme markers of bone loss, and that lowers the rate at which you lose bone. In fact, ionized alkaline water is currently the only known method to reduce bone loss, long term. All prescribed bone medications become ineffective and possibly dangerous after about 5 years of regular use.
5) Better for the brain
Oxidation in the brain is a big problem. It leads to degenerative conditions like Dementia. But stopping that oxidation is hard because conventional antioxidant supplements and drugs can’t protect the brain, they are blocked from entering by the blood/brain barrier. This means that conventional antioxidants can’t protect the brain – but alkaline water can.
The antioxidant potential of alkaline water can pass right through the blood/brain barrier. Research shows that alkaline water can protect brain cells from oxidative damage. For many aging people, saving their minds from the ravages of degenerative brain diseases just might be the most important health benefit of alkaline ionized water of all.
6) Detoxification from heavy metals
Alkaline water may protect against the harmful effects of mercury. That’s the conclusion that was reached in a Swedish study that showed that the pH of the water you drink affects what your body absorbs. Scientists found that people who drank acidic water absorbed toxic metals like mercury. People who drank alkaline water absorbed beneficial nutrients like calcium.
A study conducted in the US found that people new to alkaline water discharged 10 different heavy metals from their bodies after starting to drink alkaline water. These toxic metals included mercury and fluoride. Clinical research shows that raising the pH of your urine causes your body to expel toxic metals like fluoride more efficiently. Doctors raise the urine pH of poisoning victims in an effort to save their lives, using a procedure called alkaline diuresis.
7) 10 Years younger in 30 days. Benefits of alkaline ionized water for hydration
Alkaline water hydrates better than plain water. Improving hydration levels makes your skin look younger and healthier, and looking healthier can definitely make you feel healthier! Improving your hydration status will also give you more energy. When your body becomes dehydrated, it slows your metabolism down to conserve water, so you lose energy.
If you’re wondering if you are dehydrated, the answer is: Probably yes. The CDC estimates that 3 out of 4 adults are chronically dehydrated. Do you suffer from the 3 O’clock crash? Then you are definitely dehydrated! You can also perform the pinch test to see if you are dehydrated:
- Put one hand flat on a table, palm down
- Pinch the skin together behind one knuckle
- Release it. If it doesn’t snap back right away, you are dehydrated
The reason you may be dehydrated is that your thirst impulse isn’t working right. New drinkers of alkaline water often report a craving for it in their first few weeks, that craving is thought to be your thirst impulse resetting.
8) pH balance: How half of a pH could save your life
Metabolic Syndrome is a collection of health problems that are the result of the body’s inability to regulate its own acidity. A perfectly healthy body has no problem managing acidity, but as we age, our body’s ability to manage acidity declines. By age 50 you face a heightened risk of developing metabolic syndrome, the symptoms of which are:
- High blood pressure
- Bone loss
- High blood sugar
- Kidney stones
- Obesity
If you have these symptoms, it means your vital organs are slowly shutting down. They’re being destroyed by acidity, and it’s killing you. Research shows that your chances of developing metabolic syndrome can be measured by measuring your urine pH. The difference between having all of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome and having none of them? It’s just a half of a pH! Drinking alkaline water boosts your urine pH, and that just might save your life.
9) Athletic Performance: Alkaline ionized water and electrolytes
I have a confession to make: I’m a fitness junkie. Riding bicycles, dancing with fire, and my latest new pastime mixed martial arts keeps me off the couch and very active! Despite being over 50, I have no plans or desire to slow down. One of the most powerful tools in my fitness arsenal: Ionized alkaline water and electrolytes.
A study I found stated that if you mix ionized alkaline water with powdered electrolytes, it reduces your perceived effort – which makes anything you try to do easier to do. I decided to try it out for myself, and wow: My bike rides are much faster, I can fire dance for longer periods of time, and it radically boosted my fight endurance. This is my favorite of all the benefits of alkaline ionized water. I have more energy, more endurance, and more strength. If you are looking for something to jumpstart your workouts, this is it.
10) Acidic ionized water is a miracle hair rinse
If you have long hair as I do, you’re really going to love this: Acidic ionized water is a miracle hair rinse. Your hair has a pH range of 3 – 3.5, which is acidic. But your water has a much higher pH, and shampoo typically has a very high pH of 10 or more. When the hair pH is too high, the follicles become weak and brittle. The result is dull, unmanageable hair.
Giving your hair an acidic ionized water rinse does two very important things for hair follicles: It closes and compacts them. The result is naturally shiny, easy to manage hair. I’ve been using an acidic ionized water rinse for a few years now, and I love how it leaves my hair feeling. It’s also great if you are trying to grow your hair because it reduces breakage and split ends. That means you need fewer trims, so your hair can naturally grow longer, faster.
A water ionizer is the only way to get ionized water
A water ionizer makes both alkaline and acidic ionized water when in operation. In fact, using a water ionizer is the only way you can make both types of ionized water at home. The bottled alkaline water they sell in stores isn’t the same as ionized alkaline water. It doesn’t have antioxidant potential, ionized alkaline water does. That antioxidant potential is responsible for many of the health benefits discussed here. Acidic ionized water isn’t sold in stores, so you can’t get it unless you have a water ionizer. The great thing is that a water ionizer will pay for itself: You’ll save money on bottled water, and the health improvement? That’s priceless.
References
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Yan, H, and et al. “The neuroprotective effects of electrolyzed reduced water and its
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Jampolis, Melinda. “Can drinking lots of water help you lose weight?.” CNN. Cable
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Hanaoka, Kokichi, Sun Dongxu, and et al. “The mechanism of the enhanced antioxidant effects against superoxide anion radicals of reduced water produced by electrolysis.” Science Direct. Science Direct, 01 Jan 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301462203002497>.
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as
an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
Frassetto, L. and Sebastian, A. Age and systemic acid-base equilibrium: analysis of published data, Journal of Gerontology, Advanced Biological Science and Medical Science, 51: B91-99, 1996. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8548506
Study about Antioxidant Alkaline Water shown to Extend Lifespan
A new study on mice has just been published which showed that ionized alkaline water has the potential to
extend lifespans. The study looked at ionized alkaline water’s ability to act as an antioxidant in the body, and at specific biological markers of aging to see if ionized alkaline water had any effect on them. Researchers found that alkaline water had several positive effects on the mice and that it measurably extended their lifespan compared with mice that didn’t get ionized alkaline water.
Antioxidant alkaline water for extending life: The evidence continues to pile up
The study, called Alkaline Water and Longevity: A Murine Study, isn’t the first study to suggest that drinking ionized alkaline water can extend life. It builds on previous laboratory studies that explored ionized alkaline water’s potential to act as an antioxidant. Studies performed on Caenorhabditis elegans a tiny worm that scientists regard as a model organism: A relatively simple organism that shares many important biological characteristics with humans. Caenorhabditis elegans is used extensively in lifespan research. In fact, scientists believe that studying apoptosis – cell death – in Caenorhabditis elegans may hold the key to counteracting the effects of aging in humans, and that it will provide clues about diabetes, cancer, and other diseases.
Research performed on Caenorhabditis elegans showed that ionized alkaline water significantly extended their lifespan, increasing by 11% to 41% over study controls. Research also showed that ionized alkaline water significantly reduced the accumulation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)in Caenorhabditis elegans. Excessive levels of ROS in the body cause accelerated aging and are a factor in the development of disease.
Alkaline water and longevity: What the study found
Researchers divided 150 mice into three groups of 50. All groups got the same food, but group A received ionized alkaline water from a water ionizer. Group B received water alkalized by an alkaline concentrate used to alkalize drinking water. Group C got conventional tap water in the 6 – 6.5 pH range.
According to the study, after a two year period the mice that were given ionized alkaline water simply “overwhelmed” the mice given tap water. Examination of the mice’s internal organs from all three groups showed that the mice given alkaline water had much younger internal organs. After three years, it was found that the mice that had drank ionized alkaline water lived significantly longer than the ones that drank tap water. In fact, the mice that drank tap water died up to a year earlier than the mice that drank ionized alkaline water.
What about humans?
Ionized alkaline water life extension research has been performed in the lab in petri dishes. It has been performed on Caenorhabditis elegans, and on mice as well. So why hasn’t it been performed on humans? There are several reasons:
- Time – A study on human longevity takes decades
- Cost – It is significantly more expensive to do human clinical trials
- Complexity – Humans can’t just be dissected, like mice can
Time – Caenorhabditis elegans typically live for about 3 days. So a longevity study on them can be conducted in a single work week. The mice used in Alkaline Water and Longevity: A Murine Study typically live for about two years. So that study was concluded in three years’ time, long enough to see how ionized alkaline water affected the mice over their entire lifespan. Humans live for decades. In fact, alkaline water ionizers were only first recognized as medical devices in Japan in the late 60’s – within my lifetime. There just hasn’t been enough time for science to reach the human-trial stage of ionized alkaline water longevity research.
Cost – An experiment on Caenorhabditis elegans is very cheap. The worms short lifespan and simple biology makes it very economical to work with them. Mice are more expensive, but they’re still not a budget-buster. Human clinical trials cost millions of dollars. To get FDA approval for a new treatment can easily cost over a billion dollars and takes decades to complete
Complexity – Mice and Caenorhabditis elegans are simple creatures. That makes them useful model organisms. But humans’ physiology mind-bogglingly complex. That makes it much more difficult to design an experiment that will provide useful scientific results. That complexity adds tremendously to the cost of human trials. It’s because of the complexity that human clinical trials are always the last in a long line of research that happens when a potential new treatment – like ionized alkaline water – is discovered.
What we do know
A few small pilot studies have been conducted that give us clues as to how ionized alkaline water might help us live longer. Laboratory studies have shown that ionized alkaline water protects DNA and RNA from oxidative damage caused by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Lab research also shows that ionized alkaline water triples the antioxidant effect of Vitamin C. A clinical trial called The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report showed that ionized alkaline water has a “sparing effect” on antioxidant enzymes in the body. This suggests that ionized alkaline water can help you live longer by helping your body get more protection from damaging oxidation by supplementing the protective effects of your body’s antioxidant enzymes.
There are lab studies that show that ionized alkaline water can protect the brain from the oxidative damage that leads to dementia, and other research that shows it may protect the liver from oxidative damage. So we do know that ionized alkaline water has shown some potential to extend human life, but more research is definitely needed.
For alkaline water to have antioxidant potential, it must be ionized
After reading about the exciting research results in this article, you may be tempted to run out to the store and buy bottled alkaline water – don’t waste your money. Bottled alkaline water isn’t antioxidant ionized alkaline water. It won’t provide any of the potential benefits described in this article, because it has zero antioxidant potential. The antioxidant potential of ionized alkaline water doesn’t keep if you put it in a bottle. The only way to get the full antioxidant potential of ionized alkaline water is to make it yourself, with a water ionizer. A water ionizer is the next best thing to discovering Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth.
References
Lee, MY, YK Kim, and et al. “Electrolyzed-reduced water protects against oxidative
damage to DNA, RNA, and protein.” Springer Link. Humana Press, 01 Nov 2006. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1385/ABAB:135:2:133>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Yan, H, and et al. “The neuroprotective effects of electrolyzed reduced water and its
model water containing molecular hydrogen and Pt nanoparticles.” BMC Proceedings. Europeans Society for Animal Cell Technology, 22 Nov 2011. Web. 29 Oct 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1753-6561/5/S8/P69>.
Tsai, Chia-Fang, Yu-Wen Hsu, and et al. “Hepatoprotective effect of electrolyzed
reduced water against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in mice.” Sciencedirect. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 01 Aug 2009. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691509002464>.
Kashiwagi, Taichi, and Et Al. “Electrochemically Reduced Water Protects Neural Cells from
Oxidative Damage.” Electrochemically Reduced Water Protects Neural Cells from Oxidative Damage. Hindawi Publishing, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2014/869121/abs/>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi, Sun Dongxu, and et al. “The mechanism of the enhanced antioxidant
effects against superoxide anion radicals of reduced water produced by electrolysis.” Science Direct. Science Direct, 01 Jan 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301462203002497>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi. “Antioxidant effects of reduced water produced by electrolysis of
sodium chloride solutions.” Springer Link. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013825009701>.
Magro, Massimiliano. Corian, Livio and et. al. “Alkaline water and longevity: A murine
study” Hindawi Publishing Company. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 11 May 2016. Web. 30 November 2016. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2016/3084126/
Alkaline water is safer and cheaper than medication
GERD Medications: Alkaline water is cheaper than medication, and it’s safer too. The Nexium that my wife and I saved $17,928 on also carries a 44% higher risk of dementia. Nexium isn’t the only GERD medication to carry a significantly higher risk of dementia, Prevacid and Prilosec also significantly increase your risk of dementia. Worse yet, the longer you take them, the greater your risk of dementia becomes.
Bone medications: One of the most popular bone medications, Boniva costs a whopping $162 per pill. Some people only need to take bone medications once per month, but that still ends up being $1,944 per year. If you have to take it once per day, it would cost $59,130 per year!
What do you get for $162 per pill? A higher risk of atypical hip fractures! You could also get necrosis of the jaw, which is where your jawbone literally rots away. Plus, you can only take Boniva or any other bisphosphonate bone medication for 5 years. The only good news is that your risk of atypical hip fractures actually decreases once you stop taking bisphosphonate medications!
Blood pressure: ACE inhibitors for blood pressure are a bargain compared to GERD and bone medications, they cost about $400 annually. But some beta blockers can get pricey, Zebeta cost $112 per pill, for one year’s treatment it would cost $40,880!
But along with reducing blood pressure, these drugs carry some nasty and dangerous side effects. People often report feeling drowsy or dizzy, painful swelling, heart palpitations, and my favorite side effect: Sudden instant death.
Cholesterol reduction: Statin drugs for cholesterol reduction can cost more than $500 a month, so they can cost as much as $6,000 annually. They come with a laundry list of side effects including: Headaches, drowsiness, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea and worse. Statins may also cause memory loss, confusion, high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes.
Important information about replacing drugs with alkaline water
Alkaline water isn’t a drug, so you shouldn’t expect it to act like one. Drugs can have a powerful, almost immediate effect on your body. On the other hand, all studies of alkaline water show that it’s effects build up gradually, over time. For example: Clinical trials in Japan led to water ionizers being certified as medical devices in that country for the treatment of mild digestive upset. Those clinical trials showed that study participants found full or partial relief of their symptoms over the course of two weeks. This is much different than taking a Tum’s for an upset stomach, because in this case you usually expect relief in about an hour. So the first thing to understand if you want to try alkaline water as an alternative to your medication is:
Don’t go cold turkey. If you are on medication, plan to taper off gradually as your symptoms subside.
Some drugs can cause harm if you come off them too quickly. For example, some GERD medications will cause GERD to get worse if you come off them too quickly. Prescription medications are the type of medicines most likely to need you to taper off them at a measured rate. How fast should you taper off? There’s only one person who knows the answer to that question, your doctor. So the second thing you need to remember is:
Talk to your doctor before making any changes in how you are taking your medications. Your doctor may need to monitor your body’s reaction as you taper off.
How alkaline water may help you
GERD medications: Alkaline water has been shown in lab testing to inactivate the enzyme that triggers the painful burning and damage of GERD. To maximize this effect, plan to drink a glass of level 4 alkaline water from your ionizer any time you feel the onset of GERD symptoms. If alkaline water is going to work for you, your symptoms should start tapering off in about 2 – 4 weeks. Important things to remember:
- Don’t quit GERD medication cold turkey
- Relief may come in about 2 – 4 weeks
- Stop if drinking alkaline water makes burning worse, and see a doctor
Bone medications: Bone medications and alkaline water work in very similar ways to preserve bone: They both reduce enzymes in the bloodstream that cause bone to release calcium. The best way to test alkaline water for your bone health is to have your doctor take a baseline reading of what your levels of bone loss enzymes before you start alkaline water, and then test you again 30 days after you’ve started alkaline water. Your doctor can then advise you if you should reduce or taper off your bone medications. Important things to remember:
- To ensure it‘s working, have yourself tested for bone loss enzymes
- You can’t feel it working, only your doctor can know for sure
- Alkaline water’s full effect on bone loss enzymes should occur within 4 weeks
Blood pressure: Studies indicate that alkaline water may help people with magnesium deficiencies to lower their blood pressure. Your doctor can’t reliably test you for magnesium, so the only way to know if your high blood pressure is magnesium deficiency-related, is to try alkaline water and see if your blood pressure levels go down. If they do, then alkaline water can help you. If they don’t, talk to your doctor because there are other problems causing your high blood pressure. Key points to remember:
- Takes 2 – 4 weeks to see an effect on blood pressure
- If there’s no effect, talk to your doctor
- Never go cold turkey off blood pressure medications.
- Ask your doctor to help you taper off your medication if your blood pressure does improve
Cholesterol reduction: Alkaline water works the same way on cholesterol reduction as it does for blood pressure reduction: By improving your mineral nutritional levels. This means that alkaline water may help you if your body is deficient in calcium, magnesium, or both. Cholesterol tests are inexpensive, and even offered at some drug stores. So the best way to find out if alkaline water can help you lower your cholesterol levels is to test yourself before starting alkaline water and get a baseline reading. Then test yourself again at 2 weeks and 4 weeks to see if alkaline water has had an effect. Important things to remember:
- Takes 2 – 4 weeks to see an effect on cholesterol levels
- Never go cold turkey. Ask your doctor to help you taper off your meds if alkaline water is reducing your cholesterol levels
How much alkaline water you should drink, and when
In the studies that document alkaline water’s effects, test subjects drink about 2 – 3 liters of alkaline water per day. The pH range used in those studies is between a pH of 9 – 10. You may need to start with a pH lower than 9, however. When you are just starting alkaline water, it may cause your body to detox, which can result in some mild, flu-like symptoms. If you feel uncomfortable, reduce your starting pH level to level one one your water ionizer, which is a pH of about 8 – 8.5. Drink level one alkaline water for about 2 weeks, then move up to level 2.
You should drink alkaline water throughout the day. Here’s a schedule that will have you on track to drink 2 liters per day:
- Morning: 2 eight-ounce glasses when you wake up
- Half hour before meals: One 8 ounce glass
- Hour after meals: One 8 ounce glass
- Two O’clock: One 8 ounce glass (beats the 3 O’Clock crash!)
- Workouts: One 16 ounce glass during workouts
- Hour before bed: One eight ounce glass
Your alkaline water test drive
There’s one more thing you get with a water ionizer that you don’t get with prescription medications: A 60 day return policy. Since it takes about 30 days to see if alkaline water is going to benefit you, Life’s 60 day return policy gives you a convenient way to try alkaline water and see for yourself what benefits it has. Why not give it a try? All you have to lose is all those prescription copays!
References
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>.
Rylander, Ragnar, and Maurice Arnaud. “Mineral water intake reduces blood pressure
among subjects with low urinary magnesium and calcium levels.” BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health, 30 Nov 2004. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/4/56>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Rosborg, I, B Nihlgard, and L Gerhardsson. “Hair element concentrations in females in
one acid and one alkaline area in southern Sweden.” PubMed NCBI. Ambio, n.d. Web. 3 Jul 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14703901>.
Misner, B. Food Alone May Not Provide Sufficient Micronutrients for Preventing
Deficiency J International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2006; 3(1:( 51–55. Published online 2006 June 5 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129155/
Ong, Choon. “Minerals from drinking-water: Bioavailability for various world populations and
health implications.” WHO | Water Sanitation Health. World Health Organization, 17 Aug 2004. Web. 4 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutbioavailability/en/>.
World Health Organization, . “Nutrients in Drinking Water .” WHO | Nutrients in drinking
water. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsbegin.pdf>.
Gumashta, J, R Gumashta, and et al. “Hard water and heart: the story revisited.” IOSR
Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://iosrjournals.org/iosr-jpbs/papers/vol1-issue1/B0110720.pdf>.
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
Metabolic Syndrome is a “constellation of physiological screwups” that happens when a person’s body can’t
regulate its pH balance. When you have metabolic syndrome, your vital organs are slowly being destroyed by acidity, and if it’s left unchecked, metabolic syndrome will cost you your life. But research performed at the University of Pittsburgh medical center gives new hope: Ionized Alkaline water was shown to both increase antioxidant levels, and decrease harmful cholesterol levels. Other studies have shown that ionized alkaline water can help you raise your pH balance, which could help you beat metabolic syndrome.
The Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome
The most visible symptom of metabolic syndrome is obesity. If you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher, then you may have metabolic syndrome. Your BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height squared in meters. Here’s how it’s done:
- Multiply your weight in pounds by 0.45 to convert it to kilograms
- Multiply your height in inches by 0.025 to convert it to meters
- Square the answer you got for your height
- Divide your the answer you got for your weight by the answer you got for your your height
Other symptoms need to be checked for by a doctor. Those symptoms are
- High blood pressure
- Kidney stones
- High blood sugar
- High cholesterol levels
If you have a BMI of over 30 and any of the above symptoms, talk to your doctor about metabolic syndrome.
Lower cholesterol levels – in just 8 weeks!
The study demonstrated that alkaline ionized water improved the antioxidant status, and lowered cholesterol levels of people who suffered from Metabolic Syndrome. In just 8 weeks, the people participating in the study saw a 39% improvement in their antioxidant levels, a 43% decrease in levels of harmful free radicals, and a 13% decrease in harmful cholesterol levels. Researchers concluded in the study that ionized alkaline water has tremendous potential for both treating and preventing metabolic syndrome.
12 Pounds in Two Months: Study
A second study that examined the effects of ionized alkaline water on middle aged people with metabolic syndrome reported similar results: Improved antioxidant status, and lower cholesterol levels. The study, “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects” also monitored the test subjects weight and found that the people in the study lost an average of 12 pounds in two months. Keep in mind that the people in the study changed nothing else: They still ate the same foods, got the same amount of exercise, and the pounds just came off. Researchers also noticed a detox effect. Drinking alkaline water caused the people in the test to excrete 10 different heavy metals.
What you need to know about ionized alkaline water and metabolic syndrome
The people in both studies discussed in this article drank between one and a half to two liters of ionized alkaline water per day. To get the same benefit that was observed in the studies, the alkaline ionized water you drink must have antioxidant potential. The bottled alkaline water you see in stores does not have antioxidant potential. The only way to get ionized alkaline water with high antioxidant potential is to make it yourself, with a water ionizer.
References
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
What is Ionized Water Good for and Why?
There are two different kinds of ionized water, alkaline ionized water and acidic ionized water. Each type of water has it’s uses, the ionized alkaline water is consumed for health, the acidic water is used for as a beauty rinse and for many other purposes. To get both kinds of water, you need a home water ionizer, alkalizers and hydrogen sticks don’t make both kinds of ionized water.
Uses of ionized alkaline water
Ionized alkaline water is consumed for health purposes. It has acid-neutralizing ability and antioxidant potential that has been shown in over 40 studies to be good for health. Some of the health conditions that alkaline ionized water has been shown to help are:
Bone health – The strongest evidence for the benefits of alkaline water is for bone health. Research shows that drinking alkaline water lowers two enzyme markers of bone loss that doctors use to measure your rate of bone loss. More research is needed to see if the reduction in bone loss results in maintaining better health over the long term, but one thing is clear: Alkaline water is safer than the bone medications that people commonly take to maintain bone density.
Detoxification – Two studies from Sweden suggest that drinking alkaline water could protect you from the toxic effects of mercury. They examined women who lived in Sweden and who drank well water. Half the women drank acidic water, half drank alkaline water. The women who drank acidic water showed higher levels of boron, mercury, and other acidic elements in their hair samples. The women who drank alkaline water showed greater levels of healthy minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium in their hair samples. Other research conducted in the US showed that people new to alkaline water excreted high levels of 10 different heavy metals after they started drinking alkaline water. Learn More
Digestive health – Drinking alkaline water creates conditions inside the gut that are conducive to the growth of beneficial probiotic microflora. The beneficial probiotic microbes in your gut are called strict anaerobes – which means they hate oxygen. Ionized alkaline water has oxidation reduction potential so reduces oxidation in the gut, which favors probiotic microbes.
Sports – Alkaline water has been shown to hydrate better than plain water. It also has been shown to reduce exercise-induced muscular acidosis. This means it helps prevent the burning sensation in your muscles so you can work out longer and harder.
Even better, mix alkaline water with an electrolyte, such as Gatorade, and it becomes a potent sports beverage. It makes everything you do feel like it takes a lot less effort, so you can be “in the zone” a lot longer!
There are many more health benefits that can come from drinking alkaline water. Too many to list here in fact. The important thing to remember is that alkaline water supports general wellness. A healthier body is able to heal itself of many ailments.
Detoxification of Fruits and Vegetables
The pesticides and herbicides used to grow food leave an acidic residue. Many people think you can simply rinse it off, but they’re wrong. Even with rinsing, residue remains. This can present a real problem for people with a sensitive gut, such as people with Lupus.
Alkaline water denatures acidic pesticide and herbicide residues, which means they are permanently rendered harmless. You can even see it working! Simply soak fruit or vegetables in a bowl of alkaline water, and within a few minutes, the water will turn muddy brown. Soaking your fruits and vegetables in alkaline water is better for you than detoxing, because it avoids putting toxins into your body in the first place!
Uses of Acidic Ionized Water
Acidic water isn’t for drinking, instead it is used topically as a rinse for hair and skin, plus other uses as well.
Hair – Acidic ionized water is a miracle hair rinse. My hair is just over two feet long, and it definitely looks and feels a lot nicer when rinsed with acidic water. An ionized acidic water does two beneficial things for your hair: It closes and compacts the follicles. The surface of a hair follicle is made up of a series of shingles. When those shingles open, exposing the follicle underneath, hair dries out, looks dull, and breaks easily. After an acidic water rinse, your hair will feel softer, it will look naturally shiny, and won’t break so easily. The longer your hair is, the more noticeable the benefit from an ionized acidic hair rinse will be.
Skin – Healthy skin has a pH balance of between 3 to 3.5, and it’s actually good for your health to keep it that way. The skin’s low pH is referred to as your body’s acid mantle: Acidity that kills bacteria and viruses to keep them from infecting you. When skin pH gets too high, infections can occur, including skin infections like acne.
Ionized acidic water is also referred to sometimes as “beauty water” because of it’s effect on skin and hair. It acts as a natural astringent, tightening and toning your skin. In a spray bottle, I’ve found it to be a great spritz to freshen up how my hair and skin look anytime.
Plants – Plants like a slightly acidic water, a pH range of between 5.5 to 6.5 is perfect. Ionized acidic water is oxygen rich, and plant roots need oxygen to breathe. Ionized acidic water also helps break down the mineral salts that cause soil to become hard. If you have hard tap water and water plants with it, that hard water will make your soil pH too high for your plants. Ionized acidic water helps restore a healthy pH balance in soil for plants and the organisms they depend on.
Surfaces – Ionized acidic water is good for sanitizing surfaces in kitchens, bathrooms, anywhere in your home. It’s acidic pH can help reduce the spread of pathogens on any surface.
A water ionizer can save you money
As you can see, both types of ionized water have uses around the home. The ionized alkaline water a water ionizer makes can replace the expensive bottled water you’re buying now, and it tastes a lot better than bottled water! Ionized alkaline water tastes slightly sweet, and feels very refreshing. In fact, guarantees our machines will make the best tasting water you ever drank. Plus, you get all the health benefits of ionized alkaline water.
The machine makes the ionized acidic water at the same time it makes ionized alkaline water. This is because the ionization process works by separating the alkaline and acidic ions in water, so there are two ports water is discharging from while the machine is in operation. Capture that acidic water and use it for healthier hair skin, and plants. I’ve used ionized acidic water as a hair rinse for years, it’s saved me a bunch of money on hair care products. Plus you can use it instead of chemicals to sanitize surfaces, so you’ll save money on cleaners. With all these uses around the home, the ionized water you get from a water ionizer easily pays for itself.
References
Ostojic, S.M. “Al. Drinks with alkaline negative oxidative reduction potential improve exercise
performance in physically active men and women: double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial of efficacy and safety..” Serbian Journal of Sports Sciences. 5.3 (2011): 83-89. http://www.sjss-sportsacademy.edu.rs/archive/details/drinks-with-alkaline-negative-oxidative-reduction-potential-improve-exercise-performance-in-physically-active-men-and-women-double-blind-randomized-placebo-controlled-cross-over-trial-of-efficacy-and-safety-223.html
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>.
Rylander, Ragnar, and Maurice Arnaud. “Mineral water intake reduces blood pressure
among subjects with low urinary magnesium and calcium levels.” BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health, 30 Nov 2004. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/4/56>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Vorobjeva, N.V.. “Selective stimulation of the growth of anaerobic microflora in the
human intestinal tract by electrolyzed reducing water.” Medical Hypotheses. Elsevier, 14 Jun 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(04)00489-X/abstract>.
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as
an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
To find scientific facts about the alkaline water made by a water ionizer, you first need to know what
scientists call it: They call it Electrolyzed Reduced Water (ERW), not alkaline water. Scientists don’t call ERW alkaline water for a very good reason. Water can be alkaline without being an antioxidant. Any water with a pH of over seven is alkaline, but it’s not antioxidant alkaline water, unless it’s made by a water ionizer. Whether your alkaline water is made by a water ionizer, or some other means has a big impact on how it will affect your health.
Scientific facts about alkaline water pH
The term pH stands for potential Hydrogen it measures the potential concentration of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in the water. A hydroxyl ion is composed of one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom. Water with a higher concentration of hydroxyl ions than hydrogen ions in it has an alkaline pH. The pH of water affects what that water can dissolve, and how any chemicals in it behave. For example, recently people in Flint, Michigan were poisoned by lead in their water. Where did the lead come from? It’s always been there, it was used to make many of the pipes that deliver Flint’s water supply. So how come Flint’s water wasn’t poisoned by lead before? Because the pH of Flint’s water was too high for it to dissolve lead. Metals like lead become toxic in water with a low pH, because they become more soluble – which means they become easier for your body to absorb.
Water pH affects what your body absorbs and expels when you drink water
A study was conducted in Sweden on how water pH affects what your body absorbs from it when you drink it. The study looked at 47 women who drank well water. Half of the women lived in areas with acidic well water, half of them lived in areas with alkaline well water. The study found that the women who drank acidic water absorbed higher amounts of toxic metals like mercury, and that the women who drank alkaline well water absorbed higher amounts of beneficial minerals like calcium.
The first of the scientific facts about alkaline water is that an alkaline pH causes your body to absorb beneficial minerals like calcium, and to not absorb harmful metals like mercury.
Other research has shown that your body expels toxic metals when you raise your urine pH by drinking alkaline water. The study examined four middle aged people who were obese, and had never drank alkaline water from a water ionizer before. Researchers found that as the test subjects urine pH increased, so did the amount of toxic metals that their bodies expelled.
The second of the scientific facts about alkaline water is that it increases the rate at which your body expels toxic metals.
Oxidation Reduction Potential: Why some alkaline water is antioxidant, and some isn’t
At the beginning of this article, I pointed out that the only kind of alkaline water that is an antioxidant is reduced water. Water ionizers make reduced water using an electromagnetic charge, that’s why the alkaline water made by a water ionizer is called Electrolyzed Reduced Water (ERW). So what does science mean by reducedwater?
Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) measures water’s ability to reduce (or contribute to) oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that occurs when oxygen combines with another substance by grabbing electrons from it, this process destroys the substance being oxidized. For example when iron is oxidized, it turns into rust (iron oxide). Water with the potential to reduce (or even stop) the chemical process of oxidation is called reduced water for the simple reason that it reduces the potential for oxidation. On the other hand, water that has the potential to increase oxidation is called oxidative water.
Oxidation in the body destroys tissues and DNA, just like oxidation of iron destroys the iron and turns it into rust. Oxidants in the body like free radicals use oxygen atoms to destroy tissue and DNA by stealing electrons from them. The theory behind antioxidants is that they have excess electrons which they donate to oxidants like free radicals. This electron donation process reduces the oxidant’s ability to damage and destroy tissues and DNA. Electrolyzed Reduced Water acts like an antioxidant because it reduces the ability of oxidants in the body to damage and destroy tissues and DNA.
The third of the scientific facts about alkaline water made by a water ionizer is that it reduces the potential of harmful oxidants in the body to damage and destroy tissues and DNA, thus it acts as an antioxidant.
Alkalinity is more important than pH for fighting acidity
I previously discussed how water pH affects what you absorb from it, but notice that I didn’t say that water which has an alkaline pH reduces acidity. The reason for this is that alkaline water’s pH isn’t what reduces or neutralizes acidity, alkaline water’s alkalinity is what determines how well it reduces or neutralizes acidity. In fact, you can have a high pH alkaline water, say a pH of 10+ that would have very little effect on the acidity of a can of soda. On the other hand, you could have an alkaline water with a moderate pH of around 8 that could significantly reduce the acidity in a can of soda. The reason for this is that the high pH water could have very little alkalinity, where the moderate pH water could have very strong alkalinity.
The alkalinity of water is determined by the amount of alkaline substances in it. The more alkaline substances in water, the greater its alkalinity will be. For example, you could put a quarter teaspoon of lye into 16 ounces of water and it will have a very high pH. But because it has only a tiny amount of alkali in it, that water wouldn’t be able to neutralize the acidity in a can of soda. However, if you put a tablespoon of calcium bicarbonate in water, the pH of the water won’t be as high as it is with the lye, but that water will neutralize the acidity in a can of soda.
The fourth of the scientific facts about alkaline water made by a water ionizer is that water’s alkalinity is more important for neutralizing acidity than pH is.
So, how do all the scientific facts about alkaline water made by a water ionizer affect your health?
Now that you’re familiar with the scientific facts about alkaline water, here’s some examples of how it affects your health.
pH: Alkaline waters alkaline pH helps your body absorb beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium. In fact, your body absorbs calcium and magnesium from water 30% faster and easier than it does from food. That’s why the World Health Organization recommends you get between 10 – 20% of your daily needs for calcium and magnesium from water. A water ionizer ensures that your water will have a pH high enough to absorb those healthy minerals. It will also raise the pH of your urine, so your body readily expels toxic heavy metals.
Oxidation Reduction Potential Alkaline water from a water ionizer will have high antioxidant potential because the electromagnetism used by the water ionizer to make alkaline water loads up the water with excess electrons that it can donate to oxidants like free radicals. By donating all those excess electrons to oxidants, antioxidant alkaline water can help reduce their ability to oxidize your DNA and tissues. Reducing oxidation in the body may help slow the progression of aging and some degenerative illnesses.
Alkalinity When a water ionizer makes alkaline water, it concentrates the minerals in the water, so you get water with higher alkalinity. The alkalinity of alkaline water made by a water ionizer helps to reduce the acidity in your body that steals calcium from your bones. Because of this, even the Mayo Clinic recognizes that alkaline water has a link to better bone health.
There are many more health benefits that can come from drinking alkaline water, these a just a few of them. Researchers are still studying alkaline water to understand its effects on our health, but even so there are about 40+ studies that show alkaline water has health benefits. What is very well known about alkaline water is that it is much safer than prescription drugs, and that it’s one of the easiest and safest ways to support good health.
Drinking alkaline of water could have significant benefits for your health.
There are over 40 studies on the benefits of alkaline water that show there are benefits that you don’t get with plain water. Alkaline water has been shown to positively affect many different parts of your body at the same time. For example: When you drink alkaline water for weight loss, you’re also detoxing. While both of those things are happening, your rate of bone loss decreases, as does your blood pressure. All this happens as beneficial probiotics flourish in your gut. In fact, 88% of people with mild digestive upset in a Japanese clinical study found relief from just drinking alkaline water!
Weight lost: 12 pounds in two months
A study called The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects on obese, middle aged people showed the benefits of alkaline water for weight loss. Patients in the study lost 12 pounds in two months, just by drinking alkaline water! There was no will power or diet changes involved. They just lost the weight. There’s several reasons alkaline water could spur weight loss: Better hydration may increase your metabolic rate so you burn calories faster. Alkaline water supports beneficial probiotic microflora in the gut. Those beneficial bacteria break food down into the form needed by your body to produce energy. If you have weak probiotic microflora, then harmful anaerobes will turn your digested food into the form that your body stores as fat
Hydration: 17% Better than regular water
Multiple studies have done at Montana State University on alkaline water hydration. Those studies have shown that one of the benefits of alkaline water is that it hydrates faster and more thoroughly than plain water. Researchers found that alkaline water re-hydrated athletes faster than and more thoroughly regular water. The Centers for Disease Control have found that about 3 out of 4 Americans suffer from chronic dehydration. Chronic dehydration can lead to many health problems such as constipation and migraine headaches. So chances are, getting hydrated with alkaline water will make a difference in your health that you can feel.
Liver health: Hangover help and protection from oxidative damage
Alkaline water has been shown to have the potential to help you detox from a hangover. It works by breaking down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide is a metabolic byproduct of alcohol metabolism that kills liver cells. By breaking it down, alkaline water helps protect the liver. At the same time, it helps rehydrate the body. That helps with hangovers because dehydration is a major part of what causes the morning after headache that comes with a hangover.
Digestive health: 88% of people with mild digestive upset found relief
Clinical trials from Japan showed that 88% of people with chronic mild digestive upset found gradual relief from their symptoms just by drinking alkaline water. There’s a couple of reasons for this, alkaline water:
- Neutralizes pepsin – The enzyme that triggers GERD
- Contains magnesium hydroxide, the active ingredient in Milk of Magnesia.
- Supports healthy probiotic microbes in the gut
The painful burning of gastroesophageal reflux is triggered by an enzyme called pepsin. Alkaline water permanently neutralizes pepsin. That prevents the harmful burning sensation of GERD. Alkaline water is actually the only known safe method for controlling GERD. Long term use of the medications commonly taken for it called proton pump inhibitors, have been linked to dementia and alzheimer’s.
Magnesium hydroxide works to counteract acidity to stop the painful burning of acid indigestion. Alkaline water acts to both counter some acidity, and dilutes acidity at the same time. Alkaline water’s ability to help with acid indigestion is called the alkaline water Tum’s effect.
The beneficial probiotic microbes in your gut are called anaerobes, and they hate oxygen-rich environments. Alkaline water supplies antioxidant hydroxyl ions which act to displace oxygen in the gut. This helps tilt the balance in your gut away from the harmful microbes and towards the beneficial probiotic microbes. Researchers in Japan that conducted clinical trials on alkaline water observed several different changes that showed this change in gut microflora was happening, including
- Reduced flatulence
- Healthier stools
- Reduced constipation
Detoxification from 10 heavy metals
Two Swedish studies showed that the pH of the water you drink can protect you from heavy metals, specifically mercury. They showed that Swedish women who drank water from wells that was alkaline absorbed calcium, magnesium, and other beneficial nutrients from the alkaline water they drank. Women who drank water from wells that had acidic water absorbed higher amounts of acidic elements like mercury and boron. The results were definitive. They lead the researchers to suggest that one of the important benefits of alkaline water is that it may protect against the harmful effects of mercury.
Clinical research in the US showed that people who were new to alkaline water discharged 10 different heavy metals in their urine after starting to drink alkaline water. The reason it works is that raising the pH level of your urine increases renal clearance of toxic metals such as fluoride and mercury. Renal clearance refers to the rate that your kidneys remove wastes from your bloodstream.
Benefits of Alkaline water: It may protect against alzheimer’s and dementia
Oxidative stress which is caused by free radicals and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is a major contributing factor to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Your brain cells are especially sensitive to oxidative damage. As you age, your body’s defenses against that oxidative damage decline.
Antioxidant supplements can’t protect your brain from oxidation. They are blocked by the blood/brain barrier – a membrane that all blood entering the brain must pass through. Alkaline water isn’t blocked, so it passes right through the blood/brain barrier. That allows it to enter the brain where it can break down harmful oxidants before they have a chance to destroy brain cells.
Alkaline water safer than drugs for bone health
The strongest clinical proof of the benefits of alkaline water is for bone health. Multiple studies have shown that drinking alkaline water lowers enzyme markers in the blood that doctors use to measure bone loss. This bone-saving effect has been shown in both young and older people. Drinking alkaline water is quite literally one of the best things you can do for better bone health.
There are side effects to the bisphosphonate bone drugs like Boniva, which are commonly prescribed for bone health. These drugs help for a short term, less than five years. But after five years, they can have serious side effects such as jaw necrosis: Rotting away of the jaw bone. Alkaline water is the only thing that is beneficial for bone health that has no side effects.
Even milk has problems, milk acidifies your body when you drink it, which interferes with your ability to absorb calcium. This has lead some researchers to speculate that middle-aged people who drink milk for bone health may actually be doing more harm than good.
What’s wrong with milk? Middle-aged and older people’s bodies’ ability to neutralize acidity declines with age. A younger person’s body buffers the acidity in milk so they can absorb the calcium in it. An older person’s may not be able to buffer that acidity well enough for that person to benefit from the calcium in milk. If your digestive tract is too acidic, your body doesn’t absorb calcium very well.
The calcium you need for better bone health is easier for your body to absorb from water than it is from food. According to The World Health Organization, calcium is 30% easier for your body to absorb from water than it is from food. Because of this, the WHO recommends that you get 10 – 20% of your daily needs for calcium from the water you drink. Alkaline water for a water ionizer is an excellent source of highly bioavailable calcium.
Half of a pH could save your life
What harm could half of a pH cause? It could be a sign that you have Metabolic Syndrome: A “constellation of physiological problems happen when your body is in a constant state of low-grade metabolic acidosis. People who have metabolic syndrome are slowly dying. Their organs are shutting down as they are destroyed by acidity. The five symptoms of metabolic syndrome are:
- High Blood Pressure
- Obesity
- Blood Sugar Problems
- Bone Loss
- Kidney Stones
The common factor in all these symptoms is low urine pH balance. The difference between having all of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, and having none? It’s just a half of a pH! Drinking alkaline water has been shown to raise urine pH, especially when the body is in a state of acidosis.
Benefits of Alkaline Water for Cholesterol reduction
Another one of the benefits of alkaline water which has been documented in studies is cholesterol reduction. Alkaline water has been shown to be especially effective at reducing the levels of the two most harmful forms of cholesterol: Triglycerides and Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (V-LDL) cholesterol. Some health experts who have studied alkaline water’s effect on cholesterol believe that alkaline water helps by improving the body’s uptake of magnesium. Just like calcium, your body absorbs magnesium from water 30% faster and easier than it does from food or supplements
Benefits of Alkaline water and Gatorade: Supercharged workouts
This really works! Drinking alkaline water mixed with an electrolyte drink mix such as Gatorade, will supercharge your workout. A study done on athletes who drink alkaline water mixed with Gatorade were able to work out significantly harder and longer. The study showed that It lowered the perceived effort that the athletes felt they needed to accomplish a workout. As a result, the athletes in the study simply had more energy and could go harder before hitting their max.
It works because drinking alkaline water speeds absorption of electrolytes into your system. It’s higher pH balance also boosts the muscles ability to neutralize and flush out oxidative wastes. This means that you can go harder before your muscles start to feel that performance-robbing burn.
Could alkaline water help you?
Everybody’s body is different, but one thing is for sure: Alkaline water is good for your health. You get many different benefits of alkaline water just by drinking it. And here’s the good news: You can finance a water ionizer for less than you may be paying for bottled alkaline water right now! Imagine drinking the healthiest water on earth and saving money.
References
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity in Physically Active Men.” . Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>.
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Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
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Rylander, Ragnar, and Maurice Arnaud. “Mineral water intake reduces blood pressure
among subjects with low urinary magnesium and calcium levels.” BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health, 30 Nov 2004. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/4/56>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
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A healthy body maintains a naturally alkaline pH balance, all on it’s own. But many people, particularly middle aged people face health challenges that can result from a breakdown in the body’s ability to regulate its pH balance. So what is a healthy pH balance? Different parts of the body have different pH levels. Some parts, such as your stomach and skin, have a naturally acidic pH balance. Other parts of your body, such as your saliva, have a naturally alkaline balance. Your blood pH is very closely regulated by your body, it stays in the range of 7.35 to 7.45, except in conditions of metabolic acidosis.
Your blood pH doesn’t vary much. If it gets too low, your body will correct it, but at the cost of weakening your bones. Acidity in the blood will trigger the release of calcium from your bones. You can’t actually change your blood pH. What you do when you drink alkaline water is provide your body with a different source of alkalinity so it can maintain a healthy pH balance without robbing your bones of calcium.
Acidosis: What happens when your pH balance is acidic?
When your blood pH drops too low, your body enters a state of metabolic acidosis: A temporary condition that your body corrects by itself. The main way it does that is by discharging excess acidity in the urine, when it does your urine pH drops. If your body constantly struggles to discharge acidity, it will be constantly in a state of metabolic acidosis. That’s when things get much worse: You develop a long term body acidity condition called metabolic syndrome, the symptoms of which are:
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- High blood sugar
- Kidney stones
- High blood cholesterol
When you have metabolic syndrome, what’s happening is that your organs are slowly dying from acidity. As they shut down, your health gets worse. The longer metabolic syndrome is left untreated, the worse it gets. If you think you have metabolic syndrome, talk to your doctor right away.
Bodily Fluid pH Ranges
Saliva: The healthy range for saliva pH is in the 6.8 to 7.2 range. but keep in mind that your saliva pH will vary widely throughout the day. It’s influenced by everything you eat and drink. Because of this, saliva isn’t the best measure of pH balance, but it can tell you some things.
Urine: .The normal pH range for urine is from 5.5 up to 7.5. This range is based on your 24 hour average urine pH, because urine pH varies throughout the day. For good health, you want your 24 hour average urine pH to be at least 6.1, because lower urine pH is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
Blood: Your blood pH is maintained in a constant pH range of 7.35 – 7.45, your body maintains it in that range. If it goes below that range, your body is in a temporary state of metabolic acidosis. If it goes above that range, your body goes into a temporary state of metabolic alkalosis. Either condition is life threatening if it persists.
How would testing your body pH help you?
Your saliva and urine pH are affected by your body’s regulation of your blood pH, so they can be an indication of either health or illness. PH testing of your saliva and/or urine will help you obtain a good insight into the overall pH balance of your body. If the saliva or urine pH test comes up low, then you know you need to get serious about doing more to alkalize your body quickly.
The pH of saliva offers a window through which you can see the overall pH balance in your body.
Saliva pH is slightly more acidic than the blood pH [usually], but it is closely aligned with the pH of blood and interstitial fluids [fluids around the cells].
Optimal pH for saliva is above 7 pH. A reading consistently lower than 6.8 is indicative that your body may be struggling to maintain its pH balance. After eating, the saliva pH should rise to 7.8 or higher. If it doesn’t it may indicate that the body has insufficient reserves to maintain its pH balance. If your saliva stays between 6.8 and 7.2 pH all day, your body is functioning within a healthy range.
Its best to test your saliva pH at three intervals during the day:
- First thing when you wake up
- Before lunch
- Before dinner
You should test your saliva each day for about a week. Maintain a journal of the test results so you can calculate the average test result for each of the three times you test throughout the day. If your average saliva pH stays between 6.8 and 7.2, then your body’s own pH balance regulating mechanism is working fine. All you need to do is eat healthy and drink plenty of water to maintain it.
How to Test your Saliva pH
Make sure to test your saliva at a time when you haven’t eaten or drunk anything for at least an hour. Test yourself somewhere away from food: Anticipation of food smells causes enzymes to be released into your saliva which change its pH. First thing when you wake up in the morning is usually a good time. Also before meals is better than after them.
To perform this test, you will need a roll of testing pH paper (preferably pHydrion test paper), a plastic spoon and some fresh saliva. The test uses a pH-sensitive, color-coded test strip to reveal your body pH balance status. For the saliva test: – Be sure not to eat, drink, or brush your teeth for 30 minutes prior to the test – Swallow a couple of times to clear the mouth and stimulate new saliva – Then discharge some saliva into a PLASTIC spoon (it is recommended NOT to touch the pH paper to your tongue due to the chemicals in the paper.
Tear off a 1/4 inch strip of pH paper, place into saliva and compare the color of your immersed pH paper with the color chart provided on the pH testing roll. The lower your pH value below 7.0, the greater your degree of acid stress. Continue testing and recording your pH for at least a week. This will show your body’s pH trend.
Testing Your Urine pH
The pH of the urine indicates how the body is working to maintain the proper pH of the blood. The urine reveals the alkaline building (anabolic) and acid tearing down (catabolic) cycles. The pH of urine indicates the efforts of the body via the kidneys, adrenals, lungs and gonads to regulate body pH balance through the buffer salts and hormones. Urine can provide a fairly accurate picture of body chemistry, because the kidneys filter out the buffer salts of pH regulation and provide values based on what the body is eliminating. Urine pH can vary from around 4.5 to 9.0 at its extremes, but the ideal range is 6.5 to 7.0+ Urine pH tends to be lower in the morning and higher in the evening.
For complete instructions: How to test your urine pH
The pH of the urine can vary widely. The pH of urine is also affected by the biochemicals that the body is eliminating. These include biochemicals such as excess minerals, vitamins, and products of metabolism and also include drugs and toxins being eliminated by the body. The pH of the urine is not as affected by digestive enzymes as salivary pH.
What can you do if you find your saliva or urine pH is too acidic?
Switch to an alkaline diet. Over the long term, an alkaline diet will reduce the acid load on your body.
Get yourself a water ionizer. Ionized alkaline water helps boost your pH balance quickly. It raises saliva pH almost instantly, and urine pH rises in about a half hour after you drank the alkaline water. Alkaline water can raise body pH so quickly that some new drinkers actually experience mild detox symptoms for about a week after starting alkaline water. Lastly, practice Mindfulness – keeping your mind in the present. Stress is a major cause of body acidity because it causes the release of cortisol, a hormone that acidifies the body..
How to: Raise your body pH naturally
Alkaline water acts fast to reduce acidity
Alkaline water will act to raise your pH balance quickly, faster than food or Mindfulness. The reason it acts so fast is because it is absorbed quickly by your body. Foods take time to digest, but alkaline water, consumed on an empty stomach goes straight through the stomach and into the intestines for absorption. Alkaline water is rich in alkaline minerals, whether you get them from food or alkaline water, those alkaline minerals are what actually raises your pH. Drinking alkaline water may be the single easiest thing you can do to raise your pH balance and improve your health.
References
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity
in Physically Active Men.” . Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>
Rylander, Ragnar, and Maurice Arnaud. “Mineral water intake reduces blood pressure
among subjects with low urinary magnesium and calcium levels.” BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health, 30 Nov 2004. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/4/56>
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>
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mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>
Rosborg, I, B Nihlgard, and L Gerhardsson. “Hair element concentrations in females in
one acid and one alkaline area in southern Sweden.” PubMed NCBI. Ambio, n.d. Web. 3 Jul 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14703901>.
Gumashta, J, R Gumashta, and et al. “Hard water and heart: the story revisited.” IOSR
Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://iosrjournals.org/iosr-jpbs/papers/vol1-issue1/B0110720.pdf>
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as
an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
Frassetto, L. and Sebastian, A. Age and systemic acid-base equilibrium: analysis of
published data, Journal of Gerontology, Advanced Biological Science and Medical Science, 51: B91-99, 1996. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8548506
So, what happens when you first start out drinking alkaline water? That depends on your health.
Alkaline water has many effects on the body. If your body struggles to handle acidity, you may experience side effects when you first start drinking alkaline water. If you’re already in great health, like I am, alkaline water’s most profound effects will be on your athletic endurance and on your complexion.
What happens to new drinkers of alkaline water
That depends on your health before you start drinking alkaline water. For example, my wife experienced mild, detox symptoms for the first week. I didn’t experience any symptoms at all. She had significant health challenges, some of which alkaline water has helped. I didn’t have any health challenges. How likely is it that you’ll experience side effects when starting alkaline water? Take this quiz:
- Are you Clinically Obese? (BMI greater than 30)
- Do you have GERD?
- Do you have poor digestive health?
- Do you suffer from Metabolic Syndrome?
If you answer yes to three or all of the above questions, then it’s likely that you’ll experience some side effects when starting alkaline water. Here’s what you need to do:
- Start with Level one alkaline water, stay on level one for a week
- If your symptoms are hard to handle, then mix your level one alkaline water with purified water from your ionizer. Use half alkaline water, half purified water
The most commonly reported effects of alkaline water on the body
Weight loss: After the first week or two, any symptoms new drinkers experience subside. The most frequently claimed effect is weight loss. My wife lost 11 pounds after her first week of drinking alkaline water. The reasons some people lose weight on alkaline water haven’t been studied, so they’re not well understood. It is known that drinking water at the right time can help reduce your appetite, but not all alkaline water drinkers time their water consumption. Some alternative health supporters believe it may be caused by detoxification, but that claim hasn’t been tested by research.
Digestive health: Improved digestive health is another commonly heard claim. Japanese research backs that claim up. It was found that 88% of people who suffered mild digestive upset experienced partial or full relief from their symptoms in about 2 to 4 weeks after starting to drink alkaline water. It’s important to note the relief came gradually, alkaline water is not a drug. If you have severe digestive health issues, do not stop taking your medication unless your doctor tells you to.
GERD: Another commonly reported effect of alkaline water is relief of the symptoms of GERD. My wife’s GERD symptoms ended about two weeks after she started drinking alkaline water. A study done in-vitro shows that alkaline water inactivates pepsin – the enzyme which triggers the painful burning of GERD.
Alkaline water effects you can test
Some of the beneficial effects of alkaline water, such as improving your hydration levels, aren’t as easy to spot as benefits like weight loss, but you can still test for them.
Urine pH: Your 24 hour average urine pH is a good indicator of your body’s pH balance. If your urine pH is too low, you’re at risk for Metabolic Syndrome, the symptoms of which are:
- High blood pressure
- Bone loss
- High cholesterol levels
- Kidney stones
- Obesity
It doesn’t take much The difference between being perfectly healthy, and having all five symptoms of metabolic syndrome is less than half of a pH! Doctors treat metabolic syndrome with a variety of medicines, including medicines that are for raising your urine pH. Alkaline water offers a natural, gradual way of raising your urine pH.
Want to test your urine pH? How to test your urine pH
Bone health: Another of the health benefits from drinking alkaline water is for bone health. Several studies show that drinking alkaline water lowers two crucial enzyme markers of bone loss. The best way to test for this is to have yourself tested by a doctor for bone loss before starting alkaline water, and a couple of months later. Both enzyme markers – PTH and S-CTX.
You can also test for bone loss by measuring the levels of calcium in your urine. This test is nowhere near as accurate as the blood testing your doctor would do, but it can give you some idea. How to test yourself for calcium loss
Hydration
Here’s a simple way to test your hydration status right now called the Pinch Test. Simply lay a hand flat on the table, then pinch the skin about one inch back from any knuckle. When you release it, the skin should snap right back into place. If it doesn’t, or it takes a long time to snap back, it’s likely that you are dehydrated.
If you are dehydrated, you’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 3 out of 4 people are chronically dehydrated. You can put alkaline water to the test for hydration by drinking it for a week, then repeat the pinch test. If you were dehydrated before, it’s likely that you’ll see a noticeable improvement. Ultimately, improving your hydration status can lead to younger looking, healthier skin, like it did for this woman.
How long does it take for alkaline water to have an effect?
Everybody’s body is different, but in general you should see some effects within 60 days. Alkaline water has a gradual effect on health. For example, my wife continued to see improvements for the first year that she was drinking alkaline water. Today, five years later, the improvements, such as lost weight are being maintained.
We have been providing water ionizers to people for almost 20 years and we know that they love the health benefits…they even tell their friends and that is how our business has grown. We are so confident in the health benefits provided by our that we provide a 60 day return policy. Please check out our website for full details and call us now to find out how alkaline water is right for you!
Reference
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>
Ericson, John. ” 75% of Americans May Suffer From Chronic Dehydration, According to
Doctors.”Medical Daily. Medical Daily, 03 Jul 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393>.
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of
cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009.http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of
mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>.
Vorobjeva, N.V.. “Selective stimulation of the growth of anaerobic microflora in the
human intestinal tract by electrolyzed reducing water.” Medical Hypotheses. Elsevier, 14 Jun 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(04)00489-X/abstract>
Yoshichika, Kitagawa, Liu Chengwei , and Ding Xiaodong. “The influence of natural
mineral water on aquaporin water permeability and human natural killer cell activity.” Science Direct. Science Direct, 27 May 2011. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006291X11007005>.
Holsworth, R, , and et al. “Effect of Hydration on Whole Blood Viscosity in Firefighters.”
NCBI. PubMed, Aug, 2013. Web. 27 Dec 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23981371>
Alkaline water is rapidly becoming the #1 choice for people who lead healthy lives, and with good reason.
There are over 40 studies which document the many health benefits that people receive when drinking ionized alkaline water. Studies show that it can improve hydration, raise your pH balance, promote detoxification and even help you lose weight. Recognition of alkaline waters benefits is entering the mainstream: The prestigious Mayo Clinic now says that alkaline water has a link to good bone health. If you are looking to have the best health possible, here are 7 great reasons to drink ionized alkaline water.
1. Weight Loss
How does losing 12 pounds in two months just by drinking water sound? That is what a study called The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters found when researchers followed four obese middle-aged subjects for two months after they started drinking alkaline water. They made no other changes to their diet, nor did they exercise more. Researchers could find no other explanation, they simply lost the weight from drinking alkaline water alone!
2. Detoxification
Heavy metals are everywhere, and they are toxic. For example, the mercury in fish can cause health problems like cancer. Thankfully, raising your pH balance with alkaline water has been shown to have two important benefits:
- Helps the body rid itself of toxic metals
- May provide protection against the toxic effects of mercury
Alkaline water is best for detoxification because it can quickly raise urine pH. That enables the kidneys to filter out toxic metals more efficiently. Doctors use an emergency procedure called alkaline diuresis to quickly raise the pH of a poisoning victim’s urine to save their lives, alkaline water’s effect is similar to that. Raising the pH of your urine taps into your body’s own ultra-efficient detoxification system: Your kidneys. Raising the pH of your urine enables your kidneys to work at a higher level of efficiency. Alkaline water is much gentler than alkaline diuresis, it gives you a gentle, daily detoxification.
3. pH Balance
The pH balance of your body has a huge effect on your health. If your pH balance is too low, you’ll develop a condition called Metabolic Syndrome: A “constellation” of health problems that include:
- Heart trouble
- Diabetes
- Bone Loss
- Obesity
Doctors test for metabolic syndrome by checking your urine pH. The lower your urine pH, the more symptoms of metabolic syndrome you are likely to have. What’s amazing is that the difference between having all the symptoms of metabolic syndrome and having none? It’s just a half of a pH!
You can get that half of a pH increase, and possibly more, by drinking ionized alkaline water. Doctors routinely administer alkalis to relieve the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Alkaline water can raise blood pH by 40 – 70% in the blood’s normal pH range. Alkaline water also raises the pH of urine quickly to the healthy alkaline pH range. Drinking alkaline water daily could help raise your pH balance help your body fight the symptoms of metabolic syndrome.
4. Bone Health
If you are a woman, your chances of suffering a crippling hip fracture that will probably end your life is one out of two. If you’re a man, your chances are slightly better, your chances are one in three. Bone medications aren’t the answer. The FDA issued warnings on all bone medications that state that these medications are not for long term use. If you take them for more than 5 years, you’re at risk for some serious side effects, such as your jawbone wasting away! On the other hand, alkaline water is considered safe for long term use, and it has been shown to reduce bone loss.
Alkaline water appears to be the only safe way to tackle bone loss over the long term. The Mayo Clinic cited four clinical studies that showed a link between drinking alkaline water and reducing bone loss. They qualified their statement by saying further studies are needed to confirm the benefits over the long term, which is true. But what has been confirmed over the long term is that alkaline water won’t harm you the way all prescription bone medications do. If you are seeking to maintain healthy bones over the long term, alkaline water may be your only safe choice.
5. Hydration
Are you thirsty? The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 3 out of 4 Americans are chronically dehydrated. Older people are more likely to be dehydrated because they can easily mistake hunger for thirst. This means, you may be eating when you should actually be drinking water! A common side effect noticed by new drinkers of alkaline water is that they are very thirsty for the first few days. This suggests that drinking alkaline water may actually switch that thirst impulse back on, which would help you restore proper hydration.
One way alkaline water helps you drink more water is taste. It tastes better than plain water, It’s sweeter, and feels more refreshing.Better tasting water can help you choose it over other beverages.
6. Heart health
“The more alkaline the water, the greater the protective effect on the arteries.” That’s a quote from one of the largest ever study reviews on the effect of alkaline minerals in water on heart health. Magnesium in water, particularly has a significant positive impact on heart health. People deficient in magnesium have significantly higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke. In fact, If you do suffer a heart attack or stroke, the first thing the doctor will do is give you a life-saving injection – of magnesium! Studies of acute cardiac-care in emergency rooms has shown that an injection of magnesium significantly increases your odds of survival.
Alkaline water is the best source of magnesium. Your body absorbs magnesium 30% faster and easier from water than it does from food or supplements. The World Health Organization recommends you get up to 20% of your daily needs for calcium and magnesium from the water you drink. Alkaline water is the best choice for mineral rich water because it’s easiest to absorb the minerals in it.
7. Energy and endurance
Beat the 3 O’clock crash. Do you easily feel tired or winded after light exercise? If so, that means your body is in a state of metabolic acidosis – acidity is interfering with your blood’s ability to absorb oxygen in the lungs. Alkaline water can help with both the 3 O’Clock crash, and metabolic acidosis.
What causes that 3 O’clock crash is dehydration. It happens at or around 2 – 3 O’Clock because your body needs a huge amount of water to digest and absorb your lunch. If you are already dehydrated your body slows down to conserve its water. Alkaline water can provide the hydration you need to make it through your day and avoid that 3 O’clock crash.
If your body is in a state of metabolic acidosis, research shows that drinking alkaline water can raise your blood pH by 40 – 70% within the normal range for blood pH, which is 7.35 to 7.45. That helps your blood let go of acidic waste, and take on more oxygen in the lungs. Athletes know this, it’s why they alkalize their bodies prior to working out. The extra alkalinity helps them avoid losing performance to metabolic acidosis
Professional athletes alkalize their bodies before working out to increase their endurance. Alkaline water provides the alkalinity which fights off the burning feeling in your muscles. That burning sensation is caused by lactic acid, and it doesn’t help your fitness! Pro athletes know that it’s why they alkalize before working out. The longer they can hold off the burning sensation, the longer and harder they can train.
Benefits of alkaline water backed by research
The evidence: Over 40 studies.Alkaline water for health was first studied in Russia in the 1950’s. Since then more than 40 studies have been done on alkaline water that reported positive results. Some of those studies have been blinded, placebo-controlled clinical studies. They are the gold standard for research. Health fads come and go, but alkaline water has been drunk for health purposes for centuries. Before water ionizers, the only place you could get it was from one of seven known antioxidant alkaline springs. Those springs, such as Nordenau in Germany, have been revered for their health restorative qualities by generations of people seeking better health. Thankfully today, you don’t have to undertake a journey of hundreds or even thousands of miles to benefit from alkaline water’s health-restorative properties. With a water ionizer, alkaline water is as close as your kitchen sink.
References
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity
in Physically Active Men.” . Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>.
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Ericson, John. ” 75% of Americans May Suffer From Chronic Dehydration, According to
Doctors.”Medical Daily. Medical Daily, 03 Jul 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393>.
Koseki, M, Y Tanaka, and et al. “Effect of pH on the Taste of Alkaline Electrolyzed
Water.” Wiley Online Library. Journal of Food Science, n.d. Web. 3 Jul 2013. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17995745
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of
cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009.http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of
mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>
A glass of alkaline water, drank at the right time, could save your life! Drinking a glass of water an hour before bed could prevent a heart attack or stroke! Your body can become dehydrated when you sleep, when that happens, your heart has to work harder to pump your blood. Superior hydration is the best defense against a heart attack or stroke while you sleep – and alkaline water hydrates better than plain water.
Why Alkaline Water is the Right Water for Heart Health
Everyone loves a healthy heart, and one of the best way to love your heart is to drink alkaline water.. Why? Because alkaline water provides three things that every healthy heart loves:
- Hydration
- Essential Minerals
- Cholesterol Reduction
Hydration – Your hydration status affects how thick your blood is. If you are dehydrated, it will be harder for your heart to pump blood. Research conducted at Montana State University showed that alkaline water hydrates about 17% better than plain water, and if you’re dehydrated, alkaline water will rehydrate you faster.
Did you know? Heart attacks are killing firefighters. Heart attacks are the number one killer of firefighters when they’re fighting fire. Why? Because firefighters get severely dehydrated when fighting fire, and that extreme dehydration kills more firefighters than the actual fires they’re fighting! Alkaline water may be the answer that saves firefighters lives. A recent study on firefighters showed that alkaline water re-hydrated them fast after a simulated bout of firefighting. As a result, the researchers that conducted the study concluded that alkaline water may offer a novel approach for the prevention of dehydration-related heart attacks in on-duty firefighters.
Essential Minerals Do you know what the first thing a doctor in an emergency room will do if they have a heart attack victim? They will give them a shot that supplies a large amount of magnesium. The reason doctors depend on magnesium to help save a heart attack victim’s life is that most people are deficient in magnesium, and that deficiency is a large part of the reason they actually had the heart attack!
Water: The best source of mineral nutrients according to the World Health Organization, your body absorbs minerals like magnesium 30% faster and easier from water than it does from food! In fact, health experts at WHO recommend that you get 10 – 20% of your daily needs for calcium and magnesium from the water you drink. Alkaline water gets it’s alkalinity from calcium and magnesium hydroxides. Both are recognized by the FDA for their valuable contribution to human nutrition.
Cholesterol Reduction is perhaps the news for healthy hearts that drinking alkaline water can may help lower your cholesterol levels. Research shows that it may lower the levels of the most harmful cholesterols associated with heart trouble: Triglycerides and Very-Low Density Lipoproteins (V-LDL). Both of these forms of cholesterol are associated with a much higher risk of heart trouble.
The more alkaline the water, the greater the protective effect on the arteries
That’s the conclusion of the largest ever study on drinking water for heart health. It’s based on reviews of tens of thousands of case studies gathered over the course of decades. A healthy diet that includes alkaline water and regular exercise are the best way to keep your heart healthy, or to improve the health you’ve got. The human body is an amazing healing machine, give it the right tools and it can take care of many health problems all on it’s own. Alkaline water is one of those tools because as the body ages, it’s ability to buffer acids and fight off harmful oxidation declines. Alkaline water can supply the needed alkalinity, and has the antioxidant potential to reduce the effects of harmful oxidation. Give your body what it needs, and your heart will love you for it.
References
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity in Physically Active Men.” . Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>.
Rylander, Ragnar, and Maurice Arnaud. “Mineral water intake reduces blood pressure
among subjects with low urinary magnesium and calcium levels.” BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health, 30 Nov 2004. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/4/56>.
Lee, MY, YK Kim, and et al. “Electrolyzed-reduced water protects against oxidative
damage to DNA, RNA, and protein.” Springer Link. Humana Press, 01 Nov 2006. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1385/ABAB:135:2:133>.
Hiraoka, A, M Takemoto, and et al. “Studies on the Properties and Real Existence of
Aqueous Solution Systems that are Assumed to Have Antioxidant Activities by the Action of “Active Hydrogen.”Journal of Health Science. Journal of Health Science, 09 Jun 2004. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://image.sciencenet.cn/olddata/kexue.com.cn/upload/blog/file/2009/8/200986121047259319.pdf>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of
cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009.http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of
mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>
Ong, Choon. “Minerals from drinking-water: Bioavailability for various world populations and health implications.” WHO | Water Sanitation Health. World Health Organization, 17 Aug 2004. Web. 4 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutbioavailability/en/>.
World Health Organization, . “Nutrients in Drinking Water .” WHO | Nutrients in drinking
water. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsbegin.pdf>
Gumashta, J, R Gumashta, and et al. “Hard water and heart: the story revisited.” IOSR
Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://iosrjournals.org/iosr-jpbs/papers/vol1-issue1/B0110720.pdf>
Alkaline Water does things that plain water doesn’t
Alkaline water from a water ionizer is different. It tastes better than plain water, and as documented in over 40 studies, it has potential benefits for your health that plain water doesn’t. Stars like Beyonce swear by it for hydration, better health, and even to combat the effects of aging. Here are five ways that alkaline water is better than plain water, along with the studies that prove it.
1 Detoxification
Alkaline water helps you detoxify in two ways that plain water doesn’t.
Bodily Detoxification: It raises the pH of your urine, which improves the function in your kidneys (called renal clearance) for removing heavy metals and fluoride. Clinical research on new alkaline water drinkers showed that after they started drinking alkaline water, they purged 10 different heavy metals from their bodies. Studies from Sweden demonstrated that women who drank alkaline water had significantly lower levels of mercury in their bodies, compared to women that drank acidic water.
Detoxification of Food: Alkaline water neutralizes the acidic pesticide residue that is found on virtually all fruit and produce – plain water does not neutralize acidic pesticide residue. To detoxify your food, simply soak it in alkaline water for about 20 minutes. You will be amazed at how dirty the water gets in that time! Compare that to what happens if you put the same type of food in plain water, the color of the water won’t change much, if at all.
Bottom Line: Alkaline water has been shown to help detoxify the body of heavy metals and to detoxify food from acidic pesticide residues. Plain water doesn’t
2 Bone Health
Drinking alkaline water lowers two enzyme markers of bone loss. Plain water has no effect
Doctors measure those two enzymes to determine how fast you’re losing bone. The higher the levels of those enzyme markers in your blood, the faster you’re losing bone. Alkaline water has been shown to lower levels of both markers, regardless of your age, gender, or diet. One study compared the effect of drinking alkaline water on bone loss enzyme markers to the effect of drinking plain water. Alkaline water lowered the levels of bone loss enzymes in the study test subjects. Plain water had no effect on bone loss marker enzymes.
Bottom Line: Alkaline water lowers enzyme markers of bone loss, which if sustained over the long term leads to better bone health. Plain water does not reduce markers of bone loss, and has no effect on bone health.
3 pH Balance
Alkaline water can raise the pH of blood and urine. Plain water does not affect blood or urine pH
Metabolic acidosis is a temporary condition where the pH level of the blood drops below the healthy pH range for blood (pH of 7.35 – 7.45). A recent clinical study compared the effect of drinking alkaline water to the effect of drinking plain water on two types of metabolic acidosis:
- Fasting Acidosis: Occurs when fasting, typically by about 12 hours after your last meal
- Exercise-Induced Acidosis: Happens when you exercise, as lactic acid from the muscles builds up in the body
Fasting Acidosis: Alkaline water was counteract fasting acidosis by increasing blood pH by 40% within the healthy pH range for blood..
Exercise-induced acidosis: The news for athletes is even better: Alkaline water raised blood pH by 70% within the healthy pH range for blood.
Another study on cyclists evaluated the effect of drinking alkaline water compared to plain water on blood and urine pH under conditions of exercise-induced acidosis. That study also found that drinking alkaline water raised blood and urine pH, and that drinking plain water had no effect on blood or urine pH.
Bottom Line: Drinking alkaline water can raise your blood and urine pH if you’re body is in a state of metabolic acidosis. Drinking plain water has no effect on blood or urine pH in conditions of metabolic acidosis.
4 Hydration
Clinical testing shows that alkaline water hydrates and rehydrates you better and faster than plain water. The CDC estimates that about 3 out of 4 Americans suffer from chronic dehydration – they need to drink more water, and to drink the right kind of water.
You may be suffering from chronic dehydration if you have these symptoms:
- Headaches
- Dry skin and Lips
- Constipation
- 3 O’Clock energy crash
- Lack of energy and depression
Clinical testing on cyclists showed that alkaline water hydrated 17% better than plain water, and it rehydrated those cyclists faster than plain water. The study also showed that the cyclists perceived physical exertion was reduced. This means, it felt like it took less effort to do the same amount of exercise! If you get tired easy, alkaline water may be able to give you a much needed boost.
5 Alkaline Water + Gatorade = The Ultimate Sports Drink
Alkaline water on it’s own is a better choice for athletes than plain water. Mix it with Gatorade powder, or some other electrolyte drink mix, and alkaline water becomes even better. In fact, this is my favorite use for alkaline water. I’m an avid cyclist and I’ve experienced the incredible burst of endurance that you get when you mix alkaline water with an electrolyte. Plain water doesn’t pack the same kind of punch.
In clinical testing, alkaline water plus gatorade was shown to provide superior re-hydration, and endurance compared to plain water with electrolytes. Blood testing done in this study showed that alkaline water plus Gatorade also provided a stronger alkaline buffer in the bloodstream than plain water and Gatorade did.
The Facts are clear, alkaline water has benefits plain water doesn’t
There’s a lot to be said for drinking the right kind of water. Alkaline water made by a water ionizer has healthy properties that plain water doesn’t:
- Acid-fighting alkalinity
- Antioxidant Potential
- Great source of essential minerals
- Superior hydration
- Better taste
Whether you’re fighting to reverse health problems, a fitness enthusiast like I am, or a chef looking to prepare great tasting healthy food, a water ionizer makes the kind of water you need to reach your goals – ionized alkaline water.
References
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity in Physically Active Men.” . Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>.
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Ericson, John. ” 75% of Americans May Suffer From Chronic Dehydration, According to
Doctors.”Medical Daily. Medical Daily, 03 Jul 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393>.
Ornish, Dean, Jue Lin, and et al. “Increased telomerase activity and comprehensive lifestyle changes: a pilot study.” ProQuest. Lancet Oncology, [November, 2008] Vol 9 No. 11. Web. 5 Nov 2013. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(08)70234-1/fulltext
Ornish, Dean, Jue Lin, and et al. “Effect of comprehensive lifestyle changes on telomerase activity and telomere length in men with biopsy-proven low-risk prostate cancer: 5-year follow-up of a descriptive pilot study” Lancet. Lancet Oncology, 01 Oct 2013. Web. 5 Nov 2013. <http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(13)70366-8/abstract>.
Koseki, M, Y Tanaka, and et al. “Effect of pH on the Taste of Alkaline Electrolyzed Water.” Wiley Online Library. Journal of Food Science, n.d. Web. 3 Jul 2013. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17995745
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009. http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>.
Ong, Choon. “Minerals from drinking-water: Bioavailability for various world populations and health implications.” WHO | Water Sanitation Health. World Health Organization, 17 Aug 2004. Web. 4 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutbioavailability/en/>.
World Health Organization, . “Nutrients in Drinking Water .” WHO | Nutrients in drinking water. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsbegin.pdf>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi, Sun Dongxu, and et al. “The mechanism of the enhanced antioxidant effects against superoxide anion radicals of reduced water produced by electrolysis.” Science Direct. Science Direct, 01 Jan 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301462203002497>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi. “Antioxidant effects of reduced water produced by electrolysis of sodium chloride solutions.” Springer Link. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013825009701>.
Holsworth, R, , and et al. “Effect of Hydration on Whole Blood Viscosity in Firefighters.” NCBI. PubMed, Aug, 2013. Web. 27 Dec 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23981371>.
Armstrong, Lawrence E. Matthew S Ganio. and et al. “Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women.” . The Journal of Nutriton, 21 Dec. 2011. Web. 18 July 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/2/382.full>.
5 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism Now & The Benefits of Alkaline Water
Boosting your metabolism is the best way to burn fat, and it’s amazingly simple to do! Eat the right foods, and drink the right water and you can optimize the rate your body burns fat. Why is drinking the right kind of water so important? Hydration. Alkaline water is key to switching your fat-burning metabolism into high gear because it provides the best-possible hydration. You MUST keep your body hydrated properly at all times if you are going to boost your metabolism because as little as 1% dehydration will slow your metabolism down. Keeping your hydration level up will give you a noticeable increase in energy, which you will notice most at about 3 O’Clock in the afternoon. Why 3 O’Clock? Because that’s when dehydrated bodies normally “crash” after lunch. With alkaline water super hydration, you will avert that 3 O’Clock crash that sabotages your weight loss efforts by shutting down your metabolism at the time you need it most to burn off those lunch calories.
5 Things that can Boost Your Metabolism
Everyone’s metabolism is different, but everybody’s metabolism will respond to these factors:
- Hydration
- Nutrition
- Thermogenic Foods
- Exercise
- Rest
1 Hydration
Your body needs water to burn fuel, and to do practically everything else! If you become dehydrated, your brain will begin reducing water levels in some parts of your body to ensure that it gets enough water for itself (your brain has priority over all other parts of your body when it comes to water.) The first parts of your body to lose water are your skin and muscles, followed by your organs.
Alkaline water has been shown in multiple studies to hydrate better than plain water, and that matters if you’re going to boost your metabolism – you’re going to need that extra hydration. The most critical time for boosting your metabolism is the hours after you finish exercising – called The Afterburn. Drinking alkaline water enables your body to rehydrate faster and more thoroughly after exercise. Your body can continue to burn extra calories for up to 38 hours after a workout – if it’s properly hydrated. If you don’t properly rehydrate after exercise, your body will slow down your metabolism, and the Afterburn effect will be lost.
2 Nutrition
One sure way to wreck your metabolism is to starve yourself – so don’t. Starving yourself releases cortisol – a stress hormone – which will cause your body to gain or retain fat, and slow down your metabolism.
If you’re going to cut calories, set your sites a lot lower, try reducing your intake by just 100 calories per day. It will be much easier for you to stick to a small reduction, and your body won’t fight you by releasing cortisol.
If you’re going to do a lot of physical activity (recommended) then you may actually need to increase your calorie consumption. For example, I burn about 2,000 calories per day riding my bike to work here at . 2,000 calories are the recommended dietary intake for adults, but if I restricted myself to it, I’d burn all my energy going to and from work, and have nothing left for the rest of the day! As a result, my caloric intake is closer to 4,000 calories per day – twice the recommended dietary intake!
3 Thermogenic Foods
– Help ramp up the metabolism through a process called thermogenesis: A process where the body burns calories to convert the thermogenic food into energy! Foods that are thermogenic include:
- Proteins – More thermogenic than carbs or fat
- Peppers – Capsaicin in peppers enhances thermogenesis
- Ice-cold water – Your body burns calories heating it up
- Green Tea – Contains 2 substances that enhance thermogenesis
- Coffee – Caffeine is a natural stimulant, just don’t overdo it!
- Coconut Oil – Inhibits fat deposition through increased thermogenesis
Protein takes more energy to to break down than carbs and fat do, so your body naturally burns more energy when you consume protein-rich foods.
Peppers have capsaicin, which boosts your metabolism when it is metabolised. A great way to add capsaicin to your diet it to add a pinch of it to a glass of lemon juice and alkaline water. Drink it first thing in the morning to jumpstart your metabolism and enhance peristalsis – the movement of foods and wastes through your intestines.
Ice-cold water burns energy because your body has to heat it up to body temperature. A great way to make your alkaline water ice-cold is to make ice cubes with it. Then you can drop a few in your glass, and drink your water ice cold, straight from the ionizer, when it’s antioxidant potential is highest.
Green Tea contains caffeine, and it’s a natural antioxidant. Make your green tea with alkaline water, because it increases the antioxidant benefit of tea. Alkaline water makes tea smoother and more aromatic as well.
Coffee as well as boosting your metabolism, is also an antioxidant. Just like tea, making your coffee with alkaline water increases it’s antioxidant benefit. And just like tea, alkaline water makes better tasting coffee.
Coconut Oil is rich in medium-chain fatty acids, which have been shown to increase thermogenesis and fat burning. Try switching oils you regularly use with coconut oil to give your meals an added thermogenic boost.
4 Exercise
To get the most out of exercise, you must stay hydrated and keep your electrolyte levels up. Alkaline water excels at both. On it’s own, alkaline water hydrates better and faster than regular water. Combined with a powdered electrolyte like Gatorade, alkaline water becomes an amazing sports drink that enables you to exercise at higher intensity, and for longer periods. This is important for raising your metabolism, because the more intense your workout, the more of an impact it has on your metabolism.
High intensity interval training is best, but don’t let that stop you if your body isn’t in condition for it.
Pump some iron, if you are dieting, because strength training helps you avoid losing muscle mass when you diet. Contrary to popular belief, muscle mass doesn’t burn significantly more calories at rest, but it’s still a good idea to maintain your muscle mass while dieting.
Cardio burns calories while exercising, and even up to 12 hours after exercising! A 45 minute bike ride can raise your metabolic rate for up to 12 hours afterward.
5 Get Some Sleep
The last thing that you should do to raise your metabolism is make sure you get enough rest. Not getting enough sleep will slow your metabolism way down. If you have a hard time getting sleep, try to work out more frequently, and with higher intensity. That will help tire your body out so you can sleep.
Don’t forget the alkaline water! A glass of water an hour before bed can prevent a heart attack or stroke. Proper hydration is just as important when you sleep as anytime else.
A water ionizer is your best choice for healthy hydration
The best way to make alkaline water is with a water ionizer because ionized alkaline mineral water has the highest antioxidant potential. You need the antioxidant benefit of ionized alkaline mineral water because it helps neutralize harmful Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) – metabolic byproducts that can damage DNA and tissues. And you’ll be generating higher levels of ROS when you raise your metabolism, because ROS is a byproduct of metabolism.
References
Livestrong Thermogenic Foods List http://www.livestrong.com/article/198798-thermogenic-foods-list/
Ostojic, S.M. “Al. Drinks with alkaline negative oxidative reduction potential improve exercise
performance in physically active men and women: double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial of efficacy and safety..” Serbian Journal of Sports Sciences. 5.3 (2011): 83-89. http://www.sjss-sportsacademy.edu.rs/archive/details/drinks-with-alkaline-negative-oxidative-reduction-potential-improve-exercise-performance-in-physically-active-men-and-women-double-blind-randomized-placebo-controlled-cross-over-trial-of-efficacy-and-safety-223.html
Lee, MY, YK Kim, and et al. “Electrolyzed-reduced water protects against oxidative damage to DNA, RNA, and protein.” Springer Link. Humana Press, 01 Nov 2006. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1385/ABAB:135:2:133>.
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009. http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Yoshichika, Kitagawa, Liu Chengwei , and Ding Xiaodong. “The influence of natural mineral water on aquaporin water permeability and human natural killer cell activity.” Science Direct. Science Direct, 27 May 2011. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006291X11007005>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi, Sun Dongxu, and et al. “The mechanism of the enhanced antioxidant effects against superoxide anion radicals of reduced water produced by electrolysis.” Science Direct. Science Direct, 01 Jan 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301462203002497>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi. “Antioxidant effects of reduced water produced by electrolysis of sodium chloride solutions.” Springer Link. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013825009701>.Holsworth, R, , and et al. “Effect of Hydration on Whole Blood Viscosity in Firefighters.” NCBI. PubMed, Aug, 2013. Web. 27 Dec 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23981371>.
Recent research on the causes of hair loss reveals that oxidative stress from Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is a major factor in hair loss and male pattern baldness. Oxidative stress is aggravated by poor diet, stress, high testosterone levels, and some medications. Thankfully, there is hope: Ionized alkaline water with high negative Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) has been shown to lower levels of oxidative stress. It has the potential to neutralize the harmful ROS that attacks hair follicles. In addition to alkaline water, antioxidant superfoods like blueberries and many purple foods are also capable of reducing oxidative stress. Research on alkaline water for hair loss is ongoing. But if you’re losing your hair now you may not want to wait for those studies to be finished!
Hair loss factors you can control
Hair loss is primarily caused by genetics, but there are some hair loss factors that are in your control:
- Smoking – If you smoke, quit
- UV Radiation from the sun
- Oxidative Damage from ROS
Smoking causes premature greying and hair loss. Cigarette smoke increases oxidative damage. It results in damage to DNA and inflammation in the tissues surrounding the hair follicle.
UV Radiation causes premature greying and hair loss by increasing the production of free radicals and other Reactive Oxygen Species in the scalp. Research also suggests that UV Radiation also slows hair growth.
Oxidative damage increases as we age. At the same time, our body’s antioxidant defenses decline. Large studies have shown that choosing a healthy lifestyle significantly reduces the build-up of harmful oxidants that cause hair loss and other health issues.
Alkaline water Reduces Oxidation from Reactive Oxygen Species
Along with a healthy alkaline diet, drinking alkaline water also has the potential to reduce harmful Reactive Oxygen Species. Lab studies have shown that alkaline water reduces hydrogen peroxide – a ROS – into water and hydrogen. Studies on rats have shown that alkaline water significantly reduced levels of ROS in rats that had high levels of ROS in their livers from alcohol. The reduction was so significant, that researchers speculated that alkaline water may be a hangover cure.
Alkaline water for drinking, Acidic water for a rinse
Drinking alkaline water to Reduce harmful oxidation has potential benefits for your hair. But when rinsing your hair you actually want to use acidic water. Inside the body, the ideal healthy environment is slightly alkaline, the blood has a healthy pH range of 7.35 – 7.45. But outside the body, the proper pH of hair and skin is actually acidic! Your hair and skin have a healthy pH range of between 3 – 3.5. Your skin’s acid-mantle is your first defense against infection. The acidity of your skin destroys harmful organisms by oxidizing them – it works the same way oxidation destroys your hair! For this reason, the ideal rinse for your hair and skin are acidic.
References
Tsai, Chia-Fang, Yu-Wen Hsu, and et al. “Hepatoprotective effect of electrolyzed
reduced water against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in mice.” Sciencedirect. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 01 Aug 2009. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691509002464>.
Trüeb, Ralph. “Oxidative Stress in Ageing of Hair.” National Center for Biotechnology
Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 29 June 5. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929555/>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi, Sun Dongxu, and et al. “The mechanism of the enhanced antioxidant
effects against superoxide anion radicals of reduced water produced by electrolysis.” Science Direct. Science Direct, 01 Jan 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301462203002497>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi. “Antioxidant effects of reduced water produced by electrolysis of
sodium chloride solutions.” Springer Link. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013825009701>.
Alkaline Water and Diet for Kidney Stones by Life Water Ionizers
If you are at-risk for forming calcium oxalate, cystine, or uric acid kidney stones, relief may be just a glass of ionized alkaline water away. According to Doctors Lynda Frassetto and Ingrid Kohlstadt in an article for American Family Physician, changing to an alkaline diet and drinking alkaline mineral water can raise urine pH, which may prevent kidney stones from forming that result from an overly acidic body pH balance.
The Type of Kidney Stones you Form Determines if Alkalinity can Help you
Kidney stones can form due to an overly acidic or overly alkaline urine pH, it’s important to know which kind of kidney stones you’re forming:
Kidney stone types
- Calcium oxalate, cystine, uric acid
- Calcium phosphate and struvite
If you have Calcium oxalate, cystine, uric acid stones, alkaline water, and diet may be able to help you. Learn More
If you have Calcium phosphate and struvite stones, alkaline water will not help.
Note: Doctors treat calcium phosphate and struvite stones by acidifying the urine, which is something you should not attempt yourself.
How Kidney Stones are Caused by Acidic Body Conditions
Short-term risks: People who suffer from chronic, low-grade metabolic acidosis have the highest risk of stone formation because their bodies can’t discharge acidity fast enough. Chronic metabolic acidosis happens to people whose bodies can’t handle acidity well. The main acid-discharge systems in the body are the lungs and kidneys. Normally, the lungs expel acidity in the form of CO2, the kidneys expel it in the form of uric acid. When either or both kidney function or lung function is compromised, then the body has to use the calcium stored in the bones to neutralize the acidity it can’t expel. When that happens, calcium is taken from the bones by the bloodstream, where it neutralizes acidic wastes in the blood. After the calcium has been used, the body tries to discharge it in the urine. Unfortunately, the calcium can build up, just like hard water deposits on a faucet. Kidney stones are the result of that built up calcium.
Long term risks: If chronic metabolic acidosis is left untreated, it is likely to cause you to develop metabolic syndrome: A condition doctors call “a constellation of physiological screwups”
If you have 3 of these 5 symptoms, you have Metabolic Syndrome:
- High blood sugar
- Obesity
- High Cholesterol Levels
- Low Urine pH
- Kidney Stones
Urgent: If you think you have metabolic syndrome, see your doctor right away! It’s a treatable condition. You can use an alkaline diet and alkaline water in conjunction with your doctor’s treatment regimen.
Amazing but true! The difference in urine pH between a healthy body and a person with all 5 symptoms of metabolic syndrome – including kidney stones – is just .5 of a pH! A half of a pH may not sound like much, but it is actually a BIG change: Because the pH scale is logarithmic, A drop of a half of a pH is a five-times increase in body acidity!
Why alkaline diet and water can help
If your body can’t handle acidity, alkaline water and diet will help you by lowering the amount of acidity your body must handle. The foods in an alkaline diet and alkaline water are both alkaline-forming: Things that are alkaline forming leave behind alkaline substances after they are metabolized in the body. For example, lemon juice is alkaline forming, because even though it’s acidic when you drink it, the residues it leaves behind in your body are alkaline. So lemon juice ends up forming alkaline residues in the body after it’s metabolized.
Ionized alkaline water has hydrated minerals – mostly calcium and magnesium – in it. When you drink it, your body uses the water to hydrate your cells. The calcium and magnesium hydrates are then contributed to your body’s supply of calcium and magnesium, which it can use to build bones or neutralize acidity.
Did you know? The World Health Organization recommends that you get 10 – 20% of your daily needs for alkaline minerals from the water you drink. Alkaline water is the best source of these minerals because your body absorbs them 30% faster and easier from alkaline water than it does from food.
How to start an alkaline diet
Changing your diet is a big step, it’s easier if you get some help. To make it easier for you to succeed at becoming alkaline, we’re created a special resource on alkaline living called The Alkaline Lifestyle. If you’re interested, just follow the link to sign up.
What you get: When you sign up for The Alkaline Lifestyle you get:
- Alkaline science – Explains how your alkaline lifestyle helps you
- Alkaline lifestyle articles – Practical tips and know-how you can use every day
- Recipes: Hundreds of original and easy to prepare delicious recipes
How a Water Ionizer Improves your Alkaline Diet
A water ionizer does a lot more for you than just make drinking water. You also use the alkaline water from an ionizer to cook with, and to alkalize acidic beverages. In fact, alkaline water increases the antioxidant benefits of both coffee and tea!
Another important function of alkaline water is detoxifying produce. Alkaline water neutralizes acidic pesticide and herbicide residues – plain water doesn’t. You simply soak your produce for about 20 minutes, you will be amazed at how dirty the water gets! All that “gunk” you see the alkaline water soaking off of your food is toxic residue.
Benefits of a water ionizer for alkaline lifestyles
- Raise pH of foods you prepare to healthy alkaline pH levels
- Make better tasting coffee/tea with increased antioxidant benefits
- Detoxify your produce
- Drinking alkaline water supplies beneficial alkalinity
How alkaline water helps stop kidney stones
Alkaline water has benefits that plain water doesn’t, especially if you suffer from metabolic acidosis and metabolic syndrome. Drinking alkaline water lowers important biological markers of bone loss. Reducing bone loss is essential if you want to stop forming kidney stones, because your kidney stones are made out of the calcium that you are losing from your bones!
References
Frassetto, Lynda, and Ingrid Kohlstadt. “Treatment and Prevention of Kidney Stones:
An Update.” – American Family Physician. American Association of Family Physicians, 1 Dec. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/1201/p1234.html>.
Ostojic, Sergej, and Marko Stonanovic. “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity
in Physically Active Men.” . Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 20 Feb 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2013.852092>.
Wynn, E, MA Krieg, JM Aeschlimann, and P Burckhardt. “Alkaline mineral water lowers
bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism.” Bone. Elsevier, 27 Oct 2008. Web. 1 Jul 2013. <http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract>.
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Ornish, Dean, Jue Lin, and et al. “Increased telomerase activity and comprehensive lifestyle changes: a pilot study.” ProQuest. Lancet Oncology, [November, 2008] Vol 9 No. 11. Web. 5 Nov 2013. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(08)70234-1/fulltext
Ornish, Dean, Jue Lin, and et al. “Effect of comprehensive lifestyle changes on telomerase activity and telomere length in men with biopsy-proven low-risk prostate cancer: 5-year follow-up of a descriptive pilot study” Lancet. Lancet Oncology, 01 Oct 2013. Web. 5 Nov 2013. <http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(13)70366-8/abstract>.
Ong, Choon. “Minerals from drinking-water: Bioavailability for various world populations and health implications.” WHO | Water Sanitation Health. World Health Organization, 17 Aug 2004. Web. 4 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutbioavailability/en/>.
World Health Organization, . “Nutrients in Drinking Water .” WHO | Nutrients in drinking water. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsbegin.pdf>.
Hanaoka, Kokichi. “Antioxidant effects of reduced water produced by electrolysis of sodium chloride solutions.” Springer Link. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013825009701>.
Is this you? You’ve felt down for quite some time now, and it may feel like nothing can help. Even good days, and things that normally make you feel good don’t seem to be able to help you “snap out of it.” Is this the moment when you’re feeling weak, that you “reach for something strong” such as a pill? There may be something even stronger you should reach for – a glass of ionized alkaline water. Recent groundbreaking research reveals that some people who suffer from depression and headaches may actually suffer from something else – dehydration.
Journal of Nutrition: Mild dehydration affects mood
According to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition titled: Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women losing just 1.36% of your body weight in water caused degraded mood, increased the perception of task difficulty, lower concentration, and headache symptoms in all of the 25 young women that participated in the study. It has long been known that severe dehydration results in confusion and delirium, but this is the first study that shows that even mild dehydration – which is less than 2% total water loss – results in significant changes in mood and cognitive performance – the ability to solve problems, concentrate, and do other menial tasks. What was also surprising about this study is that it showed that headaches can also be caused by mild dehydration.
Are you dehydrated? 6 signs that you should watch for
Did you know? A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control estimates that as many as 3 out of 4 Americans suffer from chronic dehydration. Chances are that – even as you read this article. you are dehydrated. So take a break, get up, and go get yourself a glass of water before reading any further. Go ahead, this can wait.
Now, with water in hand, here are the 6 signs of dehydration you should watch for
- Dry Skin
- Low Energy Levels
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dry Lips
Notice how thirst isn’t in that list. That’s because thirst may not be a reliable indicator of dehydration if you’re chronically dehydrated.
Check your hydration status with the pinch test
Here’s a simple test you can do right now to see if you’re dehydrated called “The Pinch Test.” Put one hand flat onto the table, palm facing down. Now pinch the skin together about one inch behind any knuckle on your hand. That skin should snap back into place in less than a second after you release it. If it took longer than a second, or didn’t snap back at all, you are dehydrated.
How much water should you drink for proper hydration?
A general rule of thumb is to drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day, more if you exercise or are in a hot environment. But drinking enough water is only half of the solution to dehydration: You also need to know when to drink water:
- When you wake up – Your body loses a lot of water when you sleep
- Half hour before meals – Helps clear your stomach and intestines
- Hour after meals – Your body uses a lot of water digesting food
- One hour before bed – This glass of water may save your life!
When you wake up Your body lost a significant amount of water as you slept, so you need to replace it. This eye-opener glass of water also fights constipation because a glass of water when you wake up triggers peristalsis – the movement of food and wastes through your intestines.
Half hour before meals This glass of water can also help you lose weight. Drinking a glass of water a half hour before a meal is a proven method of reducing your appetite. Just remember to stop eating when you feel almost full.
Hour after meals Do you suffer from the 3 O’clock crash? If so, your body is trying to tell you something – you’re dehydrated! Digestion consumes a lot of water, if you let it dehydrate you, your energy levels will fall.
One hour before bed A glass of water, one hour before bed can prevent a heart attack or stroke. Dehydration causes your blood to become thicker, which makes it harder for your heart to pump it. In fact, the majority of the fatal heart attacks and strokes that kill people while they sleep occur in the 3 – 4 hour period before they wake up. Drinking a glass of water an hour before bed makes sure your body has enough water to make it through the night.
Do coffee and tea dehydrate you?
The surprising answer is no, but they do act as diuretics – they make you have to go to the bathroom more frequently. So for that reason, coffee and tea may not be the best choice for hydration. Alcohol definitely dehydrates you, and that dehydration is also a factor if you end up with a hangover. According to The Harvard School of Public Health, the best choice for hydration is water.
Alkaline water hydrates 17% better than plain water: Study
The best water for hydration is mineral-hydrate rich alkaline water – the kind made by a water ionizer. The hydrating ability of mineral hydrate rich alkaline water was demonstrated in two studies conducted at Montana State University by Professor Daniel P Heil. These studies compared plain water to alkaline water for hydration in both runners and cyclists. Each study showed the same thing: Alkaline water hydrates at least 17% better than plain water.
The surprising way a water ionizer can help you drink more water
Alkaline water from a water ionizer hydrates better than plain water. But did you know that drinking water from a water ionizer can actually help you drink more water. How? Alkaline water from a water ionizer tastes better than plain, filtered, or bottled water. It’s slightly sweeter, and noticeably more refreshing – you can taste the difference! Water ionizer owners – including the author of this article – consistently say that they prefer the taste of the water from their ionizer to all other forms of water, and even to drinks like soda! The taste of alkaline water from a water ionizer can help you to choose water over other beverages simply because it tastes better. It’s human nature to want to drink the drink that tastes better. Because of this, a water ionizer can help you choose water over other beverages, and improve your hydration status.
Yes, you can have the life-changing power of alkaline water hydration in your kitchen. Call us at 844-348-2026 We can put a water ionizer in your kitchen for less than you may be paying for bottled water.
References
Armstrong, Lawrence E. Matthew S Ganio. and et al. “Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women.” . The Journal of Nutriton, 21 Dec. 2011. Web. 18 July 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/2/382.full>.
Koseki, M, Y Tanaka, and et al. “Effect of pH on the Taste of Alkaline Electrolyzed Water.” Wiley Online Library. Journal of Food Science, n.d. Web. 3 Jul 2013. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17995745
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of cycling exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Springerlink July 2009.http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water..” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>.
Alkaline water benefits for digestive health
There is a war being fought in your gut right now. It’s a battle between beneficial probiotic bacteria and harmful bacteria. Which side is winning? That depends on your digestive health. If you suffer from frequent digestive problems, the bad guys are winning. If the bad guys are winning the war in your gut, you can help “tip the scales” in favor of the good guys by drinking alkaline water. How can alkaline water benefit digestive health? Because a major factor that decided which side wins is the Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) of fluids in your gut.
How ORP affects bacteria in the gut
The beneficial probiotic bacteria in your gut hate oxygen. They are known as anaerobic bacteria. Harmful bacteria in your gut thrive on oxygen. They are known as aerobic bacteria. So to tip the scales in favor of the beneficial probiotic bacteria, you want to have as little free oxygen in your gut as possible. You can do that by raising the increasing the negative ORP of fluids in your intestines.
How ORP works
The ORP of a fluid measures it’s ability to stop oxygen from chemically combining with other substances. It’s a process called oxidation. A negative ORP reduces or prevents oxidation. A positive ORP promotes oxidation. Because alkaline water from a water ionizer has a negative ORP it has antioxidant potential. Increasing the antioxidant potential of fluids in your gut helps prevent harmful oxidation. Alkaline water with a negative ORP will have no free oxygen in it.
When you drink alkaline water with a negative ORP, you deprive harmful bacteria of oxygen. That starves them. Beneficial probiotic bacteria grow in the gut at a negative ORP of between -300 and -400 mV. Harmful gut bacteria grow when ORP is positive, up to +400 mV.
Does the stomach acidify alkaline water?
No, not on an empty stomach. Your stomach produces acid only when it needs to. Acid production is triggered by the smell of food and by proteins and carbohydrates. Alkaline water doesn’t trigger stomach acid production. When you drink alkaline water on an empty stomach it passes right through the stomach. Then it goes right into the intestines so the body can absorb it. You should only drink alkaline water on an empty stomach so you don’t interfere with your stomach acid while digesting a meal.
Causes of harmful oxidation in the gut
A perfectly healthy body given a healthy diet will naturally have beneficial negative ORP in the gut. But many stresses and toxins, and unhealthy diets can upset the gut’s natural negative ORP balance.
Some factors that lead to an unhealthy ORP balance in the gut:
- Pharmaceutical drugs: Antibiotics, immunosuppressants
- Pesticides
- Radiation treatments
- Acidic diet
- Stress
- Illness
Once the gut’s ORP balance has been disturbed, it can be difficult to get it back. Many people consume yogurt with prebiotics. Those prebiotics help form probiotics once they are in the gut if the gut’s ORP is negative. Alkaline water supports the formation of probiotics by providing the needed negative ORP balance.
Alkaline water benefits for gastrointestinal reflux
Another part of digestive health where alkaline water may help is with acid reflux. The pain and damage of acid reflux is caused by excessive hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which refluxes up into the esophagus. For hydrochloric acid to do this damage, it must be triggered by a stomach enzyme called pepsin. Alkaline water has been proven to inactivate pepsin.
Update: Recent research confirms that alkaline water and a healthy diet are as effective against acid reflux as PPI medications.
Research conducted in Japan reveals that drinking alkaline water can provide relief of mild digestive upset. It’s benefits build up gradually, results in the Japanese research were seen after about two weeks.
How to use alkaline water for digestive health
Always drink alkaline water on an empty stomach. Stop drinking alkaline water a half hour before your meal. Wait a half hour after eating before starting again. During your meal you can drink purified water from your water ionizer. Try not to drink too much water of any kind during a meal so you don’t dilute your digestive juices.
How much water you should drink:
Take your body weight (in pounds) and divide it in half. The resulting number is the number of ounces of water you should drink every day. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, that divided in half is 70. That means you would need to drink 70 ounces of water per day. You will need to drink more if you work out to replace the hydration you lost.
Take the number of ounces of water you should drink in a day, and divide it by 4. That is the number of glasses of alkaline water you need to drink. You also need to drink a glass of water an hour before bed (this will save your life!).
Below is the schedule that a person weighing 140 pounds would follow to make sure they drink enough water. A person weighing 140 pounds would need to drink about 9 glasses of alkaline water per day.
Schedule for daily consumption of alkaline water (A glass of water = 8 ounces)
- Wake up: Two glasses of alkaline water will get the intestines moving – a process called peristalsis
- After breakfast: Two glasses of alkaline water before lunch
- After Lunch: Two glasses before dinner, more if you’re working out
- After Dinner: Two Glasses
- Hour before bed: One glass
Benefits of preparing foods with alkaline water
You also get water from the foods you drink and from many beverages. Prepare your foods and beverages with alkaline water for this very reason. Alkaline water can make beverages like fruit juices and coffee less acidic. It also increases the antioxidant benefit of tea. Alkaline water also triples the antioxidant potential of Vitamin C.
A great way to take advantage of the benefits of alkaline water and vitamin C is to add a squeeze of lemon to your glass. Drink your alkaline water and lemon juice first thing in the morning to give your intestines and extra boost!
References
Vorobjeva, N.V.. “Selective stimulation of the growth of anaerobic microflora in the human intestinal tract by electrolyzed reducing water.” Medical Hypotheses. Elsevier, 14 Jun 2004. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(04)00489-X/abstract>.
Koufman, Jamie, and Nikki Johnsten. “Potential Benefits of pH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://www.annals.com/toc/auto_abstract.php?id=15887>.
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