Water is one of the most essential survival kits for human existence, right? It is the cheapest and readily available source of hydration for you! The best thing to quench your thirst on a hot and summery day is water.
Have you ever thought about alkaline water or mineral water?
Water is naturally loaded with minerals such as sodium, potassium, and calcium that are present to a certain extent in mineral water, alkaline water, and sometimes tap water as well.
With the vigorous advancements in the health and wellness industry, it is not surprising to know something new every other day.
Likewise, alkaline water and mineral water are a much debatable topic. Let’s dig deep into this and help you know better.
How is alkaline water different from mineral water?
We all want to know what the hype of alkaline water is!
The word alkaline in ‘alkaline water’ refers to the Ph level of the water. It determines the alkalinity or acidity of a substance based on a scale of 0 to 14.
For your reference, something with a pH of 2 would be very acidic and something with a pH of 12 would be very alkaline.
Mineral water generally has a neutral pH of around 7. The pH of alkaline water is generally around 8 or 9. Because of this reason, it is believed that alkaline water can potentially neutralize the acidic level in your body.
However, do you know pH alone isn’t enough to impart substantial alkalinity to water?
How did alkaline water develop?
In early1960’s Japanese started research on the therapeutic benefits of alkaline ionized water. This research was a follow-up to earlier work carried out by scientists in Russia. The research in Japan mainly focused on using electronic devices to split water into alkaline and acidic streams.
As the benefits of alkaline ionized water began to be appreciated by a large number of people, the manufacture of water ionizers greatly increased with time.
Major health benefits of alkaline water over mineral water:
- Boosts immune system
- Anti-aging properties (due to the antioxidants present in alkaline water)
- Aids in weight loss
- Prevents cancer
- Colon-cleansing properties
- Provides immense hydration
- Improves skin health ( due to detoxifying properties)
Let’s talk about the drawbacks of alkaline water:
Although it is considered perfectly safe to drink alkaline water there are also hints of potential risks involved with the consumption of alkaline water.
A study conducted on rat pups given alkaline water showed impaired growth and damage to cardiac muscle. Some of the common side effects that you should know include:
- Gastrointestinal issues ( due to increased Ph in the body)
- Skin allergies
- Vomiting
- Muscle twitching
- Nausea
- Confusion
How effective is it?
This discussion is quite controversial. Some researchers claim that they need more scientific studies to give a definite conclusion.
According to few studies, there is no such scientific evidence that fully verifies the claims made by supporters of alkaline water so far.
However, there are a few studies that indicate alkaline water might help treat certain health conditions. A study reported that drinking alkaline water can prove very beneficial for people with health ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes, and even high cholesterol.
Another similar study…
Claimed that drinking naturally carbonated artesian-well alkaline water with a pH of 8.8 may help deactivate pepsin, the main enzyme that causes acid reflux in the human body.
One more study revealed that people who consumed high-Ph alkaline water post intense workout over regular mineral water have higher blood flow in the vessels. This can help in increasing the oxygen delivery in the body.
However, we cannot completely deny the fact that mineral water is equally good as consumed by a large number of populations.
Takeaways:
So, mineral water is enriched with all the necessary minerals and is considered best for drinking purposes. But in this techno-driven world every other day we see discoveries. The same is the case with alkaline water.
Although it was identified long back in the 1960’s it came into the limelight again recently. With its numerous health benefits like healthy immune functions, a boost of hydration, cancer prevention, and whatnot comes a lot of risk factors too.
If you want to stick with the ancient methods of hydration stick with mineral water only but if you want to give it a try to alkaline water, that’s fully your decision. More research will give greater insights into the best source of hydration. Till the time, choose your water buddy according to your preferences. We wish you a healthy life filled with lots of hydration!
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