Without a doubt, water is very good for you. It promotes metabolic functions in your body, helps you stay hydrated, and allows your skin to glow. That being said, people are always trying to make water and hydration more potent.
Recently, the beneficial properties of alkaline water have received a lot of hype. The alkalinity is said to aid nutrient absorption, improve metabolism, and neutralize acid in the bloodstream.
Although the evidence is still to be thoroughly examined, alkaline water does the trick for some people. For example, a study shows that it can help with acid reflux by deactivating pepsin, the enzyme responsible for reflux.
The following sections describe how to make alkaline water and the related info.
Alkaline Water – The Definition
As you might know, alkaline is the opposite of acidic. On the pH scale of 0 to 14, 7 is neutral and anything above is alkaline (or basic) and below is acidic.
If a solution contains an acid, defined in chemistry as a substance that releases hydrogen (positively charged H+) in aqueous form, it’s going to test less than pH 7. On the contrary, if a solution contains a base, defined as a substance that releases hydroxide (negatively charged OH-) in aqueous form, it’s going to test higher than pH 7.
So, you can guess that to make alkaline water, you’re going to have to introduce a base to the water. Either that or you can introduce or extract the hydroxide ions themselves.
Alkaline water is believed to counterbalance bodily acids. Also, the presence of basic substances would give the water negative oxidation reduction potential (ORP). This makes the water more antioxidizing and effective at neutralizing the effects of free radicals, or at least in theory.
How to Make Alkaline Water
There are two ways to make alkaline water at home. You can go for a DIY method from start to finish or utilize ready-made tools in the form of pH drops, ionizers, or water filters.
DIY Method
The DIY method is quick and simple, plus it doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or special preparation.
Get a one-gallon container with a good screw-top lid. You also need a gallon of filtered or distilled water.
The other ingredients needed are lemon, baking soda, coral calcium powder, and sea salt. And don’t forget to purchase pH test strips to verify the alkalinity of your batch. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and coral calcium powder are both bases. Lemon is acidic – it’s only there to help dissolve the two bases.
The Recipe
Fill the container halfway with the water and add a teaspoon of the sea salt, coral calcium powder, and baking soda. Squeeze the lemon into the mix without the seeds. Close the lid and shake the container hard enough to mix the solution.
Add the remaining water but don’t fill the container to the brim. Then close it tight and shake some more. Use a pH test strip to test the pH of the water. You are looking for a pH of 8 or 9.
If not, add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and test the pH again. Repeat if necessary.
Drops, Filters, and Filtration Systems
There are a few ways to get a steady stream of alkaline water.
pH Drops
These drops are probably the quickest and most convenient way to make alkaline water. They are specialty products designed to make alkaline water. Those who swear by this water brings a bottle of pH Drops with them everywhere.
They contain high concentrations of hydroxide salt. A couple of drops are enough to make a glass of water alkaline.
Ionizer Filter Pitchers
This is like a regular filter pitcher except it also makes the water alkaline. After the filtration stage, the water goes through an ionizer that separates hydroxide ions (OH-) from the calcium and magnesium salt in the water.
Therefore, you can only use the typical slightly heavier tap water as the sources, as you’ll need heavy metal salts for the hydroxide. Also note that this is not the fastest method. Alternatively, you can get a countertop ionizer that will work much faster (also much more expensive).
Reverse Osmosis Filtration System with Remineralization
First of all, reverse osmosis filtration systems use multi-stage filters and an RO membrane to remove all impurities from water. Without those heavy metals, the water will be slightly acidic.
Therefore, you will need a reverse osmosis system that features a remineralization stage (after the membrane) to add the appropriate basic salts to the water to make it alkaline.
Benefits of Alkaline Water
It is believed that the electrolytes in alkaline water allow for better hydration. In addition, this might improve your skin health and promote detoxication. Alkaline water is inherently rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Being alkaline, it also lowers acidity in the gastrointestinal tract and may act as an antioxidant to boost your overall health. This has yet to be proven in scientific studies, but there are indications that alkaline water can help with weight loss and improve cancer resistance.
Are There Any Dangers
In general, it’s safe to drink alkaline water. However, there are still some side effects.
Alkaline water could lower gastric acidity so much that it allows certain pathogens to enter the bloodstream. Excess alkalinity in your system could lead to skin irritations and gastrointestinal problems.
It can also disturb the normal pH level in your body, causing metabolic alkalosis. This condition may result in symptoms like confusion, nausea, hand tremors, tingling sensation, vomiting, etc. Plus, it might reduce calcium in your body, affecting your bone health.
On the bright side, these side effects occur only if you drink too much alkaline water or water that’s too alkaline. A commercial alkaline water machine will generate consistent alkaline water in the 8 to 9 pH range.
Homemade Mountain Spring
Making alkaline water is pretty straightforward as described above. And you can also quickly improve the alkalinity of your water just by adding some baking soda.
The health benefits of alkaline water sound logical enough if yet unproven. The important thing to remember is to not overdo this water or risk the unpleasant side effects.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861
http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SHYI200112005.htm
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0153-8
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/alkaline-water/faq-20058029
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