Alkaline Water... Worth all the Hype?

So I know you've been seeing it everywhere.... Alkaline water. It's all over social media, on the front shelves of the grocery store,  It's even in the dollar store!  But what is it? What is so special about this bottled water? At the grocery store it's $4 a bottle but then its $1 at dollar tree, its a tad bit confusing.

What is the difference between alkaline water and spring water? Who knew water could be so complex?!

So here we go, lets get started on answering these questions…

Alkaline water is, how shall I put this…. Alkaline water is water! What makes it alkaline isn’t the water itself, but what is going on inside of the water. The “alkaline” in alkaline water refers to its PH level, PH determines how acidic or alkaline the water is.

Normal drinking water has a PH of around 5 – 7, while what would be considered “alkaline” would have to have a PH level of 8 or higher… highest being 14. For water to be considered alkaline, it must also contain alkaline minerals and negative oxidation reduction potential (ORP). ORP is the ability of water to act as a pro- or antioxidant. The more negative the ORP value, the more antioxidizing it is.

Okay! Now we have gotten all the big words and sciencey stuff out of the way.

Now with all the extra hype over alkaline water you must know all this fame comes with fakes. Yes, fake alkaline water… water labeled as alkaline but is just as good as you kitchen sink’s tap mixed with baking soda (baking soda will raise the water’s PH).

 So the question is…. Is alkaline water even a natural thing?

The first answer is yes. Natural alkaline water comes from springs, the water picks up the minerals from naturally flowing over the rocks and minerals within the spring. The second answer is no. A lot of the alkaline water we see being sold was not collected from springs but was made into a water with an alkaline PH, other than the ones that just are not alkaline at all.  Water is made alkaline by using a machine called a water ionizer that uses a process called electrolysis and by adding the minerals to the water. Simply adding lemon, lime, or baking soda to your water at home can actually make it more alkaline.

So now you know what alkaline water is and what makes it alkaline…. But that’s not all is it? You want to know the WHY don’t you? Why should we drink this expensive water? What does it do for us? Should I just add some baking soda to my water and call it a day?

Alkaline water is thought to lower the ph in the body. It is also thought to aid with anti-aging properties (via liquid antioxidants that absorb more quickly into the human body). Then there’s the colon-cleansing properties, the immune support immune system support, hydration, skin health, and other detoxifying properties. Alkaline water as well as foods are also believed to help the body with cancer resistance.

So that pretty much sums it up. I hope this information helps you out, answers your questions, or at least helps you decide what kind of water you’re drinking today…

Thanks for reading <3 

-Britt