Is Alkaline Water Safe to Drink?
If you’re new to alkaline water, you may be wondering if it’s actually safe to drink. To better understand the answer, you will have to first familiarize yourself with the term “alkaline,” which refers to the water’s pH level.
This is a number which measures the acidity or alkalinity of water on a scale of zero to fourteen. Any substance with a pH of 1 or 2 is very acidic, while those with a pH of 13 or 14 is very alkaline.
With these examples, you will know that for water to be alkaline, it was to have a higher pH level. Experts believe that alkaline water can neutralize acid in the body, and is thus beneficial to your health. The water that we drink normally has a pH level of 7, while alkaline water has a pH of 9 or 8.
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Where to Get Alkaline Water?
You can purchase this kind of water in health food stores and supermarket. You can also buy water ionizers so you can make your own alkaline water at home. Even if you don’t want to invest money on an alkaline water machine, you can still make your own.
You can, for example, use lime juice or lemon juice. They may be acidic but they also contain minerals that alter the composition of water. By simply adding lime or lemon to your water, you in turn make your water alkaline. Just make sure you use distilled water because bottled water or tap water may contain other additives.
Is Drinking Alkaline Water Safe?
Some health professionals have raised concerns regarding the safety of alkaline water, but the truth is, drinking natural alkaline water is considered to be generally safe. That’s because it contains nothing but water and natural minerals.
What you do need to be wary of is artificial alkaline water because they may lack minerals that are essential to your health. If you overuse it, your body could become deficient of important nutrients.
Drinking Alkaline Water Everyday
Drinking alkaline water daily is good for you, as long as the water you drink contains all the nutrients and minerals your body needs. Besides, by drinking alkaline water, you are assured that your body will have alkaline minerals that can neutralize, or at least, act as a buffer to the high acid level in your body.
If you have access to naturally alkaline water, you should drink 2 liters of it each day. The alkalinity of this water is a result of minerals that are naturally alkaline such as magnesium and calcium, and the body utilizes such minerals and store or eliminate anything that is no longer needed. In short, it’s impossible to become excessively alkaline when you drink natural alkaline water.
On the other hand, if you are drinking artificially alkaline water, experts advise that you first have to measure the pH of your body regularly so that you can regulate your consumption of this type of water. Ionized water should not be consumed everyday because it’s highly possible that your body will become too alkaline, and this can pose a problem to your health.
How to Measure the Body’s pH Level
If you want to test your body’s pH level, here’s what you need to do:
- First, let your saliva accumulate in your mouth and spit it out.
- Then place the colored end of a litmus paper or a pH test strip into the spit and wait until it changes color.
- The test strip’s packaging will tell you your score.
It’s important to wait until about 2 hours after a meal to do this test.
Should You Drink Alkaline Water?
If you’re still on the fence about drinking alkaline water, the thing you need to understand is that if your body has a high pH then drinking alkaline water will be beneficial for you.
Alkaline water can:
- Detoxify your body. It can eliminate acidic waste products that have accumulated daily in your body.
- Hydrate your body. Of course, water in itself can hydrate your body so it can maintain good health. But with alkaline water, micro clusters are easily absorbed by the cells, which in effect, makes your body super hydrated.
- Provides antioxidants. Another wonderful benefit of alkaline water is that it acts as an antioxidant, getting rid of free radicals that are known to damage the body and cause all kinds of health problems.
With alkaline water, your body will be healthier and you will feel better overall. The key is to be aware of your body’s pH level and regulate your intake of alkaline water. This is especially true if you opt to drink artificial alkaline water.
