Alkaline water for health benefits: is it true?

Transforming tap water into a precious liquid that delays aging, prevents and treats pathological interventions, it is the concept of alkaline water that appeals to many gullible people. Our modern lifestyle and store-bought foods emit acidic waste into our bodies, so almost all of us suffer from acidosis. Thanks to alkaline water, our cells are protected and can fight more effectively against the various health problems that a human being may encounter.

This is what you can read on a site selling devices for making alkaline ionized water. The extraordinary effects of this water are said to be due to its alkaline pH, its antioxidant capacities and above all to the “molecular restructuring” of water. The formation of smaller molecular clusters of water would make the water 6 times more absorbable by cells.

Spring water from Japan

The process known as “Kangen” (from the Japanese “alkaline water”), originating in Japan, is presented as something that will change life. It is even said that in Japan it is used in hospitals to treat people. On the internet, you can discover an endless list of areas in which this water would have beneficial effects: from cancer to depression, including cholesterol, weight loss and back pain. All cleverly presented in the form of testimonials, in an attempt to gain credibility and avoid being legally attacked for making unauthorized health claims.

Acid and acidity

The hexagonal structure attributed to alkaline water is not credible: a fixed structure is not possible for liquid water, whose molecules are in motion. Only ice can claim it. But above all, if the pH of the water can actually be greater than 7, which is also sometimes the case with mains water or certain natural mineral waters, especially rich in bicarbonates. Such water can in no case neutralize protons at the cellular level, and this, for the good and simple reason that before reaching the cells, water must be assimilated and pass through the bloodstream.

However, the pH of the blood is very closely and efficiently maintained thanks to the buffers. Not to mention the exposure of what is ingested to acidic secretions from the stomach, buffered in the small intestine by the bicarbonates of the pancreatic juice, which, in fine, does not make it possible to establish a link between the pH of what is ingested and the pH in the body.

Conclusion

This theory of acidity as the mother of all ills, combined with an ignorance of nutrition, leads some to advise against any acidic food, such as oranges. However, it is clearly established that even when they are acidic, fruits and vegetables have an alkalizing effect in the body, unlike which have an acidifying effect. And the water we drink has no effect on the acidity of the cells, even that which comes out of a Alkaline device costing nearly $ 3,000.

But, it is true that consuming alkaline water help maintaining the acidity level in the body. It regulates the pH level, and improves the metabolism and immunity.