Is Alkaline Water Good For You?
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Does Alkaline Water Actually Do Anything?
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, we’re answering a viewer question who asked, is alkaline water good for you?
In addition to this, we talk about what is alkaline water and does it actually do anything for you?
We also share what type of water we drink the most.
This was a question from #AskLiveLeanTV Ep. 012.
Here’s today’s viewer question:
@mattchilledh2o on Twitter asks: I have heard you say that you want to keep your body in an alkaline state. What do you think about alkaline water? Is alkaline water good for you? What do you think about a water ionizer to get alkaline water?
Although we love the taste, let’s share the truth about alkaline water.
Is alkaline water a scam or are the health claims real?
Depending on where you live in the world, the quality of water that some people have to deal with can be pretty poor.
For example, compared to California, New York City surprisingly has great drinking water.
Maybe it’s the thought of the dirty pipes, but before living in New York City, I would not have thought they’d have access to delicious tap water.
But before we get into what type of water Jessica and I drink, I first want to give some background on what alkaline water is.
What Is Alkaline Water?
Alkaline water can be purchased in most grocery stores.
The term “alkaline” refers to it’s pH scale.
The pH scale ranges from 0-14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline.
Having a low pH level can be linked to having:
- a weakened immune system
- a greater risk of cancer and disease
- muscle loss
A more balanced pH level helps you stay healthier and more energized.
Alkaline Vs. Acidic Foods
Different foods and drinks fall somewhere within this 0-14 pH range.
Higher alkaline foods include green vegetables and high antioxidant fruits.
Higher acidic foods primarily includes foods found in the standard American diet, aka the SAD diet.
These acidic foods include processed foods, grains, sugar, and soda.
Regular drinking water is considered neutral at a pH of 7.0.
Alkaline water has a higher pH of 8-9.
Natural Alkaline Water vs Ionized Alkaline Water
There is a difference between natural alkaline water and ionized alkaline water.
Spring water becomes more alkaline from the addition of the natural minerals found in the spring.
This is different than regular alkaline water that uses an ionizer product to help remove the molecules in the water that are more acidic.
The removal of those acidic molecules can then raise the water’s alkalinity.
Based on this, is alkaline water good for you?
Is Alkaline Water Good For You?
The major health benefit claims associated with alkaline water include:
- helping neutralize the acid in the body thus helping prevent cancer and disease
- improving hydration
- slowing the aging process
- improving your immune system
- improving blood flow and endurance
- reducing acid reflux
Based on these health claims, does this mean we should all be investing in alkaline water?
Unfortunately it depends on who you talk too.
Many doctors and health professionals say there is not enough research or studies that back the marketing claims made by alkaline water marketers.
The one claim that seems to have research backing it is that alkaline water may help reduce acid reflux.
This is because it may help deactivate the enzyme pepsin, which may be responsible for causing acid reflux.
Bottom Line On Is Alkaline Water Good For You?
It’s not that alkaline water is bad for you.
The issue is, does alkaline water actually do anything for your body, to compensate for the extra money?
To date, it doesn’t seem like there has been enough research dedicated to proving the health claims to be real.
Ultimately, this doesn’t mean the other health claims aren’t true, it just means more research is needed to validate them.
If you have a budget for it, just do your research on the company first.
The Quality Of The Water Matters
The quality of the water being used before the ionization process is important.
Using water that is purified via reverse osmosis, before the ionization process, can help remove contaminants, and raise the pH level and minerals.
A cheaper way to alkalinize your water is by adding lemon or lime to regular water that has been filtered to remove the contaminants.
Even though lemon and lime is acidic, they contains minerals that creates an alkaline system when metabolized by the body.
This is why I drink lemon water every morning.
After my lemon water, I then drink a greens cocktail containing a nutrient-dense raw superfood complex of alkaline ingredients.
Here’s a link to the greens cocktail supplement that I take every morning.
What Kind Of Water Do We Drink?
We currently drink water using a filtration system through our fridge.
I’ve also used a Brita filtration system.
In the past, we also trained at a gym that offered a reverse osmosis water system.
So we’d always take all of our gallon water jugs and fill them up while we were there.
Maybe that’s why we worked out so much 😂.
Reverse osmosis water is so good and is one of the best types of water to drink.
Jessica’s parents also had a reverse osmosis system built into their house.
Whenever we go to places with a reverse osmosis system, we’re always guzzling the water.
Sometimes finding high quality water is a pain in the butt because it is hard to get and more expensive.
If it tastes better to you, which means you’re going to drink more water, and you can afford it, I definitely recommend you invest in your water.
Water is so important for you body.
Since we definitely drink a lot of water in a day, we try to drink higher quality water.
Maybe that’s why we go to the gym so much 😉
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
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