We've all heard that drinking water is good for us and we’re often told to drink around 2 litres a day. But what about alkaline water? 

Does it have the same effect or does alkaline water have even more health benefits than regular water?

Why is water so good for us? 

Over half of our body is water! Our cells, organs and bones all need water to function properly. In fact, our brains and hearts are made up of about 70% water.

Although drinking water doesn’t seem very glamorous, if we become dehydrated we can quickly begin to lose concentration and focus, become lethargic and have sugar cravings. In the long term, dehydration can result in organ failure and humans can only survive for 3 or 4 days without water.

Regular water from the tap vs alkaline water

Regular tap water usually has a neutral PH of 7 (although it can be lower) whilst alkaline water has a PH over 7. 

7 is neutral and any lower than 7 is acidic. As an example, corrosive liquids like lemon juice have a PH of around 2.5.

Water usually has a natural PH higher than 7 which comes from the minerals and salts found in the earth. But as the water passes through our man-made pipes and water distribution systems it loses a lot of it’s minerals and as a result the PH levels drop.

The blood in our bodies has a PH around 7.4 and the systems in our bodies work hard to maintain that level. Many alkaline water fans believe that drinking filtered water with a higher PH means that we are giving our bodies a helping hand to keep to that healthy PH of 7.4.

Benefits of alkaline water

• Reducing acid levels within our bodies

It’s widely believed that drinking alkaline water can help to reduce or balance the acid levels within our bodies.

Having too much acid in our body can result in a long list of issues including fatigue, confusion, joint pain and inflammation, headaches, an elevated heart rate and digestion problems. This ‘acidosis’ occurs when our kidneys cannot remove all the excess acid from our body.

Acid in our body can also strip important minerals like calcium and magnesium from our bones which can lead to diseases like osteoporosis.

Cancer is also known to thrive in acidic environments and struggles to survive in alkaline environments. The opportunity to reduce acid in the body could be a significant benefit of drinking alkaline water for many people.

• Anti-oxidant effects

Alkaline water is high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are great for our body and our overall health. They help us to keep repairing our cells to keep us looking and feeling fit and healthy.

• Anti-aging

Another benefit that drinking alkaline water can have for our bodies is an anti-ageing effect. A 2016 study on mice which ran for three years suggested that drinking alkaline water increased their life span significantly.

• A treatment for acid reflux

A report by Dr. Jamie Koufman concluded that alkaline water with a PH of 8.8 can work as an effective treatment for people who suffer from acid reflux. Alkaline water has the ability to neutralise the stomach acid causing this unpleasant disease.

• Hydration

The molecules in alkaline water are smaller than in our regular tap water. This means that our bodies can absorb alkaline water more easily without that bloated feeling that regular water can sometimes give you.

• Reducing high blood pressure

One study carried out in Shanghai discovered that drinking alkaline water for 3 to 6 months brought high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood lipid levels back to normal.

• Decreasing blood thickness

A paper Weidman et al found that drinking alkaline water after exercise helps to thin out the blood faster then normal water. This is useful to aid recovery after exercise and could be potentially life saving for individuals suffering from thickened or hardened arteries who want to improve their fitness with less risk.

• Preventing obesity

Many alkaline water enthusiasts report that it helps with weight loss. Backing up this claim, a 2013 study found that when obese mice drank alkaline water for 7 weeks they lost weight compared with mice drinking regular water but eating the same diet.

The benefits of drinking alkaline water are very promising and many people who drink alkaline water report considerable health benefits. However, many of these studies and reports have only been carried out in labs or on a small scale so it would be nice to see more research demonstrating the many benefits of alkaline water.

Alkaline water risks

As with anything, if you consume too much there can be negative effects. Although it is extremely unusual, an over consumption of alkaline products could lead to alkalosis. Having too much alkaline in the body can bring on the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. However, if we drink alkaline water alongside a healthy and varied diet we would be very unlikely to experience this effect.

Slowly increasing the amount of alkaline water that we drink allows our bodies to adapt to the increased mineral content and higher PH and reduces the likelihood of any unwanted side effects.

How can I get alkaline water in my own home? 

Installing a water filter is the easiest way for us to access unlimited alkaline water and Invigorated Water offers a variety of alkaline water filter systems to suit every home.

Counter top filters for kitchens with plenty of space hold enough water for the entire family. Smaller pitcher filters will fit easily into the fridge door where you can keep them cool. 

Or, our faucet filters are a great option to easily provide alkaline water in your home and are easy to install.

If you are on the go and want to make sure that you have your alkaline water with you, try one of our bottle filters. Not only do they make your water taste better, they also look great.

You can also benefit from using alkaline water in your shower. 

When you shower, water is vaporized into steam which you inhale as you shower. By installing a shower filter such as the PH Rejuvenate shower head filter,  which increases the PH of your water you’ll know that you are breathing in safe, alkaline steam rather than potentially harmful, acidic water.

Showering with alkaline water can also be good for your skin. One study found that applying alkaline water to the sun damaged skin of mice helped to reduce the damage. Alkaline water has an anti-inflammatory effect that was also seen in people bathing in high PH spring water. Many of our customers report that their hair and skin feels noticeably softer and smoother after showering under our shower head filters.

Another advantage of the Invigorated Water filters is that they can remove any unwanted toxins, chemicals and heavy metals from our drinking water whilst adding in healthy minerals like magnesium and calcium. 

Pollutants often work their way into our water supply and can be missed by our government water treatment stations, particularly if our water is carried through old pipes, across long distances.

Increasing the PH of your drinking water to make it alkaline, removing pollutants and adding in the healthy minerals allows your body to thrive. By choosing to drink filtered, alkaline water you are looking after your health in one simple, easy step.