Alkaline Water: The Benefits of Alkaline Drinking Water

We all know we should be drinking plenty of water each and every day, and although many of us fail to reach our recommended daily target, we generally understand the massively important role it plays in our everyday health and wellbeing. But why? And perhaps more importantly - if we are going to be consuming so much water, shouldn’t we make sure it is the best quality?

Water Facts

Water is widely accepted as one of the most important considerations when creating a healthy lifestyle. Water comprises between 50-70% of an adult’s body (up to 90lbs in a 130lb adult!) - and when water is taken out of our diet our survival time is 2-3 days at best so we have to make sure we are always well hydrated.

According to mayoclinic.com, at the very least dehydration can cause:

• Excessive thirst

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Dry mouth

• Little or no urination

• Muscle weakness

• Dizziness

• Lightheadedness

Just to give a further idea of the importance of water in our diets, to survive the body can stand to lose the following:

• 50% of your glucose
• 50% of your fat
• 50% of your protein; but
• only 20% of your water!

So water is important, but what about the quality of water?

Alkaline Water and the Benefits of Alkaline Drinking Water

The average suggestion of water consumption per day ranges from 2.5 litres to 4 litres - so it is imperative that we ensure that this water is of the highest quality.

There is a lot of discussion about the merits of alkaline water (particularly in the open publishing medium known as the Internet) - however, regardless of who you listen to regarding this debate there is one thing that is certain:

the process of making making water alkaline increases the purity of the water by filtering out toxins and impurities

For those who are not so sceptical about the benefits of the alkaline lifestyle, alkaline water helps to neutralise acids and remove toxins from the body - it is a great cleanser and helps to detoxify our system.

How Do We Make Alkaline Water?

There are three main methods to make alkaline water:

1. Using a distiller
2. Using a water ioniser
3. Adding alkaline ingredients to the water

Using a Distiller: using a distiller is a very efficient and effective method of purifying and alkalising your water. As noted by Dr. Weil:

the process of distillation kills and removes virtually all bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and other organic and inorganic contaminants. Once distilled, the water is as pure as water can reasonably be.

What a recommendation! He also does a great job here of dispelling the incredibly inaccurate myth about distilled water leaching minerals from the body (ridiculous I know).

Distilled water is water that has been turned to steam and then condensed back into water. This process, as noted above kills all impurities, removes acid toxins and makes the water pH neutral/slightly alkaline. In my opinion, this is the very best type of alkaline water filter.

Using a water ioniser

Water ionisers are, unsurprisingly, products that ionise water. The water is ionised (electrically enhanced) by running it over positive and negative electrodes. This separates the water into alkaline (70%) and acidic (30%). This is exceptionally beneficial as the alkaline water is then used for drinking, while the acidic water can be used on the outside of the body as it is proven to kill many types of bacteria.

Adding alkaline ingredients to the water

The third method is to add ingredients to the water to increase its alkalinity. I would only make these alkaline water additions to water that had already been put through an alkaline water filter, however they can be handy in an emergency when there is only mineral or tap water to hand.

• Lemon Water: I have already blogged lemon water to death, however, I will mention it here as it really is an alkalising superstar. By squeezing lemon juice (or lime juice) into water you immediately give it a healthful kick. Lemon water is very alkaline and is great in helping to detoxify the liver and kidneys.
• pH Drops: these are an excellent way to dramatically increase the alkalinity of the water. These drops offer intense alkalinity and only a few are needed for an incredible boost to the alkalinity of your drink. There are several types around but I would only really recommend Alkalive’s pH Booster or Innerlight’s Prime pH.

So What is Alkaline Water and Why Make Our Water Alkaline?

Acid wastes (from the lifestyles we lead - not only from food and drink, but also from stress and other pollutants) are dumped into the bloodstream and lymph, and then are transported to the liver and kidneys for the detoxification processing and elimination. The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain.

In order to hydrate your body optimally, you need to drink water that is alkaline and mineral rich. Alkaline water helps to neutralise acids and remove toxins from the body. Alkaline water also acts as a conductor of electrochemical activity from cell to cell. Ideally, water should have a ph between 9 and 10, and you should be drinking 3-4 litres of it daily. As you hydrate your body properly, you’ll develop more of a thirst for water.

Food cravings are often the body’s cry for water. You might already have more of a thirst than you even realise - and if you are going to quench it, make sure your water is alkaline!