A lot of health experts advise that maintaining the right pH balance is very essential for keeping ourselves healthy.
In order to understand the complex puzzle of acidic and alkaline nature let us first understand what pH value is.
pH stands for “potential hydrogen”, which is basically a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration.
E.g. if the level is 1, it means the solution is very acidic and if it is 14, it is very alkaline. Alkaline Water has a pH value generally ranging around 8 or 9.
What is Alkaline Water?
Alkaline water is nothing but water with a pH value higher than 7.
Many medical experts and researchers in this field believe that alkaline water is good for people with excess acidity as it helps in neutralizing excess acid in the body.
This neutralizing effect reduces acidity and helps in preventing and controlling several diseases that are caused by high acid reflux like heart diseases, digestion-related problems, arthritis, lack of immunity, etc.
There are many benefits of drinking alkaline water and there are several ways to make alkaline water . We will answer all this and more right here and right now.
There is still some confusion and controversy over the health claims of alkaline water. Many health experts believe there is a lack of enough research to support the health claims of alkaline water .
However, there are some studies that suggest the positive effects of alkaline water in certain health conditions.
For example, a 2012 study published on the US National Library of Medicine’s website found that drinking alkaline water with a pH of 8.8 may help deactivate pepsin, which is the main enzyme that causes acid reflux .
Alkaline water is believed to offer several health benefits, like:
Improves Digestion
Strengthens of Bones
Boosts Immunity
Reduces Acidity
Reduces the risk of Heart Diseases
Detoxifies
Anti-aging
Helps in Weight Loss
Want to know how you can make your water alkaline?
But before we learn how to make alkaline water, it is important to first determine the pH value of raw or purified water.
Let’s see how you can check whether your drinking water is alkaline or not.
Finding the alkalinity of water or any other solution is very easy.
All you need is a piece of litmus paper or pH strip.
You can easily test the pH value of water using a pH strip, simply dip the pH strip in the water, let it sit for a moment, and then compare the color of litmus paper against the standard pH color chart to find the pH value.
Note the pH value and if it is 7 or lower then you should alkalize the water using one of the ways listed below. After alkalization, the pH value of water should be 8 or 9 .
You can easily purchase a pH kit online. The pH kit comes with pH strips and a pH color chart.
You can refer to the color pH level chart given above to find out the pH value.
If you are drinking water with a low pH value and are facing any health problems related to acidity then you should first consult a qualified doctor to understand the need for alkaline water.
Wondering how you can make alkaline water at home?
Well, that’s quite easy!
Now we will show you several easy ways to make alkaline water at home or increase the pH level of drinking water.
You can make alkaline water naturally at home with things like lemon, cucumber, baking soda , etc.
You can also use alkaline filters and pH drops to change the pH value of water from neutral or acidic to alkaline.
Let’s now look at some different ways to make alkaline water at home.
Baking soda has high alkaline content (pH value 9) and when you mix baking soda with water it increases the alkaline nature of water.
All you need to do is add half a tablespoon of baking soda to about four litres of drinking water and stir the water until the baking soda dissolves completely.
You can now drink this alkaline water.
Does lemon make water alkaline?
Lemon in its natural form is acidic with a pH of about 2, but when added to water, consumed, and once metabolized it actually becomes alkaline with a pH well above 7.
That is why you hear everyone asking to drink a glass of lemon water in the morning.
Fill about 1.5 to 2 litres of water in a jug. Cut one lemon into eight slices and add the lemon slices to the water – but do not squeeze them. Cover the jug and let it sit overnight for 8 to 12 hours at room temperature.
You can drink this water right away. This water tastes great when chilled.
You can buy a bottle of pH drops online or from a medical store near you.
pH drops contain highly concentrated alkaline minerals.
Follow the instructions on the pack regarding how many drops to add to the water.
pH drops instantly increase the alkalinity of water.
If you are using an RO water purifier (without mineralizer) at your home and the purified water has a pH value of 7 or lower then you can add an alkaline filter to increase the pH value.
This alkaline filter should be added post purification, after UV or post-carbon filter, just before the water is filled in the storage tank.
You can easily find Alkaline Water filter pitchers like this one from Kent.
Kent alkaline water filter pitcher increases the pH level of water to a pH level of 8.5 – 9.5 for a healthy body and healthy mind.
It also reduces the Oxygen Reduction Potential (ORP) to give you antioxidant alkaline water.
Alkaline water is generally considered safe, but you may experience some common side effects when you switch to alkaline water.
These side effects are headaches, runny nose, fatigue, and darker and softer stools. But these side effects are actually a positive sign of your body undergoing detoxification .
These side effects will disappear once your body gets used to alkaline water , which can take anywhere from a couple of days to 2 to 3 weeks.
One serious side effect of excessive alkalinity is it can disrupt the body’s normal pH resulting in a condition called metabolic alkalosis – this causes confusion, nausea, vomiting, hand tremors, and tingling in the hands and feet.
Alkaline water with a pH value of 8 or 9 is definitely safe . There is no argument over the safety of alkaline water, the only issue that many health experts have with alkaline water is the claims of positive health benefits.
This is because; at present, there is not enough scientific evidence to support the claims of the health benefits of alkaline water.
Drinking natural alkaline water (water that naturally passes over rocks — like springs — and picks up minerals, which increase its alkaline level) is generally considered safe since it contains natural minerals.
However, you should be cautious with artificial alkaline water, which may contain low levels of essential minerals; higher pH does not necessarily mean more minerals.