Alkaline water, often known as alkaline ionized water, refers to commercially accessible water having a high pH level. The pH is a measure of water’s acid-base equilibrium. Natural water typically has a pH of 6.5 to 8.5, which is governed by the carbon dioxide-bicarbonate-carbonate equilibrium system.
An increase in the quantity of dissolved carbon dioxide lowers the pH of water, producing acidic water. In contrast, a reduction in carbon dioxide increases the pH of water, resulting in alkaline water.
The pH of water is a primary driver of its corrosivity, which is a measure of how damaging water is to the metals in water distribution systems. Corrosive water can dissolve metals from the plumbing system, primarily copper and lead, which raises the metal content in drinking water and causes a variety of health concerns.
Acidic water (pH less than 7) is more corrosive than alkaline water. As a result, treating water with alkaline chemicals to raise its pH is regarded as one of the most effective methods of minimizing water corrosion.
Production of Alkaline Water
Alkaline water may be produced using water electrolysis, which separates the acidic and alkaline components of water. Natural water that runs through rocks collects minerals and becomes alkaline. Similarly, minerals rich in hydrogen, such as calcium and magnesium, can be used to produce electrolyzed water.
This type of water is known as alkaline reduced water. Brands like Daewoo Electronics has alkaline water purifiers that help you drink alkaline water at home.
Health Benefits of Alkaline Water
Many research have suggested that drinking alkaline water has health benefits. For example, oral treatment of alkaline ionized water reduces blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels while improving metabolic function by reducing free radical formation in animals with metabolic disorders. It also protects pancreatic beta cells from oxidative damage. Furthermore, alkaline water slows the pace of weight gain in obese mice via modulating cholesterol homeostasis.
In patients with end-stage renal disease, alkaline water has been found to minimize hemodialysis side effects such as increased free radical production. In the case of a urinary bladder stone, alkaline water speeds melamine elimination and prevents it from accumulating in the bladder, improving the pathological symptoms associated with the stone.
Because alkaline water has a higher pH, its natural ability to neutralize acids in the stomach makes it an excellent choice for treating gastrointestinal tract diseases such as gastric hyperacidity and diarrhea. Alkaline water has been proven in cases of laryngopharyngeal and gastroesophageal reflux illness to permanently deactivate pepsin, an endopeptidase responsible for reflux disease, by neutralizing stomach acid.
In the event of exercise-induced dehydration in healthy people, electrolyzed alkaline water has been demonstrated to lower high-shear blood viscosity, a coefficient used to describe viscous qualities of blood.
Surprisingly, drinking alkaline water has been linked to increased longevity. Mice given alkaline water had a higher survival rate than those given ordinary water.
Aside from the possible health benefits of consuming alkaline water, bathing in it can help with skin issues. For example, bathing mice in alkaline water has been found to prevent UV-induced skin damage by maintaining a balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Is there any risk?
Despite the various benefits of drinking alkaline water, rigorous quality control is required to keep the pH within a medically acceptable range. According to WHO criteria for drinking water quality, alkaline water with a pH greater than 9 causes skin and ocular discomfort in mice and rabbits. In humans, water with a pH greater than 10 causes skin, ocular, and mucus membrane irritation, as well as stomach distress in sensitive individuals. Aside from these issues, electrode breakdown during water electrolysis may produce extremely reactive platinum nanoparticles, which can be hazardous.
So make sure that you purchase alkaline water purifiers from only top brands like Daewoo India.