Alkaline water is probably something you’ve heard about on the news or through some celebrities and/or fitness gurus you follow. It’s among the many health-focused products that claim to offer all kinds of benefits that will help you feel significantly better.
But what exactly is alkaline water?
Water that can be described as alkaline has a pH level of at least eight or higher. For context, regular tap water typically has a pH level of 7.
On top of that, this particular type of water is also known to contain different minerals.
Why Has Alkaline Water Become So Popular?
Now that we know that alkaline water has a pH level significantly higher than what regular tap water features, what does that really mean?
Proponents of alkaline water say that the combination of the higher pH level and minerals present in the aforementioned liquid allow it to provide more health benefits to those who drink it regularly. The claimed benefits from drinking alkaline water are quite remarkable.
You will easily find people online saying that drinking alkaline water will help you lose weight and increase your resistance to certain diseases. Unfortunately, studies examining those supposed benefits of alkaline water remain inconclusive. Additional research will be needed to determine whether they are real.
However, that does not mean that you are getting nothing from drinking alkaline water. While drinking alkaline water is not guaranteed to help you lose weight or steer clear of certain major diseases, you can still expect it to be helpful to your body in some hugely important ways.
Alkaline Water Can Help Soothe Your Acid Reflux
You may not be stressing about potentially suffering from the effects of acid reflux, but the reality is that this disease can cause a significant amount of discomfort.
According to WebMD, some of the unpleasant symptoms of acid reflux include dysphagia or the feeling that there’s some food lodged in the back of your throat and can also coincide with a bout of sore throat and coughing. Nausea and feeling bloated are additional worries associated with acid reflux.
Arguably the most notable side effect of acid reflux is heartburn. This burning sensation can originate from your stomach and make it all the way up to your throat, causing extreme discomfort all throughout that journey.
Via Healthline, an earlier study revealed that alkaline water with a pH level of at least 8.8 is capable of targeting and deactivating pepsin inside your body. That is important because pepsin is known to be among the main causes of acid reflux.
Alkaline Water Can Have a Positive Impact on Blood Viscosity
Going back to that article from Healthline, another benefit from regularly consuming alkaline water is that it can change the viscosity of your blood. A newer study showed that water with a higher pH level can reduce blood viscosity by about three percent.
That reduction of viscosity is important because of how it can impact the flow of blood. Oxygenated blood can move better throughout your body
With more oxygenated blood flowing inside your body, you can effectively lower your risk for certain heart-related ailments and you may also be able to alleviate at least some of your cholesterol concerns, per MedlinePlus.
If you’re counting on alkaline water to be some kind of cure-all that can address every single health concern that you have, then you’ll probably be disappointed by learning about its actual capabilities.
Still, there are some real benefits to be gained from drinking alkaline water regularly, which is why it’s worth your time to learn about the ways to make some of it right from the comfort of your own home.
The Methods for Making Alkaline Water at Home
Add Lemon Juice to Your Water
Because lemon juice is widely known for being tart and quite acidic, no one would blame you for being puzzled as to why some people use it to make alkaline water. Sure enough though, lemon juice can be your key ingredient if you want some alkaline water.
WikiHow notes that lemons can be used to make alkaline water because of their anionic properties. The anionic properties present in the lemon juice can react with your body and that can lead to the water becoming alkaline.
Simply adding 1/8 of a tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of water is enough to produce alkaline water.
Add Baking Soda to Your Water
If you’re running low on your stock of lemons, baking soda can work as a substitute for it. Baking soda is an alkaline item and it can turn your water into that as well.
You can follow the same recipe here – 1/8 of a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water – to create your alkaline water. Just be sure to mix the baking soda into the water thoroughly.
It’s also worth remembering that baking soda is an item with high sodium content so be sure that your body is okay with it before creating the alkaline water.
Add pH Drops to Your Water
To keep things simple, you can add pH drops to your water in order to create alkaline water. The great thing about using pH drops is that the instructions for creating alkaline water should already be right there on the bottle. Simply follow them to create the batch of alkaline water you need.
Use a Water Filter Pitcher
Some of the materials used inside water filter pitchers can increase the pH level of the water. Along with filtering out contaminants, these pitchers can also help by providing access to some of the benefits associated with drinking alkaline water.
It is important to note that the pH level of water produced by water filter pitchers is not that high so you may still want to seek out an alternative.
Use a Water Ionizer
Probably the best and easiest way to ensure that you always have some alkaline water on hand is to use a water ionizer. Once attached to a faucet, you can use the ionizer to produce as much alkaline water as you need.
Water ionizers also produce acidic water and you can use that for cleaning your body or your home.
Alkaline water is not a magical elixir that will help you get rid of any present and future health concerns, but it is still a beneficial health aid. Drink more of it regularly to improve your circulation and steer clear of bouts with heartburn.
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