Alkaline Water Benefits: What the Research Says, and Doesn't
Alkaline water is one of the most searched and most over-promised products in the water aisle. This is the honest version, written by a company that sells it. The short answer: alkaline water is a safe, good-tasting water that hydrates as well as any other, with a small amount of research pointing to a few specific benefits and a long list of claims with nothing behind them.
1. It hydrates. That is the main benefit.
Water is water. The best-supported benefit of any bottled water is that people drink more of one they like the taste of. Mineral-added alkaline water tastes rounder than purified water, and for many people that is the difference between finishing the bottle and not.
2. It may help with reflux symptoms, for some people
A 2012 laboratory study by Koufman and Johnston, published in the Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, found that water at 8.8 pH permanently deactivated pepsin, the stomach enzyme involved in reflux damage, in a test tube. A 2017 study in JAMA Otolaryngology reported that patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux who followed a Mediterranean-style diet with alkaline water did about as well as patients on acid-suppressing medication. These are small studies about one type of reflux, and neither shows alkaline water curing anything. If you have reflux, ask your doctor. Some people find alkaline water eases symptoms, and it is a low-risk thing to try.
3. Minerals and electrolytes
Alkaline waters made from purified water have a set blend of minerals added back, typically calcium, magnesium and potassium. The amounts are small next to food, but they are real, and they are what you taste. During long, sweaty exercise, a water with electrolytes is a reasonable choice over plain purified water.
4. Exercise and recovery
A 2016 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that after a dehydrating workout, participants who rehydrated with high-pH water showed lower blood viscosity than those who drank standard water. It was a single small study funded by a water company. Rehydrating after exercise matters; whether the pH matters is not settled.
What we do not claim
These are common claims for alkaline water that have no good evidence behind them, and Alkaid does not make them:
- It does not change your blood pH. The body holds blood between 7.35 and 7.45 regardless of what you drink.
- It does not "detox" anything. Your liver and kidneys do that.
- It does not prevent or treat cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis or aging.
- It is not a substitute for any medication.
Side effects, and who should check first
For healthy adults, drinking 9.5 pH water every day is fine; stomach acid neutralizes it within minutes. Very high-pH water (above 10) or large amounts of homemade baking-soda water can upset digestion. People with kidney disease, on dialysis, or on a restricted-mineral diet should ask their doctor before choosing any mineral-added water.
What Alkaid is
Ultra-purified water with minerals added for taste and electrolytes, bottled at 9.5 pH in Belleville, New Jersey. How it is made, and how it compares to spring and purified water: what is alkaline water?
Questions people ask
Is alkaline water good for you?
It is a safe, well-hydrating water. Small studies suggest it may ease some reflux symptoms, and it carries a modest amount of minerals. It does not change blood pH or treat disease.
Does alkaline water help with acid reflux?
Two small studies suggest water around 8.8 pH and above can deactivate pepsin in the lab and may help laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms as part of a diet change. It is not a treatment; ask your doctor.
What does alkaline water do for your body?
It hydrates you and supplies a small amount of electrolytes. Any other effect is unproven.
Is alkaline water better than regular water?
For hydration, no. For taste, many people prefer it. For reflux symptoms, possibly, for some people.
Can you drink alkaline water every day?
Yes, for healthy adults. If you have kidney disease or a restricted-mineral diet, ask your doctor first.
Does alkaline water have side effects?
At 9.5 pH, rarely any. Very high pH water or large amounts of homemade baking-soda water can cause digestive upset.