What Is Alkaline Water (and How Is It Different from Filtered Water)?
Here’s a quick science lesson: Every food and drink has a pH level, from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic, or alkaline). Normal drinking water, for its part, usually has a pH of 7. Alkaline water typically has a pH between 7.5 and 9. Proponents of eating and drinking more alkaline things believe that doing so will help keep your blood pH level as alkaline as possible. In turn, having more alkaline levels is thought to reduce your risk of developing a number of diseases, including cancer and arthritis, as well as increase energy levels, reduce inflammation and a host of other health benefits.
As for the taste of alkaline water, Carissa Galloway, RDN, tells us, “Overall I love the taste of BODYARMOR SportWater. It’s my go-to for the times when I crave refreshing, crisp water and want to boost my electrolytes after a workout.”
What Are the Potential Benefits of Alkaline Water?
Some folks believe that the more alkaline the body is, the less likely you are to contract certain illnesses and diseases. One 2016 study at Italy’s University of Padua found that mice who consumed alkaline water lived longer than mice that didn’t, though researchers admitted that more research would be necessary. Another study published in The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology found that drinking naturally carbonated artesian-well alkaline water with a pH of 8.8 might help deactivate pepsin, an enzyme that causes acid reflux.