Many individuals espouse the drinking of so-called alkaline water for good health, but is there any credible evidence to support their claims?

Personal testimonials and pseudo-scientific studies underpin the claims that alkaline water is a powerful antioxidant that can boost energy levels, slow the aging process, and even prevent and reverse many degenerative diseases such as arthritis and cancer.

The truth is that the human body is designed to adjust to its optimal pH balance no matter what you eat or drink, so there is no necessity to drink alkaline water to make one’s body more alkaline. Actually, all that will happen when you drink alkaline water is that your stomach, which is designed to be acidic, will simply create more acid to neutralise the alkalinity in the water.

The constant ingestion of alkaline water can actually result in an abnormal digestive condition due to the stomach having to constantly having to produce more acid each time you drink it in order to compensate for the dilution of gastric juices.

The body needs to maintain normal stomach acidity for digestive purposes as well as protect against bacterial and viral infections, because the acid environment in the gut is designed to destroy any pathogenic organisms that may be ingested in food or water.

According to a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, drinking alkaline water can bring about a condition called alkalosis (rising cellular pH), which can cause alkaline-induced cell death as a result of altering mitochondrial function.

Drinking water on a regular basis is vital to your good health though; the body is made up of around 70% water and this balance needs to be maintained for optimal health. Every cell in the human body requires water, which means that dehydration can result in various health problems, including headaches, urinary problems, dizziness, impaired cognitive function, and much more.

The best way to ensure that you are drinking sufficient water, and quality drinking water at that, is to invest in a water cooler that can dispense chilled, filtered drinking water virtually 24/7.