Alkaline Water – What Does It Really Do?
By Dr. Keith David Kantor
The female body is presented with many challenges in reference to maintaining proper homeostasis.
Let’s take a look at staying hydrated, drinking the BEST type of water to achieve this goal.
Most alkaline waters make two main claims – that they restore pH balance to the body and that they have superior hydration qualities. Hydration claims are hard to prove or disprove so let’s deal with the alkaline claims. First, alkalinity is a quantitative measurement of the ability of a water to neutralize acid (hydrogen) as measured by pH. Neutralization can be accomplished by one of two methods. The first method occurs when an alkaline substance with a negative charge is added to counteract the positive charge of an acid. This is called buffering and is accomplished by the addition of minerals, trace minerals or electrolytes, all of which are alkaline. Although this helps restores the pH balance, it does not eliminate the acid. This is the main focus of most alkaline waters and how they accomplish their main goal of helping to restore pH balance.
The second method of neutralization occurs when hydroxide is introduced. Hydroxide (OH–) is a natural acid (hydrogen – H+) hunter that does not merely buffer the body against excess hydrogen but eliminates it by combining with it to form harmless water. That water can then be used for hydration or eliminated through urination. Here is the formula of the elimination reaction: OH– + H+ = H2O. This is a far more effective way to deal with excess acidity than mere buffering and it also increases the hydration potential of the water because it creates water. Any alkaline water that has negative ions or undergoes some form of ionization contains hydroxide. The problem is that most alkaline waters use this as a secondary and subsidiary means of restoring pH balance and focus too much on buffering. By eliminating acidity which eliminates acidosis and most studies show this helps drastically reduce inflammation. Although alkaline water helps inflammation to a small extent by buffering the acidity, hydroxide water helps to a much larger extent because is eliminates the acidity instead of just buffering it.
Both of the below articles were Peer Reviewed by two open access scientific international journals.
http://namedprogram.com/understanding-alkalinity-and-acidity-version-2-0/
http://namedprogram.com/the-lactatelactic-acid-debate-an-outsiders-perspective/
So what conclusion can be reached? Most alkaline waters do have the potential to help restore pH but they miss the true power of alkalinity by focusing on buffering rather than elimination of the acid. Why does this matter? By chemical definition, acidity is a problem of too much hydrogen (H+). Too much acidity (H+) in the body can stem from diet, disease, exercise, and other life style factors. It is generally recognized that excess acidity in the body creates acidosis which most studies show causes inflammation. The CDC says that inflammation adversely affects or is causative in up to 85% of all chronic diseases. Acidity also causes a lack of oxygen and a lower pH condition in which pathogens flourish. If all you do is buffer, then you do not reduce the hydrogen levels even though you have helped restored the pH balance. The body’s natural buffering system is very adept at keeping pH in the 7.35-7.45 range but it needs help eliminating the excess acid (H+) because of our western lifestyle. The only way to truly reduce inflammation is to eliminate the excess hydrogen, which is where hydroxide comes in to play.
What does all of this mean? Simply put: a water that concentrates on providing as many free hydroxide ions as possible will do more to reduce inflammation than typical alkaline waters. Finding a hydroxide rich water is more important than finding a water that claims high alkalinity, especially if that alkalinity relies on minerals or electrolytes. Emphasis on hydroxide content rather than mineral content makes the water a more transformative water with greater restorative potential. Hydroxide rich water also increases the oxygen content of the blood; in many cases this tends to give people more energy.
Chаngе іn рH lеvеlѕ соuld роtеntіаllу lеаd tо рооr оxуgеn dеlіvеrу tо thе bоdу’ѕ сеllѕ. Addіtіоnаllу, thе рH оf уоur blооd рlауѕ а vіtаl rоlе іn rеgulаtіng іnѕulіn, аnd аn іmbаlаnсе іn уоur bоdу’ѕ іnѕulіn lеvеlѕ саn ѕраrk thе оnѕеt оf dіаbеtеѕ. Your рH lеvеlѕ аrе аlѕо dіrесtlу rеlаtеd tо hеаlthу thуrоіd funсtіоn. Fоr еxаmрlе, thе thуrоіd саnnоt funсtіоn wіthоut рrореrlу mаіntаіnеd lеvеlѕ оf іоdіnе (more common in females) іn thе bоdу. Sіnсе рH іѕ сrіtісаl tо mаіntаіnіng thе bоdу’ѕ іоdіnе lеvеlѕ. Maintaining a hеаlthу рH equally plays a role in keeping a hеаlthу thуrоіd and metabolism.
Focus on the Female / Hydroxide Rich Water benefits
Thе bоdу іѕ соntіnuоuѕlу excreting tоxіnѕ through ѕwеаt glаndѕ, lуmрhаtіс ѕуѕtеm, соlоn аnd kіdnеуѕ. It dоеѕ thіѕ іn оrdеr tо hеlр уоur рH lеvеlѕ rеmаіn nоrmаl. If mоrе tоxіnѕ gаthеr thаn thе bоdу саn соре wіth аt а tіmе, іt wіll ѕtоrе thе еxсеѕѕ іn fаt сеllѕ thаt асtѕ аѕ а ѕhіеld tо рrоtесt уоur оrgаnѕ.
Sуmрtоmѕ аѕѕосіаtеd wіth еxсеѕѕ асіdіtу in the FEMALE include:
- Aсіd Indіgеѕtіоn / Hеаrtburn
- Lоw Enеrgу Lеvеlѕ
- Frеquеnt Cоldѕ аnd Infесtіоn
- Lеg Crаmрѕ
- Nаuѕеа
- Irrіtаbіlіtу / PMS Symptoms
- Dеhуdrаtіоn
- Weight Gain / Cortisol Accumulation / Belly Fat
- Vaginal Yeast Infections*
- Inflammation
*Why is pH important to vaginal health?
Your vagina is a pretty amazing part of your anatomy. It has the ability to keep itself clean, The vagina cleans itself by secreting natural fluids and maintaining a healthy pH to encourage the growth of good bacteria and discourage harmful bacteria from taking up residence.
A slightly acidic vagina is the perfect environment for the types of good bacteria that help keep your vagina clean and healthy – and most harmful bacteria have a hard time surviving in an acidic environment. Keeping those harmful bacteria at bay is not only important for general hygiene and comfort, but also to help avoid infection and diseases. A pH level above 4.5 can make you more susceptible to vaginitis, or inflammation of the vaginal tissue
Consuming an HYDROXIDE rich water is NOT meant to establish an alkaline environment, but rather to combat an acidic environment and re-establish balance. AQUA-OH-! Provides the body with the tools needed for its own buffering system to work properly and does not itself adversely influence the environment the body creates when working properly.
ADDING ALKALINITY IS NOT THE SAME AS REMOVING ACIDITY
AQUA OH–! has the highest free hydroxide ions available on the market today. It is truly alkalinity surpassed: hydroxide water perfected.
For more information in reference to AQUA OH-! please click here: http://www.natratech.com/Products/aquaoh.htm
REFERENCES
Source: https://www.britannica.com/science/Arrhenius-theory
Source: Myers, Richard (2003). The Basics of Chemistry. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 157–161. ISBN 978-0-313-31664-7.
- Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory
Source: https://www.britannica.com/science/Bronsted-Lowry-theory
Source: Masterton, William; Hurley, Cecile; Neth, Edward (2011). Chemistry: Principles and Reactions. Cengage Learning. p. 433. ISBN 1-133-38694-6.
- Hydroxide
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxide
Source: Marx, D.; Chandra, A; Tuckerman, M.E. (2010). “Aqueous Basic Solutions: Hydroxide Solvation, Structural Diffusion, and Comparison to the Hydrated Proton”. Chem. Rev. 110 (4): 2174–2216.