Is High pH Alkaline Water Dangerous?

Is drinking high pH alkaline water dangerous? Only if there is a high concentration of strong alkali in it. Much higher than you could get from a water ionizer (except for the Kangen Machine when chemical alkalis are added). The pH of the water and the Alkalinity of water are two different things. What pH measures are potential hydrogen,  which is the molar concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. Alkalinity measures the ability of alkaline water to buffer – resist changes – in pH.

Alkalinity and pH are related but they measure two different things. Water can have a high pH, but have low alkalinity. This happens when it has a low concentration of alkali in it. Water itself has no effect on pH or alkalinity, because it has a neutral pH of 7, and it has no acid buffering ability.

For safe drinking, alkali concentration is more important than pH

The more concentrated the alkali in alkaline water, the more acid it can neutralize. The ionized alkaline water made by a water ionizer has a very low concentration of alkali in it. That’s why it takes 12 times as much alkaline water. 18 eight ounce glasses of alkaline water from a strong water ionizer to neutralize 12 ounces of soda. The acids in soda are far more concentrated than the alkali in ionized alkaline water. It is the low concentration of alkali in high pH ionized alkaline water that makes it safe to drink.

Why you should never add chemicals to a water ionizer

Some water ionizers, such as the Enagic Kangen water ionizer, allow the use of added chemicals to make the pH of the water higher. But if you look on the bottle that Enagic’s “ionization enhancer” comes in, you’ll see a warning: Do not consume. The reason is that the concentration of the chemical in the ionization enhancer is much too high to be safe for human consumption. When mixed with water, the ionization enhancer can make alkaline water that’s not safe to drink. Chemical enhancers can make the alkalinity of the water produced too strong if the concentration of alkali gets too high.

It is much safer to use a water ionizer that has sufficient power to ionize your water without the use of chemicals. Water ionizers with 300 or more watts of power are strong enough to make ionized alkaline water without the use of added chemicals.

Can you drink too much high pH alkaline water?

No, because the concentration of alkali is just too low. A gallon of water is 128 ounces, remember that it takes 144 ounces of high pH (about 11.5 pH) alkaline water to neutralize the acid in a can of soda. Soda has a pH of about 2.5, your stomach acid has a pH of close to 1. It simply isn’t humanly possible to drink a gallon of water in one sitting without getting sick. If you tried to drink a gallon or more of water, you would get hyponatremia – water intoxication – from drinking too much water.

The recommended pH of water for daily consumption

Health experts who have studied alkaline water recommend drinking alkaline water with a pH of 9.5 daily. The reason for this is that good health occurs when everything is in balance. The body regulates its pH in a narrow range, and alkaline water with a pH of 9.5 is right about perfect for maintaining the body’s pH balance.

When should you drink and use high pH alkaline water

There are times when it’s best to drink alkaline water with a pH of 10 – 11. If you are experiencing symptoms of metabolic acidosis such as acid indigestion, a glass of high pH alkaline water may speed relief. Athletes also can use a high pH alkaline water to alkalize their bodies prior to working out. High pH alkaline water is also useful to reduce the acidity of some foods, such as fruit juices and coffee. Alkaline water neutralizes acidic pesticide residues on produce. Simply soak your produce in high pH alkaline water for about 20 minutes and rinse.

What people are saying: Rinsing produce in alkaline water is highly recommended by Marissa Zeppieri-Caruna, Lupus Foundation of America board member. Marissa recommends Life Ionizer because Life systems can reach the high pH needed to detoxify produce.

Put a powerful Life water ionizer in your kitchen and put the power of ionized alkaline water to work for you. Call us at 877-959-7977 you could save a lot of money over the cost of bottled water.