Is Alkaline Water Really Better for you? A Rebuttal

An article in the New York Times begins with this question: Q. Are there benefits of drinking

alkaline water, or is what I’m reading just a bunch of hooey? The Times answer to it’s question is: “A. Despite the claims, there’s no evidence that water marketed as alkaline is better for your health than tap water.”

Oh really? Then I’d like the author of the Times article, Alice Callahan, to explain why Katherine Zeratsky, nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic had this to say: “Some studies suggest that alkaline water might help slow bone loss, but further investigation is needed to determine if this influences overall bone mineral density and if the benefit is maintained over the long term.” Because that sure looks like evidence that alkaline water may be better for your health to me!

There are over 40 studies on alkaline ionized water

I’d really love to ask author Alice Callahan if she actually tried to find any research on alkaline water, or did she just take someone’s word for it. Because if Alice really wants to know the truth, I’d be glad to help her find out. First of all, if you are searching for research on alkaline ionized water, you should search for it on Google Scholar. That’s a search engine that specializes in academic research. Second, you need to search Google Scholar using the correct, scientific name for alkaline water, which is Electrolyzed Reduced Water.

When you search for Electrolyzed Reduced Water on Google Scholar, you’ll find lots of research on the health effects of alkaline water. That research shows a wide variety of health benefits that could result from drinking alkaline water.

Can alkaline water change your blood pH?

Alice’ s article goes on to quote a Dr. Fenton, who argues that alkaline water can’t affect your blood pH. So, is there any clinical research that says alkaline water can change your blood pH? Yes, there is. A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial called “Hydrogen-Rich Water Affected Blood Alkalinity in Physically Active Men” used alkaline water from a water ionizer to find out if alkaline water can affect blood pH. The study found that alkaline water can raise blood pH in two specific circumstances

• • Fasting acidosis – A drop in blood pH caused by fasting

• Exercise-induced acidosis – A drop in blood pH caused by the byproducts of muscular metabolism

Note that both conditions are conditions of acidosis: That’s where your blood pH temporarily drops to unsafe levels. The research found that drinking alkaline water in those conditions can raise your blood pH by 40 – 70% within the safe pH range for blood. For the record, the study also examined whether drinking plain water also raised your blood pH under both acidosis conditions: It did not.

Dr. Fenton goes on to quote a recent study that found that drinking alkaline ionized water and a plant-based diet is as effective as PPI medications at stopping acid reflux. He goes on to quote one of the study authors who says that he believes that most of the effect comes from the dietary change. I’d love him to explain that to my wife, who on a regular diet, has maintained herself symptom-free from acid reflux for the past 8 years by drinking alkaline water.

Is alkaline water bad for baby rats?

The article closes with Dr. Fenton quoting some studies on baby rats that suggest it interfered with their growth and development. Dr. Fenton ought to be ashamed of herself. First of all, animal studies are useful, but the effects of any food, water, or drug are going to be different in a human body than they are in a rat body.

Alkaline ionized water has been in the US market since the mid-1990s. In fact, we began selling machines in the US market in 1996. We’ve sold tens of thousands of alkaline ionized water machines in that time.  And during those years over 40 scientific studies have come out showing the health benefits of ionized, alkaline water.

So, if you are a baby rat, don’t drink alkaline ionized water. In fact, we recommend against giving it to children too because the effects of alkaline ionized water on children haven’t been studied.

But if you are an adult, especially one who struggles with bodily acidity problems like acid reflux, you may want to give alkaline ionized  water a try. In fact, we will let you try an alkaline water machine in your home for 75 days. That way you can experience for yourself what benefits it has for you.

An open message to Alice Callahan and the New York Times

If you’d like to update your article and give it some balance, feel free to give me, Leo McDevitt, a call at 760 585-1635. I’m here from 6 Am to 2:30 PM, Pacific Time.

For shame, The New York Times ought to know better than this.

See for yourself. Try an alkaline water machine in your home for 75 days. Call us at 877 959-7977 for details