With the increasing popularity of alkaline diets, you can expect that alkaline water will also pave its way as an everyday beverage. But first…
What is Alkaline Water?
Remember in chemistry class when we are taught about pH levels? The pH level (0 to 14) of a substance dictates its acidity (low pH) or alkalinity (high pH.) Compared to regular drinking water that has a neutral pH of 7, alkaline water has a higher pH level of 8 or 9.
Why Switch To Alkaline Water?
A number of studies found that alkaline water is beneficial to certain health conditions. Because of this, a lot of people are fascinated to jump in the alkaline water bandwagon.
Some of the benefits that you can get from drinking alkalized water are:
- It neutralizes free radicals
- Relieves acid reflux
- Helps in bone health and exercise recovery
- Lowers your cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure
Although more research is needed to confirm the many health benefits that supporters have claimed from drinking alkaline, it is also too early to say that these benefits are hoaxes.
At the end of the day, anything that is too much (or too less) is harmful. Remember to start with small amounts and then gradually increase it. And since each one of us might react to certain substances differently, it is better to consult your doctor first just to be sure.
Which Bottled Water Is Alkaline?
The Food and Drug Administration classifies bottled water according to where they are originated. For example, artesian water is from artesian wells, spring water is from springs, mineral water is from mineral springs, and well water from wells.
Meanwhile, you can buy bottled alkaline water from different sources. Here are some examples::
Evamor Natural Alkaline Artesian Water
Evamor sourced their alkaline water from an artesian aquifer underground. Because of the mineral deposits in the aquifer, its water can reach an alkaline level of up to 8.8.
Compared to other alkaline water brands that can taste quite bitter, Evamor does not have any aftertaste.
Healthwise, a lot of people with medical conditions such as acid reflux, GERD, to laryngopharyngeal reflux, have reported that Evamor significantly helped with their health issues.
This natural alkaline artesian water is also bottled in a BPA-free and recyclable plastic container that has a wide opening that you can drink from easily.
Eternal Naturally Alkaline Mineral Spring Water
Compared to Evamor’s alkaline water, Eternal Water pride themselves of sourcing their water from the alkaline springs of the Smoky Mountains, Allegheny Mountains, and Shasta Trinity Alps. This mineral spring water has a pH level of 8.2 due to minerals like sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
It is also stored in a recyclable BPA-free plastic bottle that you can grip comfortably because its body has curves on both sides in the middle. Another thing that’s unique with Eternal Water’s bottle is that it has flat surfaces, unlike the familiar tube-like shape of most water bottles. This shape means you can stack these bottles in your fridge without them rolling off each other. You can then save space in your fridge because you can stack them horizontally.
Flow Alkaline Spring Water
The first two alkaline water brands that we have mentioned are both sold in plastic bottles, but we decided to add another brand that is packaged in a carton (tetra pak) instead. We’re also pretty impressed that Flow made their plastic carton caps from sugar canes to keep their trend of being environment-friendly.
When it comes to alkalinity, Flow Alkaline Spring Water has a pH level of 8.1 and minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate to help quench your thirst.
These are just some of the natural alkaline water brands in the market. But if you want to make sure that what you’re drinking is 100% guaranteed natural alkaline water, you can easily make them yourself. Yes, you read that right, a DIY alkaline water!
How to Make Alkaline Water at Home
If you’re thinking of adding alkaline water in your lifestyle, stocking up your fridge with store-bought bottles of this beverage can get pretty costly. But not only does making them on your own will help you cut expenses, homemade alkaline water also ensures you that it is free from additives and other chemicals.
You don’t have to be a chemistry genius to achieve a high pH level with your drink. There are different ways on how to alkalize water quickly at the comfort of your own home.
Alkaline Water Recipe
The easiest way on how to make alkaline water is probably making a solution out of ingredients that you can commonly find around the household. However, take note that you still have to filter your water before mixing it with these ingredients so that you are guaranteed that what you’re going to drink is free from any impurities. It is also essential that you check your water’s pH level first by using a pH test strip to know how much adjustment your water will need to be alkaline.
Baking Soda + Water
You can increase your water’s alkalinity by adding a substance with high alkaline content. An example of a common alkaline household ingredient that you can use is baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) which has a pH level of 9.
Adding and mixing 600 milligrams of baking soda to 8 ounces of water thoroughly will give you an alkaline solution. However, the resulting pH is still greatly influenced by the water’s starting pH level. It is also important that you don’t take this solution if you have compromised kidneys because sodium bicarbonate, as you might have guessed, is high in sodium.
Lemon + Water
You might have seen the health trend involving lemon water, but did you know that you can also make alkaline water similar to those recipes? If you have some time to spare and extra lemons, you can alkalize your water using these citrus fruits.
Lemon, on its own, is acidic because it has a pH level ranging from 2 to 3. But despite its acidic pH, once it is digested and metabolized inside the body, lemon juice will produce alkaline byproducts. When you drink water mixed with lemon, the anionic properties of the lemon will interact with your body and turn the water alkaline as you digest it.
You can cut 1 lemon into 8 wedges and add them in 64 ounces of water, note that you don’t have to squeeze them. After adding the lemon wedges in, let the solution sit in room temperature for up to 12 hours.
pH Drops + Water
Although we think that buying pH drops to alkalize your water is equivalent to buying alkaline water at the store, we will still add this method, especially that it takes shorter time (a minute) to use pH drops compared to lemons.
You can buy pH drops online or in certain stores. Basically, these liquids are highly concentrated with minerals and electrolytes that heightens your water’s pH levels. You can even add these drops directly in a water distiller if you have one.
We will not include any specific instruction on how to use pH drops in here because the instructions on how to use them are variable for each product.
Water Filters and Ionizers
Although you can do the first methods that we mentioned using simple household items, the best way that you can make alkaline water in your own home is by using certain kinds of equipment. These units might cost more, but they can give you larger quantities of alkaline water more efficiently.
You can use devices like water filters and water ionizers to raise the pH level of your water. But first, let us differentiate the two.
Water filter alkalize water by adding minerals into it, while a water ionizer, on the other hand, ionizes minerals that are already present in the water. Both of these devices have their own advantage. As you might have concluded by now, a water ionizer will work well with hard water since hard water already has minerals, while you might prefer a water filter if you have soft water at home to add minerals. A water ionizer will also let you adjust your water’s pH and ORP levels while a water filter only comes with preset pH and ORP levels.
You might be already familiar with the term pH as we have discussed it earlier on. But before we explain how to make alkaline water using a water filter and water ionizer, we have to familiarize you first with the term ORP. ORP stands for oxidation-reduction potential and is the measurement of a substance’s capability of oxidizing or reducing another substance.
A positive ORP means the substance is an oxidizing agent, while a negative ORP means that the substance is a reducing agent. Remember this explanation as we get further into the article.
Alkaline Water Filter
Having your own water filtration system at home offers a lot of benefits. Not only does it remove contaminants in your tap water, but it will also help you save some money from constantly buying filtered water. This device is incredibly useful, especially if you live in a place where you can’t drink water straight from the tap.
Faucet Water Filters and Countertop Water Filters
Faucet water filters are handy devices that you mount directly onto your faucet. The water that comes out of this gadget is alkalized because it has passed through multiple filtration layers, including mineral balls inside the filter. However, a faucet water filter is only good to use if your tap water is already relatively clean to start with.
Countertop water filters are devices that you can also attach directly onto your faucet. In contrast, they offer more effective filtration compared to faucet water filters. And at the same time, countertop water filters add minerals to the water to make it alkaline.
Under Sink Water Filters
Under sink filters are, of course, devices that you place under your sink. After your water undergoes different filtration stages, it will then be remineralized. This stage is where the water’s pH will increase due to the added minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Some under sink models also use the reverse osmosis filtration system alongside multi-stage filtration.
Reverse osmosis uses membranes to filter water from contaminants, including minerals physically. This filtration will, in turn, result in an acidic and mineral-free water. In order to raise the pH level of the water, it will undergo remineralization. This whole process is called alkaline reverse osmosis system. Because the water produced by the alkaline reverse osmosis system is both purified (initially by reverse osmosis) and (then) remineralized, the best alkaline water filter you can get is a unit that uses this system.
Water Ionizer
Earlier, we have discussed briefly what ORP is. And the reason that we introduce that term is for you to understand what’s the significance of that measurement. Ionized alkaline water will have a negative ORP. This means that it is an anti-oxidizing agent. This anti-oxidizing property of alkaline water is related to the health benefits of drinking ionized water. Because it is an antioxidant, alkaline water is capable of neutralizing the harmful effects of free radicals in the body.
A water ionizer is capable of producing both acidic and alkaline water because your tap water passes through positive and negative electrodes via electrolysis. Once the water passed through these electrodes, its hydrogen and oxygen atoms are split; the water abundant with hydrogen atoms is acidic, while the remaining water is alkaline. Nothing will also go to waste because only 30% of the ionizer’s produced water is acidic, and you can use this water for cleaning and disinfecting household surfaces such as the sink.
Alkaline Water Pitcher
If you are on a budget and you are just testing the waters with this alkaline water trend, your best starting point is using an alkaline water pitcher. What’s nice about this device is that it does not only raise your water’s pH levels to make it alkaline, it also purifies the tap water for you.
This device looks and works just like its name; as a pitcher. Unlike water filters and ionizers, alkaline water pitchers need no installments. You just fill it with water as you would with an ordinary pitcher, wait for the water to pass through the unit’s filter cartridge (usually 3 minutes, although some models take longer) and voila, you have your very own alkaline water.
The best part with this device is you can bring it anywhere!
Conclusion
There are easy ways on how to make alkaline water at the comfort of your own home. Some involve mixing water with common household items like baking soda or pantry ingredients like lemons. However, if you also want to purify your tap water while raising its pH levels by adding minerals, you can use devices like water filters and water ionizers.
If you’re looking for a device that can be a long-term investment, a water filter that is using the alkaline reverse osmosis system is your best choice. It gives you purified water with the added benefits of alkaline water. A water filter is also your best solution if you live in a place where your tap water is questionable.
On one hand, if you want a more budget-friendly approach to get in the alkaline water trend, an alkaline water pitcher will give you the advantage of portability with the purifying and mineralization features of a water filter.
Know other ways to make alkaline water? If you have any questions or comments, leave them below!
