Is alkaline water better than regular water? Understanding how it works in the body

Time of India

21 hours ago

Alkaline water is often marketed as the healthier, more hydrating alternative to regular water. You've probably seen it on store shelves, boasting benefits like better hydration, detoxification, and even anti-aging.
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But is there real science behind these claims, or is it just clever branding? Here's what we actually know about how alkaline water affects your body.
What makes water 'alkaline'?
Water's alkalinity is measured by its pH level, which tells you how acidic or basic the fluid is. A pH of 7 is considered neutral. Anything above 7 is alkaline, while anything below 7 is acidic.
For reference, your blood maintains a slightly alkaline pH of 7.35 to 7.45, while your stomach is highly acidic with a pH ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 to aid digestion.
Regular bottled water typically has a neutral pH around 7, whereas alkaline bottled water usually measures between 8 and 9 on the pH scale.
Does alkaline water stay alkaline once you drink it?
Not really.
When you drink alkaline water, it hits your stomach, which is highly acidic. That acid quickly neutralizes whatever pH the water had. So while the water may be alkaline going in, it doesn't stay that way for long.
Even if you drank enough alkaline water to slightly raise the pH of your blood, your kidneys would immediately correct it.
The human body is very good at keeping blood pH stable.
Can it hydrate you better?
That's a common claim—but not a well-proven one.
One small study in PLOS One in 2018 looked at elite athletes. Eight participants who drank alkaline water performed better in workouts and showed signs of better hydration than eight others who drank regular water. But the study was limited in size, and no similar large-scale studies have confirmed this.
Most health experts agree: hydration depends more on how much water you drink, not the type.
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Whether it's alkaline or regular, just drink enough water.
Any benefits at all?
Possibly one. Alkaline water might help with temporary relief from acid reflux or heartburn, because it can slightly neutralize stomach acid. But even this is short-lived.
Antacids or acid-blocking medications are much more effective and longer-lasting if you have chronic acid reflux.
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When could it be risky?
If you're on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), like omeprazole or esomeprazole—to treat acid reflux, adding alkaline water could be a bad idea.
Why? These medications already raise your stomach pH, and combining them with alkaline water could raise it too much. This could mess with important minerals in your body, especially potassium.
If you have kidney disease, the risk is even greater. Your kidneys help balance minerals and pH in the blood. Drinking water with a very high pH (above 9) might disrupt this balance and raise your blood pH, which is dangerous.
Also, water with such high pH levels may taste bitter or unpleasant.