Alkaline Water flask
Alkaline water is water that is neither acidic nor neutral on the pH scale. It is on the alkaline side of the scale. Some believe the benefits of alkaline water are nearly immeasurable -- that it is vital for consistent and continued health. Others say the research on alkaline water is far from conclusive.
Alkaline water, or ionized water as it is also referred to, has a pH of approximately 8, depending on the brand or the equipment used to alkalize the water. Normal water has a neutral pH, which is the number 7 on the scale. Water, depending on its source, also has the potential to be slightly acidic.
Alkaline water is said to be of benefit to people's health because it helps neutralize the chemical imbalances of the body, which some believe tend to run too acidic. Further, proponents note that many common foods are also acidic, further upsetting the balance. It is claimed to aid in the treatment of asthma, help hydrate better between cells, help heartburn, reduce indigestion and aid with many other ailments.
Alkaline water can be obtained from a number of different sources. Most commonly, an alkalizer is added to a tap water system, such as a kitchen sink. From there, it can be used for both drinking and cooking. The other alternative is to buy bottled alkaline water. While this may be the more expensive option over time, it is a simple way to get the product quickly.
Some believe that the stated health benefits of alkaline water are overstated, and that it has little to do with stabilizing or reducing acidity in the body. In fact, some argue the stated health benefits are simply a fabrication of those in the industry and are doubtful at best. In short, they are only mentioned in order to make money.
What is the pH Scale?
The pH scale takes its name from the words potential of hydrogen. It is a scale used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The pH scale uses a range from 0 to 14, with 7.0 indicating neutrality. Numbers beginning at 7.0 and moving toward 0 indicate acidity, while the numbers beginning at 7.0 and moving toward 14 indicate alkalinity, so the scale divides acids from bases. We owe the concept of pH to Danish chemist S. P. L. Sorensen, who introduced it in 1909.
There are several categorizations for solutions as measured by the pH scale. A common one is this:
pH 0 - 2 Strongly acidic
pH 3 - 5 Weakly acidic
pH 6 - 8 Neutral
pH 9 - 11 Weakly basic
pH 12 - 14 Strongly basic
Importance of Balancing pH:
Living things, including humans, are extremely sensitive to pH and function best (with certain exceptions, such as different portions of the digestive tract) when solutions are nearly neutral.
Most interior living matter (excluding the cell nucleus) has a pH of about 6.8. Blood plasma and other fluids that surround the cells in the body have a pH of 7.2 to 7.45.
A blood pH of 6.9 can induce coma and death. That is why all bodily systems are secondary in importance to the system of pH balancing. Your body will willingly shut down digestion, alter temperature, rob your bones of calcium, or deprive your pancreas, just to maintain adequate fluid buffers of alkalinity to balance the 'acid tide' we inflict upon ourselves through diet and stress.
However your body possesses numerous special mechanisms to aid in stabilizing these fluids so that cells will not be subject to appreciable fluctuations in pH.
Substances which serve as mechanisms to stabilize pH are called BUFFERS.
Buffers have the capacity to bond ions and remove them from solution whenever their concentration begins to rise. Conversely, buffers can release ions whenever their concentration begins to fall, thus helping to minimize the fluctuations in pH. This is an important function because many biochemical reactions normally occurring in living organisms either release or use up ions.
Imagine what a load is taken off your body if its primary safety system of pH balancing can be 'stood down' from a continual 'full alert' because you now have a plentiful supply of alkaline water.
