Walk down any supermarket aisle or scroll through wellness influencers’ feeds, and find alkaline water marketed as a miracle drink.Alkaline water with promises ranging from boosting energy and slowing aging to preventing serious diseases like cancer, isbecome a billion-dollar industry. The selling point? Its high pH level, which brands claim helps “neutralize” acidity in the body . The pitch sounds convincing-because who doesn’t want a quick fix for health problems? When it comes with a tall claim like ‘Prevent Cancer’ the chance of believing it increases in 2x speed but how much science is there to substantiate these claims? Is it really that effective or it’s just a marketing gimmick that social media forces you to believe with the idea of ‘looking cool’?
What Alkaline water actually does
When a hype starts taking off, there is some percentage of fact and rest is wrapped with exaggeration. There’s no disagreement about the fact that Alkaline water do has certain quality, such as:
- Neutralizes stomach acid temporarily
If one drinks alkaline water, because of its high Ph level,it can temporarily neutralize excess stomach acid (just the same as antacid). That’s why some people feel relief from acid reflux for a short time.
- Hydrates like normal water
What is water supposed to do? Hydrate. Black water doesn’t subscribe to any special feature in this matter . It hydrates the human body just like plain water. There is no scientific proof that alkaline water hydrates better than normal water.
- Slight effect on urine pH, not blood pH
After drinking alkaline water,urine can become slightly more alkaline, but does not do any changes in the blood pH and it stays the same (around 7.35 -7.45), because the body tightly controls it through lungs and kidneys.
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What’s the relation between Alkaline water and Cancer prevention claim
During the 1930s Dr. Otto Warburg discovered through his research that cancer cells thrive in a low-oxygen, acidic environment. Unlike normal cells that use oxygen to generate energy through aerobic respiration, cancer cells primarily depend on glycolysis even when oxygen is available, producing lactic acid as a byproduct. This process creates an acidic microenvironment around tumors, which Warburg believed was a key factor in cancer development.His finding suggested in the surrounding of the cancer cells ,there’s more acid there compared to the rest of the body. With this logic , people did the math ,yes, the 2+2=4 equation.
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Now let’s brush up the basic pH scale level measurement. pH scale(0–14) basically measures how acidic or alkaline (basic) a substance is.
- Low pH (0–6)-Acidic
- pH 7-Neutral (like pure water)
- High pH (8–14) -Alkaline or basic (Alkaline water)
Looking at these levels it’s clear that The misunderstanding of Warburg’s discovery largely comes from oversimplifying his findings. Warburg observed that cancer cells create an acidic environment around themselves because of how they metabolize glucose-not because the body’s overall pH is acidic. This led some people to incorrectly conclude that making the body “alkaline” (through diet or alkaline water) can prevent or cure cancer, as acid and alkaline stands on two extreme poles of the scale.
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In reality, the human body tightly regulates blood pH between 7.35 and 7.45. Alkaline water or foods can slightly change the pH level of your saliva or urine, but they cannot significantly alter the blood pH level.
What does too much Alkaline do to our body
When there is no scientific breakdown so far that Alkaline water can prevent Cancer , one thing is clear. Too much alkalinity in the body can cause serious issues such as a condition called alkalosis, upsetting the natural acid-base balance that keeps us healthy. When this happens, it can interfere with enzyme activity, reduce oxygen delivery to tissues, and cause an imbalance of essential minerals like potassium and calcium. These shifts often lead to symptoms such as muscle cramps, tingling, nausea, and confusion, and in severe cases, can trigger irregular heartbeats or seizures. Simply put, an overly alkaline state stresses the body’s systems rather than improving health.
cedit:istock