What is the scientific truth about ionized alkaline water?
Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Ionized alkaline water is produced through electrolysis, increasing its pH to 8.5-9.5 and containing minerals and dissolved hydrogen.
- While it may offer some digestive health benefits by neutralizing stomach acid, scientific studies do not prove it cures chronic diseases like cancer.
- Experts warn that drinking water with very high alkalinity can disrupt the body's natural balance, potentially causing health issues, and some bottled alkaline water has been recalled due to liver damage.
Ionized alkaline water, created through electrolysis, has a pH between 8.5 and 9.5 and contains minerals like calcium and potassium, along with dissolved hydrogen. While the medical community acknowledges potential benefits for digestive health by neutralizing excess stomach acid, leading to reduced heartburn and bloating, robust scientific research stops at "support" and "improvement" for the gut.
The medical world recognizes that ionized alkaline water has some health benefits for the digestive system thanks to its mild alkalinity helping to neutralize excess stomach acid, reducing heartburn and bloating. But reputable studies only stop at the words 'support' and 'improvement' in the gut.
Crucially, no clinical studies have proven that ionized alkaline water can cure chronic illnesses, including cancer, liver, or kidney failure. Experts from Harvard Medical School caution against consuming water with excessively high alkalinity (pH above 10). Such intake can disrupt the body's natural environment, leading to indigestion and stripping the stomach's protective lining against bacteria. Long-term overuse might even cause metabolic alkalosis, characterized by low potassium levels, severely impacting cardiovascular and kidney functions.
There are absolutely no clinical studies proving that ionized alkaline water can cure chronic diseases, especially cancer or liver and kidney failure.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously issued warnings and recalled Real Water brand alkaline water in 2021 due to cases of acute liver failure. However, the dangers of misplaced trust can be even more severe. A Yale University study published in the JNCI medical journal revealed that cancer patients who opted for unproven alternative therapies, such as alkaline diets to kill cancer cells, faced a 2.5 times higher mortality rate compared to those adhering to conventional medical treatment.
Experts from Harvard Medical School warn: drinking too much water with very high alkalinity (pH above 10) will disrupt the natural environment, cause indigestion and remove the stomach's protective barrier against bacteria.
Ionized alkaline water is best consumed correctly as a daily beverage to support digestion. It is essentially a drink containing electrolytes, not a medicine, and cannot substitute for medical treatment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously warned and recalled Real Water alkaline bottled water causing acute liver failure (in 2021).
Originally published by Tuแปi Trแบป in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.