There has been much discussion over the past few years about the quality of the water we drink and the effects that this may have on our health. Many health experts believe that the low-quality of tap water in the UK can pose health concerns, particularly if we rely upon this as our main source of water when consuming the recommended 2+ litres each day.
As a result, millions have turned to bottled water - creating a £1.57 billion market in just one generation. However, with prices constantly on the rise, and serious question marks over quality (is it really any better than tap water) - individuals are now looking to increase the quality of water in their own home.
What is Alkaline Water? Why Make Our Water Alkalizing?
Water is one of the most important factors when becoming and staying healthy and vibrant. Our bodies are 70% water and our blood is 94% water - if we follow the recommendation to drink at least two litres of water per day and this water is acid and polluted - imagine what this will do to our bodies?!
As the majority of the foods we eat create acid wastes in our system, it is important to drink alkaline water in order to maintain a optimal health and energy, particularly as acid water ((less than pH 7) is a hotbed of microorganisms, bacteria and viruses.
Acid wastes (from the lifestyles we lead - not only from food and drink, but also from stress and other pollutants) are dumped into the bloodstream and lymph, and then are transported to the liver and kidneys for the detoxification processing and elimination. The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain.
In order to hydrate your body optimally, you need to drink water that is alkalizing and mineral rich. Alkaline water helps to neutralize acids and remove toxins from the body. Alkalizing water also acts as a conductor of electrochemical activity from cell to cell. Ideally, water should have a ph between 9 and 10, and you should be drinking 3-4 liters of it daily. As you hydrate your body properly, you’ll develop more of a thirst for water. Food cravings are often the body’s cry for water. You might already have more of a thirst than you even realize.
Home Water Distillers, Ionisers and Filters
When we think of increasing the quality of our drinking water, we naturally think of a water filter such as a Britta™. Make no mistake, these handy and affordable filters go a long way towards making our drinking water more beneficial and healthful. However, if you are looking for life-giving, energy-boosting nourishment from your drinking water then these only really scratch the surface.
Taking your water from being something that simply quenches your thirst (or goes in the kettle) to being something that you crave due to the energy and vitality it gives you is not a complex, difficult process, nor does it have to be expensive. You can massively increase the quality of your drinking water using one of the following techniques:
Home Water Distillers
Water distillers heat tap water electrically to boiling point. The purified condensation then drains into a clean container - leaving all of the impurities behind in the boiling chamber. Distilled water comes closes to rain water, which would be our ideal water source if the atmosphere was not so polluted!
Distillation kills and removes bacteria, viruses, cysts and heavy metals. Although there is some debate about the effects of distilled water removing beneficial minerals as well as these disease forming metals and germs, it is useful to note that the mineral content in water is so minute that one would have to drink approximately six-hundred 8oz glasses of water to attain the RDA of calcium and 1,800+ glasses to fulfil their daily requirement of magnesium.
Another common myth surrounding distilled water is that it leaches minerals from the body. This is not only false, but impossible. The human body is incredibly efficient and effective and in no way could allow water to force out essential body elements. What distilled water does do, is transport inorganic minerals and toxins out of the body, helping to cleanse and purify the body's internal environment.
Distilled water also has more oxygen ions and fewer hydrogen ions, making the water far less acidic and more alkaline than other types of water.
Water Ionisers
Water ionisers are, unsurprisingly, products that ionise water. The water is ionised (electrically enhanced) by running it over positive and negative electrodes. This separates the water into alkaline (70%) and acidic (30%). This is exceptionally beneficial as the alkaline water is then used for drinking, while the acidic water can be used on the outside of the body as it is proven to kill many types of bacteria.
The quality of ionised water is reputed to surpass water from any other source. For instance, ionised water is the only type of water that has a low surface tension which allows for greater absorption of water and nutrients into the body.
Some water ionisers also come with an alkalinity adjustment which allows you to set your preferred level of alkalinity. This is an incredibly useful benefit which is unique to this type of machine.
Reverse Osmosis Water Filters
Reverse Osmosis utilises a fine membrane to filter water - known as hyperfiltration. This allows the removal of bacteria, salts, sugars, proteins, particles, dyes, and other damaging elements.
Reverse osmosis uses a membrane that is semi-permeable. This allows the water to pass through whilst the contaminants are removed. In the majority of reverse osmosis filters, this membrane is self-cleaning, allowing for the purest water to be provided.
Reverse osmosis units can use between 2-3 gallons of water to make 1 gallon up to as much as 10 gallons of water or more, to make 1 gallon of pure water.
As with distilled water, reverse osmosis water is far more alkaline than tap or bottled water.
How Else Can I Increase the Alkalinity of my Water?
Using home water distillers, purifiers or ionisers will give you pure water with varying degrees of alkalinity. To further increase the alkalinity of your drinking water the either of the following are recommended:
- squeezing fresh lemon or lime juice into the water
- adding an alkalizing, pH boosting supplement to the water such as Alkalive pH Booster
More Alkaline Diet Resources
Energise for Life is a health resource with a focus on the alkaline diet approach to health. You can find more free alkaline diet resources and alkaline water resources within our health resources section.
» left by hugsandkisses from wv (283 days 18 hours ago.)
Hi, I'm 62 and the old folk in my family lived to be 75 to 92 and my husbands grandparents were 96 and 100 and they never heard of an ionizer,we just had a smelly old well,and we didn't have lemons either.
» left by WILBERT FLEMENS from JAMAICA QUEENS N.Y. (271 days 1 hour ago.)
AS WE COMING TO THE NEW AGE , THINGS CHANGE. COMPANIES BUILD MORE CARS, MORE CONSTRUCTIONS, MORE SCHOOLS, POPULATIONS GROW ETC, ETC ; THEREFORE MORE POLLUTION . DUST ALL OVER DETRITUS, GARBAGE CAN IN THE STEETS , CO2 FROM CAR ALL THESE OPEN OUT INTO AN ENDLESS SITUATION.
RESEARCHES MUST BE DONE TO FIND A WAY TO DETOXIFY POPULATION. SO ALKALINE WATER, BECOME NECESSARY FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMAN BEING.
The well water was probably of great benefit to your old folks. We get all of our water from a well at our vacation home, and it is the sweetest, best tasting water I have ever had. I tested it for pH and mineral content; it is very alkaline and has lots of essential minerals in it. I wish we had a well like that back here in the city.
I keep hearing the idea of adding lemon juice to my water. Just a squeeze. A squeeze of what? Half, Whole, quarter. Please somebody give me a good measurement to increase 1 liter to a high ph.
» left by Alexandra from Los Angeles (104 days 3 hours ago.)
According to Dr. Carey Riems, 1 part lemon juice to 9 parts water and drink 1/2 cup every hour throughout the day until you have drunk 1 liter. Do not keep it for the next day if you have not finished it because the ions change. You can tell this when the taste has gotten bitter. Lemon is the ONLY food that is cationic, according to Dr. Riems. He was an agriculturist as well as nutritionist and has a way of finding the chemical equation for balancing the human body, along with every other living thing on this planet. Lots of info on the net.
» left by Golder from North America (120 days 15 hours ago.)
Yeah I also see some contradictions here.
I think to make best drinking water is to start with distilled water then immediately mix it with certain minerals such as salt or baking soda.. maybe also add drops of iodine or other goodies.. regardless of what you add you won't be adding fluoride. Which would make it better than any tap water. The reason well water is good because it goes though the earth, filters and absorbs minerals.
Making distilled water could be also achieved by using solar heat energy as source ,hint hint.
And another comment regarding fluoride: The only way it is will possibly be better for your teeth is that it is poison and it kills everything (bacteria). It also accumulates in the body. It was used for mind control in gulags. It is not good for bone structure nor teeth. Makes the body brittle and probably carcinogenic.
For those are interested I just discovered you can purchase bottled alkaline water or packets online. Also there is a bicarbonate & pure maple syrup cancer treatment. The only precaution in using either of these methods if you have cancer is if you don't take the right amount you could stimulate cancer growth. Both methods are safe to take while undergoing cancer treatments from what I read. Both methods in my reading talk about how cancer can not survive in an alkaline environment. I would ask a medical professional or homeopathic doctor for advise.
distiled water is called "dead" water cause it has nothing but h20 molecules in it , so it is used in automobiles not in the human body.you shouldn't drink distiled water.body needs minerals (alkalization=mineralization) which raiseses the pH levels of the water and that is only achieved by water ionizators(which of course, also alkalizes the water) since distiled water has nothing but "pure" water in it ,by default is acidic,some people here on this comments have been tested and the conclusion is obvious the distiled is more acidic than the tap water(tap is bad if it has chlorine,it destroys the digestive tract).
So... go somewhere and try the ph or ORP level of any alkalizer with reagent(for the pH level) and if you have a some sort of device for measuring milivolts(redox potential,the ORP) which is the anti oxidant properties of the water.
» left by Robert from America(Amexum) (68 days 20 hours ago.)
The articles stared out ok , but later on down the line people started to contradict themselves, this left me confused. Can we get scientific proof of what the lemon does to the body . PLEASE see docmentary by the late Dr, Mona Harris M.D called , WATER,WATER EVERYWHERE BUT NONE TO DRINK, (early 90's) she set the record straight where she covers all the different types of drinking water and water for hospital and other industrial uses and the lemon drank in water does do the body good. This should answer the many questions that most of you have.
» left by Lynne from Yukon, Canada (67 days 19 hours ago.)
The article itself - very helpful. The comments -some perhaps a bit off topic. I appreciate the last writer's request for scientifically researched and [scientifically] demonstrated support for some of the positions put forward here.
» left by samuel from China (53 days 11 hours ago.)
things are really the same as stated, but pls different people should drinking different levels of alkaline water, that's the sicence. unfortunately, most people dont know the pH value of their internal body fluid, that makes thing more complex; i have a friend,also my customer, he is the stomach cancer sufferer,we met oddly, and i told him to drink the alkaline water, first at 8.0 for 2 weeks, then higher up to 8.5-9.0 for 1-2 month, if feels better, then go to hospital to have a clinic testing. nice news is, 3 monthes later, he told me the report shows his condition is much better.
that's a really story, i can show his name and detail contact information.
so here i just give a suggestion, to better your life, it's better to get a alkaline water machine, it can give the different alkaline water levels. much enconomy than buying the bottled alakaine water. and alkaline water is better to drink immdiately it produced. more opinions of alkaline water and it's effects to be shared pls contact me by skye: samuel2009888
» left by Dennis Ryder from Clearwater, FL (48 days 10 hours ago.)
I found the atricle very informative and helpful in explaining the way I feel after drinking nothing but alkaline water for the past several days. My friend introduced me to alkaline water approximately ten days ago and the benefits show tremendously. Thank you for explaining the benefits!
Lemon juice is acidic, but becomes alkaline after it enters yr body. In the sense, anything that becomes alkaline at the process of elimination is considered alkaline, contrary to myths. Same goes for OJ. Do test it for a week to see the phenomenal difference.
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on 12/7/2005 11:08:16 PM. View other articles written byRoss Bridgeford(3,430)
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