Alkaline Water Side Effects: Here's Why You Should NOT Drink It!

Are you aware of alkaline water side effects? If not, I want to explain in this article how this type of water can negatively affect your overall health.

RELATED: The ALKALINE And ACID Myths

In this article:

1. What Is Alkaline Water?
2. Natural Versus Artificial Alkaline Water
3. Minerals Make Alkaline Water Alkaline
4. A High pH Balance in Urine Creates a Problem
5. The Three Fluids in the Body That Should Be Acidic
6. Alkaline Water Can Create Problems with the Stomach, Large Bowel, and Urine
7. A High Alkaline Level Can Lead to Metabolic Alkalosis
8. Why Is Keeping a Good pH Balance Important?

Things to Know About Alkaline Water Side Effects

People call it alkaline water because of the pH level of the water. The pH level is a scale that measures how alkaline or acidic a substance is from 0 to 14. A pH below 7, which is neutral, is generally acidic, while above 7 is alkaline. Alkaline water has a higher pH than regular tap water, and it can help neutralize your body's pH if it’s too acidic. 

Identifying natural versus alkaline water depends on how the water became alkaline. This means it went through an alkaline water machine processor or became alkaline naturally. Artificial alkaline water is the type of water that goes through water ionizers and becomes ionized water. Natural alkaline water is the types of water that pass through or go over rocks, such as springs, which allow them to obtain minerals naturally, increasing their alkaline levels.

I recently received a question about alkaline water: “What do I think about it?” So, I wanted to do a quick discussion on that. Normally, when you buy certain types of bottled water, Artesian, well, or spring water, it comes alkaline. The reason why it's alkaline is because of the alkaline minerals in it, like magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which is a good thing. These are the alkaline water benefits people are after.

But, when you have a water filter machine or ionizer that makes your water alkaline, it's not through adding minerals. It splits apart water molecules with electricity to artificially make the water alkaline. 

In my 29 years of practice, I have had quite a few people come to me who have been drinking alkaline water. I have a machine that measures the pH balance in the urine, and I noticed a high percentage of these people got a pH of 9. Normally, in the urine, it should be 5 or 6 but never that high. A pH of 9 is very alkaline. 

One of the effects of alkaline water is it creates a problem with microbe protection. The issue in your urine being that high on the pH scale is you don't have any protection against microbes. This makes the microbes grow in the body a lot more. This contradicts the purpose of having acidic urine which kills off the microbes. 

RELATED: My Opinion On The Alkaline Diet

I do know that alkaline water does alter the chemistry in the body in a not-so-good way. There are three things in the body that normally should be acidic: the stomach, which should be extremely acidic, the large bowel, and the urine. These need to be acidic for a reason. Even the stomach should be acidic to help you break down protein, absorb minerals, and kill microbes. You may experience alkaline water side effects if any of these becomes alkaline.

When you drink alkaline water, which is unnatural to the body, it can neutralize the different acidic fluids. That can create problems with digestion, the large bowel, and even your urine. Your microbes can increase. If this happens, it is going to affect the absorption of electrolytes. Your heart is the key organ that needs the electrolytes balanced. So, if you are going to neutralize your pH and throw up the electrolytes, it can create a problem with the heart. 

Aside from the alkaline water side effects I mentioned earlier, there is also another problem with too much alkalinity in the body. It can lead to metabolic alkalosis, which is a metabolic condition that happens when your blood becomes very alkaline. This condition can give you the following symptoms:

• Confusion
• Tingling in the face or extremities
• Muscle twitching
• Hand tremors
• Vomiting
• Nausea

Although metabolic alkalosis can occur with high alkalinity in the body, there are ways your body compensates for the condition. One is through your lungs. The carbon dioxide carried by the red blood cells into your lungs mixes with water in the blood. This creates a mild acid, carbonic acid, that breaks down into hydrogen and bicarbonate ion, which is alkaline. 

Changing the way you breathe can raise or lower bicarbonate ion concentration, and your body automatically does this through respiratory compensation. The lungs signal to speed up your respiration rate, but your body does not have to go through this if you can balance your pH well. 

Maintaining your body’s pH balance is crucial for your overall health. Alkalinity is not always required in your entire body because some parts need acidity like your digestive tract. To keep the balance, you can start with your diet. Consume foods high in acidity or alkalinity, such as the following:

Acidic foods:

• Cheese
• Beef
• Walnuts
• Chocolate
• Blackberries
• Prunes

Alkaline foods:

• Olive oil
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Watermelon

Consume different types of fruits and vegetables that have neutral levels of alkalinity and acidity. It's easy to go for foods high in alkaline, for example, if you know your body's pH is acidic and vice versa. The best option for you is to consult your physician to learn about your body's pH status and find out what you can do to balance it. 
  
Alkaline water side effects do exist, and it’s important to understand that drinking regular water might be the best option. Generally, I do not recommend alkaline or alkalized water. If you want to drink this water, get natural alkaline water, not the artificial kind. 

Have you experienced alkaline water side effects? What were those? Tell us in the comments section below!

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Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.