How to Make Alkaline Water with and without a Machine

How to make alkaline water

Alkaline water is the new fad drink that is supposedly healthier and more beneficial than regular water. Most of us have heard about the goodness of it by now, and perhaps are wondering, “How to make alkaline water at home?” As well as, “How to make alkaline water without a machine?” Well, as difficult as it may sound, alkaline water is quite easy to prepare. Before we discuss the methods on how to make alkaline water, it is indispensable to know and understand a few things about pH.

In layman’s language, pH (potential of hydrogen or hydrogen ion concentration) is a scale of acidity from 0 to 14, which is used to decide how acidic or alkaline a substance is. Our blood contains hydrogen and oxygen ions. A higher pH level makes the blood alkaline, which means there are fewer hydrogen ions in the blood, and thus, more oxygen is available to the cells. On the other hand, a lower pH level makes it acidic which means there are more hydrogen ions and fewer oxygen ions. This is crucial to human health since an imbalance in the acidity and alkalinity levels in the blood damages tissues and wrecks the immunity, inviting diseases to thrive.

The human body tends to maintain a balance in the pH level of the body for proper biochemical processes that are crucial for healthy living. The normal pH range of a healthy body varies between 6 to 7.5. Ideally, slight alkalinity may be useful to combat chronic diseases.

An influx of food containing refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, excess sodium, high-fructose corn syrup, chemical additives, pesticides, synthetic hormones, and processed foods, coupled with stress and lack of sleep, make our body heavily acidic. Excessive acid in the blood leads to a condition called acidosis. This acidosis condition creates a favorable environment for various diseases to breed. Therefore, the body requires electrolyte (alkaline) substances like potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium to neutralize the acidity level and prevent potential diseases. Keep reading to know the various processes on how to make alkaline water.

How to Make Alkaline Water without a Machine

Alkaline water contains essential alkalizing minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium that boost metabolism, reduce the acidic level in the bloodstream, and help slow down the aging process. It is essential to determine the pH level of the water before alkalizing it. You’ll need blue litmus paper, commonly known as pH strips, to measure the pH level of the water. Clean water will have a natural pH reading of 7. If the scale shows the pH level less than 7, it means that the water is impure. The ideal pH level for pure drinking alkaline water is an 8 or a 9, and regular tap water has a pH of around 7.

How to Make Alkaline Water with Lime

Materials:

  • A jug of clean water
  • 1 fresh lime

Directions

Cut the lemon in thin round slices. Put the pieces in the jug of fresh water and let it sit for at least 8-12 hours at room temperature. It is not unnecessary to squeeze the lemon juice into the water.

You can do the preparation before you go to sleep and let the lemon soak in the water for overnight. This will provide sufficient time for the water to get alkalized.

How to Make Alkaline Water with Baking Soda

Materials:

  • An 8-ounce glass of water
  • 600 mg baking soda

Directions

Simply add ¹⁄8 tablespoon (600 mg) of baking soda to an 8-ounce glass of water. Stir it thoroughly so that the baking soda dissolves completely in the water.

Baking soda is highly alkaline with good sodium content. So, when baking soda is added to water, it increases the alkaline properties of water, thereby making it alkaline-rich.

How to Make Alkaline Water with Apple Cider

Materials:

  • 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
  • A jug of clean water

Directions

Simply add 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar to the water. Mix it well and drink it.

Raw apple cider vinegar contains high amounts of potassium and enzymes. Potassium is an essential mineral that restores electrolyte balance in the blood and ensures healthy nerve function. Due to its rich potassium content, raw apple cider vinegar enhances the alkaline properties of water.

How to Make Alkaline Water Using an Ionizer

If you want to have a constant supply of alkaline water, but do not want to go through the trouble of preparing it, you can buy a water ionizer. Water ionizers are user-friendly equipment that can be easily attached to the water sink.

When water passes the ionizer, it undergoes the process of electrolysis, and consequently, becomes electrically enhanced as it runs over positive and negative electrodes. The refined water comes out separately as ionized (alkaline) water and oxidized (acidic) water.

The ionized (alkaline) water is used as safe drinking water. Meanwhile, the acidic water can be used as a sterilizing agent for washing dishes, washing hands, or for bathing. However, there is a lot of debate going on over the effectiveness of this water. Most nutritionists recommend natural alkaline water.

Can Alkaline Water Help with Heartburn?

Heartburn, or acid reflux, is a condition wherein the esophagus is irritated by the reflux of acid from the stomach. The pH of our stomach is acidic, as it possesses certain enzymes that produce acid to break down and process the food. Eating foods like garlic, onions, tomatoes, citrus fruits, coffee, alcohol, caffeinated products, peppermint, chocolate, and meals high in fats and oils (animal or vegetable) can cause the acidic level to increase in the stomach.

The high level of acidity in the stomach causes stomach-related problems like heartburn, which can be treated by bringing down the acidic level to normal.

Problems like heartburn can be easily and effectively treated with alkaline water that has a pH level of 9 to 11. The high level of alkalinity in water will buffer the acidity in the stomach and normalize the pH level of the body. Thus, it will bring relief to the esophagus by reducing the acidic level.

You can treat heartburn with home remedies, like adding about a pinch of baking soda or a few drops of lemon in the water, letting it settle for a while, and consuming it directly. However, this may be as good as popping an antacid. This does not mean our body requires antacids every time. So be sure to check the quantity and frequency of alkaline water you consume.

Is Lemon Water Acidic or Alkaline?

The pH level of lemon water ranges between 2 and 3. This means that lemon water is quite acidic in nature. However, lemon water will have an alkaline effect on the body after its consumption. The reason behind this anomaly is that a food’s pH count doesn’t influence its pH effect on the body after ingestion. The pH effect of the food is evaluated from the byproducts that are formed after digestion of the food by the system.

A method known as the “ash analysis” technique is used to determine the pH effect of foods on our body. In the ash analysis technique, a food is burned in the laboratory and the pH level of its ash is measured. The food is then classified according to the pH reading of the ash. It has found that lemon water produces alkaline byproducts after it has been metabolized. Thus, lemon water has an alkaline effect on the body, and is therefore considered to be alkaline in nature despite its acidic pH.

Another more accurate technique used by scientists is the PRAL (potential renal acid load) method. Here, scientists estimate the amount of acid expected to reach the kidney from the digested or processed food. Foods like meat and grains that contain acidic nutrients like protein, phosphorus, and sulfur increase the amount of acid the kidneys must filter out. This means they have a positive PRAL score.

Consumption of such foods exerts the kidney. Additionally, the blood draws the essential minerals from bones and muscles to buffer the acidity. This diminishes bone health and causes muscle fatigue.

On the other hand, fruits and vegetables that contain alkaline minerals like potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium have a negative PRAL score. These essential minerals are indispensable as they contribute to our overall health. Although alkaline water may have essential minerals, they are not a substitute for the more nutritious minerals we get from various food sources. Additionally, making the whole body alkaline is challenging as the pH of our body differs in various areas—the blood may be alkaline, but our stomach is acidic. Also, some amount of acid in our stomach is required for the food to break down.

Keeping the body hydrated with alkaline water is beneficial, but too much alkalinity in the blood or loss of excess acid from the blood can lead to various alkalosis conditions. Such alkalosis conditions can cause irritability, muscle twitching, muscle cramps, or even muscle spasms in people. It can lead to many potential health hazards, including serious impacts on organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys, as well as the nervous and digestive systems.

It is extremely necessary to maintain the perfect pH balance in the blood. Although, our body tends to tilt the balance slightly to towards the alkaline side for better and healthier bodily functions, do not overdose it with excess alkalinity. You may intermittently replenish your body with natural alkaline water and an alkaline-rich diet to boost immunity, promote detoxification, and keep it well-hydrated. After all, we’ve been drinking normal water for ages, and perhaps, that is what suits our body best under normal conditions. Also, remember that alkaline water and an alkaline diet is more of a fad, and is not backed by strong scientific evidence. It is mostly based on experience and theories.


Sources:

“Acidosis,” Healthline; http://www.healthline.com/health/acidosis?m=2#Overview1, last accessed March 7, 2017

“HOW TO MAKE ALKALINE WATER: EXPLAINING 5 HEALTHY METHODS,” Survival Mastery; http://survival-mastery.com/skills/water-purifying/how-to-make-alkaline-water.html, last accessed March 7, 2017

“Understanding Heartburn — the Basics,” WebMD; http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/understanding-heartburn-basics, last accessed March 7, 2017

Petre, A., “Lemon Juice: Acidic or Alkaline, and Does It Matter?” Authority Nutriton; https://authoritynutrition.com/lemon-juice-acidic-or-alkaline/, last accessed March 7, 2017

“Alkalosis,” Healthline; http://www.healthline.com/health/alkalosis#Overview1, last accessed March 7, 2017