Alkaline water: Health benefits and precautions (2026)

Among the trends of recent years, this alkaline water has been much talked about in the world of alternative health. Some therapists promote alkaline water and many users have witnessed the positive effects of alkaline water, sometimes presenting it as a miracle cure while others are skeptical and are told that it is no better than tap water.

In order to demystify everything, we will focus here on the subject of ionized water (alkaline water).

What is alkaline water?

Alkaline water is water with an alkaline pH. According to the pH scale (ranging from 0 to 14), anything above 7 indicates an alkaline pH. For commercial alkaline water (also called alkaline mineral), we generally refer to a pH between 8 and 9.5.  

In its pure state, the water is perfectly neutral with an index of 7. Spring water, for its part, is naturally alkaline since the rocks and ores infuse the water with mineral microparticles, increasing the pH and making the water alkaline. Treated tap water normally has an acidic pH, hovering around 6.5 while seawater which is rich in minerals generally has a pH of 9.¹

It should be noted that the pH scale (hydrogen potential) is a logarithmic scale based on 10. Thus, water with a pH of 8.5 is ten times more alkaline than water with a pH of 7.5 and water with a pH of 9.5 is 100 times more alkaline than water with a pH of 7.5.

Making water alkaline: The benefits of these transformed waters

To date, although scientific data is limited, preliminary studies carried out on alkaline water are promising and demonstrate that the consumption of alkaline water, therefore at high pH, makes it possible to:

• Reduce the factors of aging in the body
• Alkaline water may reduce the incidence and severity of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)
• Improve bone density of the body
• Promote better strength, endurance and muscle mass
• Accelerate recovery after sports training
• Protect against certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome
• alkaline water helps limit the invasion of cancer cells as well as the formation of metastases
• Protecting the body's pancreatic cells
• Water supports the body's normal detoxification process (antioxidant)
• Excrete heavy metals
• Preventing dehydration from body water
• Alkaline Water May Promote Weight Loss
• Balance pH of the organism ^2,3,4,5,6,7

Some researchers believe that the effects of the water are linked to the overall alkalizing effect on the body that alkaline water causes. (To learn more about body pH, ways to test it, and foods to eat to promote healthy body alkalinity, see our article on this subject.)

How to consume ionized (alkaline) water?

With so many potential benefits, it's tempting to consider drinking alkaline spring water today. Several versions are available in our stores as well as on our online store. 

There are several brands that make this ionized product, such as Vortex water is an ozonated water produced in British Columbia. Pleasantly soft and rich in electrolytes, Vortex has a pH of 9.5.

The Flow product is water from a natural artesian in Bruce County, Ontario. Naturally alkaline, this untreated water has a pH of 8.1 and is available in various flavors including cucumber and mint, lemon and ginger, blackberry and hibiscus.

Aside from these ready-to-drink options, it is entirely possible to make ionized water yourself, at home (i.e. make your water alkaline). This is exactly the company's mission Santevia.

Made in Canada, the Santevia filtration pitcher removes contaminants using organic chemistry to reduce unwanted particles including chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals and plastic microparticles.  Following filtration, natural elements such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and hydrogen are added. The pH is then raised to 9 to provide alkalized, mineralized water free of pollutants.

To discover an option on the go, opt for the alkalizing stick. Easy to use, it only needs to be placed in a glass then shaken to prepare healthy, alkaline water in less than 5 minutes. The latter, having a lifespan of three months, provides an inexpensive option to act as a chlorine filter, add hydrogen, calcium, magnesium and a host of other trace elements to tap water.

How much to consume for an ideal alkaline life

To get the most out of the benefits of alkaline water, it is recommended to consume two glasses per day. However, you should avoid drinking alkalized water with food. The stomach needs a sufficiently high acidity level to ensure proper digestion. Drinking water during or immediately after a meal could harm healthy digestion.

For more information about our alkaline waters and alkalizing systems, visit our online store to add a health product to your basket and benefit from home delivery!

Good health !

About the author

Naturopaths from La Boite à Grains

Team of qualified and certified naturopaths (ND) in Gatineau in Outaouais.

Original article written by Véronique Cousineau, Naturopath

Sources

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3. Mousa, Haider. (2016). Health Effects of Alkaline Diet and Water, Reduction of Digestive-tract Bacterial Load, and Earthing. Alternative therapies in health and medicine. 22. 24-33.
4. Maszczyk, Adam. (2018). Anaerobic Performance and Acid-Base Balance in Basketball Players after the Consumption of Highly Alkaline Water. International Journal of Food and Nutritional Science. 5. 1-6. 10.15436/2377-0619.18.1754.
5. Chaves, Juliana & Souza, Carolina & Modesto, Antônio & Moreira, Fabiano & Teixeira, Eliel & Sarraf, Jonathan & Allen, Thaís & Araújo, Taíssa & Khayat, André. (2020). Effects of alkaline water intake on gastritis and miRNA expression (miR-7, miR-155, miR-135b and miR-29c). 10.21203/rs.3.rs-19940/v1.
6. WANG Yu-lianj. (2001) Preliminary observation on changes of blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipids after using alkaline ionized drinking water. Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2001-12
7. Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013