We sell a book in our stores called Alkalize or Die by Dr. Theodore A. Baroody. I often walk by the bookshelves on the way out of the store and see the cover staring back at me and think that the title seems a little bit doomsday; however I am curious about how important it is to remain alkaline in our bodies. From my Google research I have learned that the pH balance of the human bloodstream is one of the most important biochemical balances in the body. PH is measured from 0 to 14, with 0 being extremely acidic and 14 being extremely alkaline. One interesting comparison I found was that an acidic pH can be compared to a battery that runs hot and fast, like a car battery, as opposed to an alkaline pH which would run slow and cool, like a flashlight battery.

In today’s society of high energy, fast paced lifestyles, many people are more acidic than alkaline, and this change in pH shows itself in negative ways in the body. What we eat and drink directly impacts our body’s pH level. Foods and drinks like coffee, fast food, and cola are all very acidic and raise the pH level in our bloodstreams. According to my research, the ideal pH level of a healthy human body is around 7.35 to 7.45. The closer your pH is to this level the more likely you are to resist disease. When our bodies become acidic calcium is taken from the bones and muscle tissue is broken down to help restore pH to a more alkaline level. This increases the risk of osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and arthritis.

So, in order to alkalize and to ensure that our bodies remain at a pH level that promotes health and longevity, we must fill ourselves with alkaline foods and drinks. Most fruits and vegetables are alkaline, with the odd exceptions being more acidic, so filling your plate with spinach, kale, lettuces, beans, potatoes, peppers, plums, peaches, watermelon, apples, and pears (to name a few) is a great way to alkalize. Fruit and vegetable juices are alkaline, and so are herbal teas.

A new fad that has come about in the last few years is alkaline water. Water is an important part of staying alkaline, and proper hydration is critical for overall body function. I am personally guilty of not drinking nearly enough water so now I am making a more concerted effort to drink my eight glasses each day. Alkaline water is water that has a higher pH level than say the water that comes out of your kitchen tap. Water can become more alkaline through a variety of processes – the most popular being an alkaline water machine. These machines are connected directly to a tap in the kitchen and work to filter out the harmful components that may be found in your tap water like chlorine, phenols, organic wastes etc. The machine then separates the water into two streams, acid and alkaline, by grouping together the positively and negatively charged ions. Negatively charged ions are found in acidic water and positively charged ions are found in alkaline water, so by grouping them together and separating the two, the machine is able to produce alkaline water and dispose of acidic water. The machines have different alkalinity ranges so that the user can choose how alkaline they would like the water to be.

There is a lot of controversy over alkaline water machines. Some chemists believe that alkaline water is “snake oil” and lacks any evidence to support claims that it aids in the maintenance of good health. Some scientists believe that the people behind alkaline water machines are simply making money off of ill informed consumers. Claims that machines are able to separate acidic and alkaline water may not be true as some have argued that pure water can not actually be acidic or alkaline and it can not be made so through electrolysis.

I personally feel confident that eating fresh foods like fruits and vegetables and avoiding highly processed meals can have nothing but positive effects; however I am not sure where I stand on the alkaline water debate. I often buy bottled alkaline water from Nature’s Fare because for whatever reason I feel like it goes down easier than other bottled water, but that’s hardly a scientific reason for consuming it. I’d love to hear about your comments on alkaline water and alkaline water machines. Do you own a water ionizer, and if so have you noticed any positive effects since drinking alkaline water regularly? Maybe a little personal insight can help to shed some light on this debate.