You may see that on your store shelves, there are foods and waters that are popping up with claims of alkalinity or that they will help your body to become more alkalized. The theory behind this new wave of health food products and beverages is that because of changes in environment, diet, and lifestyle, people’s bodies have become more acidic. There are many diets that focus on the idea that if you eat and drink certain foods, you can increase the pH of your body.

The pH range is 0-14 and your body is naturally around a pH of 7.4. Below that is considered more acidic and above is alkaline.

Highly acidic body pH can cause severe health problems. Metabolic acidosis is when the kidneys are having difficulty processing enough acid out of the body. When this happens, it can change the body’s pH level. Metabolic acidosis can result in nausea, vomiting, weight gain, muscle weakness and body pains. Acidosis in the body can impact your heart and cardiovascular system. It is also possible for the body to become too alkaline and that is referred to as alkalosis.

Proponents of alkaline water and alkaline diets make claims of preventing or treating cancer and heart disease, improving energy levels, increased weight loss, and reducing the effects of aging. However, there are many different claims of what level pH and how much of the water you must drink to get the intended health impacts.

One study showed that in the treatment of reflux disease, alkaline water with a pH of 8.8 was able to help deactivate an enzyme called Pepsin. This enzyme is one of the main digestive enzymes found in the stomach, that when combined with acid outside of the stomach, such as in the case of reflux, can cause problems. Another study indicated that chemotherapy agents work better in the more alkaline environments.

However, generally, there is very limited research to support the claims that drinking alkaline water or going on an alkaline diet will have the intended health impact. The majority of health professionals and nutritionists do not see validity in the claims of alkaline diets and alkaline water. They do however generally recommend increased water intake and an increasingly plant-based diet, which is often a core element of alkaline diets.

_{[Image via Shutterstock]}