Does Alkaline Water for Weight Loss Really Mean Anything?

With all the high fat and high sugar food being eaten, obesity is a common problem afflicting people today. So much so that many strategies and marketing schemes have come out to entice people to try out their weight loss products. One of these is alkaline or ionized water. No doubt you’ve heard of it as this “superior” form of water also helps control high blood pressure, diabetes, joint pains and a lot of other health conditions. And chances are someone has already been to your house trying to sell you some pH drops or an alkalizing machine.

What is Alkaline Water?

So what exactly is alkaline water and what are these alkaline water benefits people speak of? Well basically it is just water except that it has more hydroxide (OH-) ions making it more basic than ordinary water, which more often than not is neutral (pH of 7). It can be made by adding alkalizing minerals, like pH drops or powders, or processing water in a machine that splits up H20 to H+ and OH-. By creating ionized alkaline water, it is purported that it is more efficient in cleaning out toxins and maintaining health. And that it also helps the body absorbed more nutrients neutralize acid and boost the body’s metabolism to help you shed the pounds.

After examining alkaline water, does it really help us lose weight? If you want to get technical, then the answer is yes it does. That’s because water, be it a fancy alkalized crystal clear drink or plain tap water, is an important key in weight loss. It has no calories, making it a better alternative to all those high sugar fruit drinks that are advertised. In addition, it's also needed by your kidneys to get rid of waste and burn fat. It’s not an instant solution to weight loss, but most weight loss experts say it is vital to be adequately hydrated when you want to lose excess pounds.

Alkaline Water vs Regular Water

But to say that alkalized water is better than regular water is an unsupported claim. Physiologically, the body doesn’t need alkalized water as it has built-in mechanisms to control acid-base balance. As long as your kidneys are healthy, they do an excellent job in balancing pH. And even if you drink alkalized water, chances are, a good portion of the OH- ions will just be neutralized in the acidic environment of the stomach. There’s no harm in using alkalized water over ordinary tap water, but considering the cost you have to pay for so little benefit, it might not be a very pragmatic choice.

The Key to Losing Weight

If you really want to a healthy way of losing weight, good old fashioned exercise, a healthy diet and lots of water is still the key. And if you’re really keen of using alkalized water, a more affordable alternative is to squeeze fresh lemon juice into your water. They might be citrus fruits, but they do have  lot alkalizing minerals plus the advantage of containing vitamin C and potassium, which are very helpful in losing weight and replacing lost electrolytes when exercising.