pH Paranoia
Beware of the “Alka-lie”
THE INCREDIBLE FRAUD OF ALKALINE DRINKING WATER
(The following information has been modified & taken from the an article published by Aqua Technology & an article published by Jack Barber, President of Waterwise, Inc.)
Desperate businessmen, deluded nutritionists, and a whole host of questionable medical practitioners have been foisting on the public probably one of the most devastating and least proven devices seen in the water consumer marketplace in the last 20 years:
Alkaline Water Systems.
Like global warming, the presence in the Western World of acidic diets has fostered a collective knee jerk reaction by the above list of individuals to somehow offset this acidic fiber diet with an alkaline, liquid - electrolyzed water.
Proponents of this type of drinking water claim cures for many health conditions ranging from hair loss to cardiovascular health; the list is nearly endless (and virtually devoid of sound, scientific support). The only malady that we don't see on the "cure list" for alkaline water is the reversal of global warming---but don't hold your breath, that may be added soon as well.
Alkaline water is produced by the process of electrolysis whereby mineralized water is separated into two categories; one acidic and suitable for the destruction of micro-organisms and alkaline, with proven applications in some plant and animal situations, but none human.
The Japanese government has been sponsoring (and underwriting) the study of alkaline water. Some of these studies claim significant health benefits, but independent medical studies to support these claims are not available. Most of the Asian claims for health benefits are fabricated and provide the public with a false sense of security regarding a very questionable health practice.
One needs to remember that this "technology" comes from the same sources and cultural activities that claim that writing Japanese words on the outside of a glass of water, or playing music near this glass of water will change the physical characteristics of the water in the glass to the point where the water can actually provide curative effects for the body .
Such "technological advances" are not only laughable but strain the credibility of the few decent and viable developments that might come from that part of the world.
The only physiological result that appears to have significance, and perhaps some validity in Japan, is the use of alkaline water by pregnant Asian women to enhance the possibility of bearing a male versus female child. This practice is consistent with their continuing cultural objectives regarding gender superiority and desirability.
So, unless you are a pregnant Japanese woman hoping to bear a boy versus a girl, there is likely no tangible benefit for you to use alkaline water.
It is exceptionally strange that supposedly knowledgeable nutritional experts do not realize that the use of alkaline water dilutes both the digestive acids in the stomach but also strains the pH stability of the blood. Dilution of the strong acidic composition of digestive fluids results in the inability of the body to properly break down proteins and carbohydrates, resulting in putrefaction of these materials and the accumulation of toxic wastes which can create a variety of health problems.
As one Nobel Prize winner stated:
"...it is truly amazing that supposedly knowledgeable nutritionists cannot recognize that the proper balancing of acidic food intake is by way of alkaline foods, not alkaline water."
So, what is the driving mechanism that places the promotion of alkaline water ahead of the healthier alternative, the consumption of foods that possess alkaline fiber yet contain neutral pH liquids? Cash.
The drive to develop niche markets for a public desperate to obtain a better health condition has resulted in a wide variety of bogus products, most from Asian or German sources; alkaline water is just one of those useless, and perhaps potentially detrimental products which are promoted by retailers and nutritionists who really should know better, but don't want to let go of a cash cow that the nutritionally uneducated public is unwilling to properly analyze and stop buying.