A Better You: Alkaline water truly is the staff of life

One of the most precious resources in the world and one of the most precious resources for you is water.

Worlds will go to war over it in the future because it is not in abundance and as the population of the world grows, so too does our waste, sewage and contaminants.

I have previously discussed the benefits of water and there are too many positives to revisit.

Instead I want to tackle the topic of what makes good water.

Not all water is created equal and you have the choice of what you want to put in your body.

To be honest, I have always been a Johannesburg tap water drinker.

What I have noticed over the years is that the taste of water varies from place to place and even though the local government says it’s safe to drink, I can’t help but wonder if I am hurting my body in the long run.

I think the reality check set in when Carte Blanche exposed a story of how water sanitation plants are run, and it left me horrified.

Don’t get me wrong, it is safe to drink but it’s probably not the healthiest water one can drink.

Earlier this year my dad fell ill and was hospitalised for about 100 days and through regular visits I got some feedback on his oxygen levels, foods and health.

Surprisingly some of the top specialists recommended he drink alkaline water, which led me on a journey to find out more about it.

When you consume different beverages and produce, they all have different acidity or alkaline levels:

1. Stomach acid
2. Lemon, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Vitamin Water, Monster drinks
3. Apple juice, diet coke, 7 up
4. Tomato, beer, Amarula, certain flavoured waters
5. Black coffee, orange juice, reverse osmosis water
6. Milk
7. Pure water, tap water
8. Eggs
9. Baking soda
10. Hand soap, alkaline water
11. Ammonia solution
12. Bleach

If there is one thing your body doesn’t like, it is to be too acidic.

Acid reflux is a warning sign of your lifestyle not being what it should be.

In the event that your stomach is subjected to poor meal and beverage choices, it will have excess hydrochloric acid and this will leave you with symptoms of bloating, burping, nausea and heartburn.

The enzymes found in your stomach are important, and responsible for breaking down proteins into amino acids, carbohydrates into glucose, and fats into fatty acids.

Enzymes don’t function very well if your stomach is too acidic or too alkaline.

It needs a perfect balance.

To help balance out the Ph. you need to have more green leafy vegetables and also substitute your drink for an alkaline water.

It makes sense then that the specialists recommend it because of the health benefits it can offer in balancing your systems.

The benefits of drinking alkaline water with a Ph. of 8 to 10:

* Keep balance within the stomach

* Helps neutralise free radicals

* Contains higher concentrations of minerals

* Alkaline water helps remove pesticides from fruit and vegetables

* More energy because negative ions contribute to increased energy, clarity and alertness

* Increase the amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood.

There is nothing to be scared of in changing your tap water and trying alkaline water.

You have been reaching for a Coke for years and that is seriously acidic so why not go to the other side of the PH scale and safely choose alkaline water between 8-10 Ph.

You can either purchase your filtration system which can be quite expensive, or you can look for off-the-shelf products like Generosity Water.

Not only does it taste amazing but every time you purchase a bottle from them, they donate a portion of their profits to building water wells in Africa or in countries that need clean water.

It’s a noble cause and worth a mention.

Sean van Staden is a sport scientist. Follow him on Twitter at @SeanVStaden or visit advancedsp.co.za.

Last week’s column can be found here.

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