Alkaline Water: A Water Myth
Alkaline Water: A Water Myth
A common question I get about water is about alkaline water and its supposed health benefits. This is a myth that doesn't make scientific sense. I'll explain why, but first I want to start with a video that explains the issue quite well (not perfectly though).
I agree with the video in all ways except two. Let me explain...
First, let's talk about your stomach acid. An important point to understand is that your stomach acid is part of your immune system. It’s your first defense against biological contaminants, such as bacteria and parasites. If you consume Tums or alkaline water, you will temporarily lower the defenses of your body and make yourself more vulnerable to these biological contaminants.
Second, I disagree with the point she made that there is no harm in drinking alkaline water because pure water can not be alkalized. In other words, the only type of water that you can alkalize is water that has inorganic impurities in the water. This ignores the most important way you can maximize the healthful benefits from water; removing toxins (learn more here).
WHY IS THIS MYTH SO PERSISTENT?
I believe that there are a two reasons that this myth is so persistent. First, the fact is, MANY PEOPLE WANT TO BELIEVE IN A SILVER BULLET – something that will undue years of unhealthful habits and give us an extra lease on life. This desire to believe in a silver bullet is simply human nature. I’m not making a judgment, I’m just stating that people’s desires affect their willingness to believe in something, which many people take advantage of. More than any other industry that I’ve seen (except maybe the financial industry), water has been a perfect target for snake-oil salespersons.
The second reason that people believe this myth is that alkaline water can temporarily make people feel better. What is one of the most prescribed drugs in the US? Anti-heart burn medication. Thus, taking Tums or alkaline water may help people for a short period of time, but it’s only affecting the symptom and not the underlying cause. Plus, it takes people’s focus off of what should be their primary focus – purity.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS…
Instead of trying to find the magic bullet, I recommend that you keep your priorities straight and focus on consuming clean water. If you do your research on water contamination, you will come to realize, as I do, that the facts are pretty shocking. We live in an increasingly toxic world, and the government can’t ensure the true safety of your water. It’s up to you to ensure that your family is drinking safe, pure drinking water. The best way to do this is with a well-designed water distiller.
I recommend the AquaNui Brand of water distillers, which are made by my father’s business. Before I launched the Survival Still and started my own company, I worked with my father for over 20 years. I know that they are the best distillers on the market and that they are made in the USA by an ethical, fantastic company. I think you will find them to be quite reasonably priced, and surprisingly, even the larger automatic systems are priced lower than a professionally designed filter system.
I personally use and recommend the larger size systems, and I recommend getting a pump with the system so that you can have the water delivered directly to a separate faucet on your sink. An important thing to understand is that it’s not just about drinking pure water, but rather, everything that you CONSUME should be pure. This means that soups, coffee, tea, pasta, rice, protein drinks, and especially baby formula should be made with pure water, which is why I recommend the larger sizes.
Questions? Ask in the comments below.