Alkaline Water - Miracle or Scam? (Part 1)

It seems everyone and their dog lately is touting the miraculous benefits of alkaline water. My boss recently purchased a very expensive system for his family (costing a few thousand dollars), as he was so convinced of its benefits. This may or may not be the case - time will tell, I suppose!  The only difference I've heard him mention so far is how often they are using the bathroom....

Image via WikipediaSupposedly this water has all sorts of wonderful health benefits, including possible curing of many diseases, more energy, and of course, flushing toxins from the body. Detractors call the alkaline water craze a scam, but after quite a bit of searching on the internet, most of them don't seem to have any valid or proven reason for saying so, at least that I can tell.

Personally we at New Holistic Living are still on the fence.  The majority of the glowing reviews I've seen seem to be from those selling an alkaline water system (or promoting one for personal gain). Then again, some of the studies and the science behind it sound rather intriguing....

What do you think?  I thought I'd post a couple of articles from opposing sides (though the "pro" side seems much more vocal). Here are several of these in the "miracle" camp -- check back in a couple of days for the opposing side. And of course, let us know what you think! Is alkaline water a miraculous substance, and if so, what benefits have you experienced?

Top 10 Benefits of Drinking Alkaline Water | Grateful 2 Love Water
We all know that drinking an adequate amount of water is good for us. Do we all drink enough water? No, not usually. If we remember we might drink a glass.
Publish Date: 09/14/2010 19:10
http://g2lwater.com/2010/09/14/top-10-benefits-of-drinking-alkaline-water/

stars2man: Dr. Mercola and Alkaline Water: Natural Health Information
Understanding this is important for two reasons: (1) it reveals one of the primary benefits of alkaline water -- more "available" oxygen in the system and (2) it explains why alkaline water helps fight cancer, which we'll talk more ...
Publish Date: 10/04/2010 10:43
http://stars2man.blogspot.com/2010/10/dr-mercola-and-alkaline-water-natural.html
Introduction and Reviews About Alkaline Ionized Water: By Doctors ...
There are more benefits to “alkaline water” than simply the alkalinity or pH. The most important feature of alkaline water produced by a water alkalinizer is its oxidation reduction potential (ORP). Water with a high negative ORP is of ...
Publish Date: 10/09/2010 10:28
http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/2010/10/09/doctor-reviews-about-alkaline-ionized-water/

The Alkaline Water Ionizer May Permanently Increase Your Health ...
Alkaline Water is clearly an excellent choice for your drinking requirements. It's not sold in plastic containers and it is free of contamination. In addition, Alkaline Water has nutritious benefits not present in ordinary drinking ...
Publish Date: 09/30/2010 13:17
http://alternative-medicine-articles.us/the-alkaline-water-ionizer-may-permanently-increase-your-health/

 

Other related articles on Alkalinity & Health:

• Balancing your Alkaline Level (rawlivingfoods.typepad.com)
• Alkaline Diet Online Course (grand-alliance.com)