Hydration and Your Health.

Alkaline water from a water ionizer has lower surface tension than regular water. Lower surface tension makes water easier to absorb via cellular osmosis. A Montana State University study on the water made alkaline with a supplement showed that the alkaline water hydrated 17% better than plain water (Heil P, Seifert, J)

Another reason that alkaline water hydrates better than plain water is that one of the primary channels in your cells that allow water to enter – called Aquaporins – is controlled by pH! Water with an alkaline pH is allowed to pass but acidic water is not. (Zeuthen, Thomas, and Dan Klaerke). The discovery of Aquaporins in 1992 by researcher Peter Agre led to his receiving the Nobel Prize in 2003.

There are over 40 studies on the health effects of drinking alkaline water. None of those studies examined side effects from drinking alkaline water, but some of them do give insights as to why some people may feel side effects after starting alkaline water. Research suggests that alkaline water both detoxifies the body while improving your hydration status. The side effects reported on this page may be caused by detoxification and improved hydration.

Some (not all) new drinkers report a few temporary, mild side effects, with no real effect. The people who report these side effects are most likely to be obese or have other health problems. For that reason, Hydra water urges you to talk to your doctor before starting alkaline water if you have health challenges and/or suffer from obesity. This page discusses the possible side effects that have been reported on the internet and to Life Ionizers by our customers.

Some new drinkers report mild, flu-like symptoms for up to a week. Detoxification is the most likely cause. A study called The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report documented both increased urinary excretion of some heavy metals, along with reduced levels of those metals in the bloodstream. This toxin-excreting process was highest shortly after test subjects started alkaline water, then it gradually taped off over the course of the two-month study.

Those results suggest that the flu-like symptoms that some people experience is the result of toxins being purged from the body. What happens is, those toxins may make a person feel sick until the body has expelled them. People who have reported these symptoms say they typically pass in about a week. This is actually a really good occurrence as it is an indicator that you are becoming healthier by the removal of these toxins.

Imagine being stranded in a desert without water, and then suddenly finding the best-tasting source of water you ever drank. That’s what some people report feeling like after trying alkaline water for the first time. Why do they suddenly feel so thirsty? Chronic dehydration may be a the cause. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control called 75% of Americans May Suffer From Chronic Dehydration, According to Doctors suggests that 3 out of four people simply don’t drink enough water.

But why don’t people drink enough water? A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine titled Reduced Thirst after Water Deprivation in Healthy Elderly Men suggests that chronic dehydration is a vicious circle: If you don’t drink enough water, your body’s thirst impulse may be reduced – especially if you are older!

If a person is chronically dehydrated, drinking alkaline water may reset their thirst impulse. That could cause the body to crave alkaline water while it works to restore a healthy hydration status.

If your body is detoxing, it makes sense that your kidneys might switch into overdrive to pump out all those toxins. That could be the reason that some new drinkers report having to make frequent bathroom stops for about a week. The fact that people who report mild flu-like symptoms for about a week also are likely to report frequent bathroom trips for about a week bolster the theory that the frequent bathroom trips are caused by detoxification, which is the path to a healthier body.

There are lots of theories about why first time drinkers may experience side effects discussed after starting alkaline water. Keep in mind that these theories need to be tested in clinical trials, there’s a whole lot more that we will come to understand! What we do know is that people who reported side effects say they pass in about one to two weeks. After the side effects have passed, those same people report positive health effects such as increased energy and weight loss.

How likely is it that you’ll experience side effects when starting alkaline water? Take this quiz:

• Are you Clinically Obese? (BMI greater than 30)
• Do you have GERD?
• Do you have poor digestive health?
• Do you suffer from Metabolic Syndrome?

* Body Mass index is a measure of obesity. Click here to learn how to calculate your Body mass Index.

If you answer yes to three or all of the above questions, then you may experience some side effects when starting alkaline water. Here’s what you need to do:

• Talk to your doctor first, let them know you’re starting alkaline water
• Start with Level one alkaline water, stay on level one for a week
• Stay at level one until your symptoms subside, then try level two
• If your symptoms reappear, go back to level one for another week

If your symptoms are hard to handle, then mix your level one alkaline water half-and-half with purified water from your ionizer.

Studies on alkaline water health benefits have typically reported tangible health benefits appearing about one to two or more months after starting alkaline water. In those studies, the participants drank about 2 liters or more of alkaline water per day. So plan to try alkaline water for two months, and to drink at least 2 liters of it per day.