As drinking water health has become a concern for people, alkaline water and reverse osmosis water, as popular water qualities, have also become hot topics. So, should we choose alkaline water or reverse osmosis water? In this article, you will learn about alkaline water, reverse osmosis water, their differences, and their advantages and disadvantages.
What is alkaline water?
The pH value of alkaline water is higher than that of ordinary water. Alkaline water refers to water that contains a certain amount of alkaline substances. It refers to water with a pH value higher than 7.0. These alkaline substances can be naturally occurring minerals or artificially added. The pH value of water is a measure of its acidity and alkalinity. Most water in nature is neutral, that is, the pH value is about 7. The pH value of alkaline water is greater than 7.
Alkaline water can be obtained in many ways. A common way is to extract the minerals contained in tap water through a filtration and purification system to make it alkaline water. In addition, some natural mineral waters are also rich in alkaline substances and can be drunk directly.
The human body can easily absorb minerals in alkaline water. According to the Forbes website, alkaline water can promote the body's absorption of calcium. Alkaline ions contain four beneficial minerals: calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. It is safe to drink. In people's daily lives, milk has become a must-have for people's breakfast, and most milk is an acidic substance. Therefore, alkaline water and milk are both beneficial to supplement dietary calcium.
What Does Alkaline Water Do for You?
Alkaline water has many functions and benefits, and it is also rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium minerals. Here are some of the functions of alkaline water:
- Helps neutralize acidity
- Boosts immunity
- Prevents cancer
- Promotes hydration
- Antioxidant and anti-aging
- Improves metabolism
- Improves acid reflux and digestion
What are the side effects of alkaline water?
Although alkaline water is considered safe by most people, drinking too much alkaline water for a long time can also bring some side effects. For example: if the physical condition is not very good, or if you drink it improperly. The side effects of alkaline water include the following:
- Alkalosis: Drinking too much alkaline water may cause excessive alkalinity in the body, causing metabolic alkalosis.
- Reduced gastric acid secretion: The high pH value of alkaline water can neutralize gastric acid. If you drink it frequently, it may reduce gastric acid secretion.
- Electrolyte imbalance: Alkaline water contains beneficial minerals, but excessive intake may cause electrolyte imbalance.
- Interference with pH balance in the body: Long-term drinking of alkaline water may interfere with the body's natural regulatory function.
- Gastrointestinal discomfort: Some people believe that long-term drinking of alkaline water may cause mild gastrointestinal discomfort.
Who should not drink alkaline water?
For some groups, drinking filtered alkaline water for a long time may cause health problems. For people with existing diseases, it may aggravate the condition. The following are some groups that should not drink alkaline water:
- Elderly people
- Pregnant women
- People with low stomach acid or indigestion
- People with impaired kidney function
- People taking certain medications
- People with abnormal blood pH
What is Reverse Osmosis Water?
Reverse osmosis water is water filtered through an RO membrane. Reverse osmosis water is very pure water. Reverse osmosis uses a semipermeable membrane to remove all pollutants in the water. Such as suspended matter, organic matter, heavy metals, bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances. Reverse osmosis is also one of the most popular water treatment methods.
The pore size of reverse osmosis is 0.0001 microns, which can remove almost all dissolved impurities in the water. Such as microorganisms, heavy metals (such as lead, and mercury), and other dissolved solids. The most popular brand on the market is the ITEHIL portable water filter, which is loved by outdoor camping enthusiasts for its portable design and efficient filtration.
Related: Reverse osmosis water filter how it works
Is drinking reverse osmosis water good for your health?
Drinking reverse osmosis water is good for health because reverse osmosis removes all harmful substances in the water and is highly pure water. However, many people believe that drinking reverse osmosis water will cause the body to lack minerals. This statement is not entirely correct. The following are the benefits and disadvantages of reverse osmosis water:
Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Water
- Removes pollutants: heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic), bacteria, viruses and microorganisms, chlorine, fluorine, pesticide residues, dissolved salts and other solids
- Improves water quality: Reverse osmosis water is very clean and odorless, which helps improve the taste of drinking water.
- Health and safety: Removing all harmful substances can reduce the health risks caused by water pollution.
Disadvantages of reverse osmosis water
Reverse osmosis also removes minerals, and the mineral content in reverse osmosis water is relatively low. However, the body's intake of minerals does not depend on the quality of the water, and you can take in the right amount of minerals through diet.
The reverse osmosis system requires regular maintenance and a clean reverse osmosis membrane, but the life of the filter element will be very long, such as 2-5 years, but this depends on the degree of water pollution. If you find that the water quality filtering effect is getting worse when using the reverse osmosis system, you should immediately change a water filter cartridge.
What is the difference between alkaline water and reverse osmosis?
Difference in mineral content
Alkaline water contains natural minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Many people believe that these minerals are good for health. Reverse osmosis water contains fewer minerals because reverse osmosis can remove all impurities in the water. Reverse osmosis water is a very pure water.
Differences in treatment processes
Alkaline water is mainly processed by electrolysis technology, which divides ordinary water sources into acidic water and alkaline water. At the same time, you can also add alkaline minerals to the water. Alkaline water contains a lot of minerals.
Reverse osmosis water is filtered through a reverse osmosis membrane, which can remove all harmful pollutants in the water. The filtered water is very pure and suitable for daily use.
Difference in pH value
Reverse osmosis is an advanced filtration technology that can remove 99.99% of pollutants in water. But its pH value is around 7. Since reverse osmosis removes minerals from water, reverse osmosis water is not alkaline. The pH value of alkaline water is higher than 7, and it is alkaline.
Differences in health perspectives
Some people may think that alkaline water can relieve the acidic constitution and prevent diseases. However, some experts believe that the human body does not need alkaline water to regulate acid-base balance. Therefore, alkaline water has both benefits and side effects. For more information, please see the above content.
Many people believe that reverse osmosis water is one of the cleanest drinking water because it removes almost all pollutants in the water. It can prevent water pollution from affecting human health. Reverse osmosis water is very suitable for people who are more concerned about water pollution.
FAQ
How to make your water alkaline?
You can make your water alkaline by using an alkaline water filter or you can add alkaline minerals to your water.
Can reverse osmosis water become alkaline water?
Yes. Reverse osmosis water is very pure water and contains almost no impurities. You can add alkaline minerals, such as calcium and magnesium minerals, to reverse osmosis water to turn it into alkaline water.
Is alkaline water good for your kidneys?
Some people believe that alkaline water can help neutralize the acid in the blood, thereby reducing the burden on the kidneys. However, some studies have shown that alkaline water may interfere with the kidney's acid-base balance and cause kidney damage. There is no definitive answer on the effects of alkaline water on the kidneys.
Can alkaline water or reverse osmosis water be used for cooking?
Both can be used for cooking. Alkaline water is suitable for some cooking that requires minerals, while reverse osmosis water is more suitable for cooking scenarios that have strict requirements on water quality.
