ALTERNATIVE health experts say alkaline is an extra-healthy type of water to drink as it slows the ageing process, increases energy, helps with fertility and keeps away cancer.
BY PHYLLIS MBANJE
Health fads have, however, not been well received by the public mostly because there has been no research to authenticate such claims.
Alkaline water, also called ionised water, has a higher pH than regular water — generally between 7 and 9.5.
Potential hydrogen (pH) is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of any substance or solution.
The pH scale runs from zero to 14, with 7 as the neutral mid-point, usually called optimum.
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Liquids with a pH of 1 are very acidic, and liquids with a pH of 13 are very alkaline.
According to research, pure water, which is found in most supermarkets, is in the middle with a pH that is close to 7. However, bottlers of alkaline water in Zimbabwe have said while they make no health claims, they were agitating for recognition of quality instead of quantity.
It is commonly said drinking at least two litres of water every day is important to our overall health.
More than 50% of the body is made of water, and staying properly hydrated is essential to every bodily function.
“While we make no health claims on our water, we have realised through research and testimonies that alkaline water has better quality,” says Charity Muzorewa Tirivepi, one of the co-directors of Dream Tree, an alkaline bottling company.
The company is part of the International Dream Tree which was started by Edmund Chun in 2009.
“This was after Edmund’s wife experienced a health challenge and doctors gave up on her and said she could not be cured,” Tirivepi, who is the daughter of the late Bishop Abel Muzorewa, said.
Chun searched in desperation until he discovered the link between the right pH in water and a healthy body. His wife is alive today.
“My dad died of cancer and I regret that we did not know about this water, which might have helped keep him healthier,” Tirivepi said.
Leading biochemist Otto Heinrich Warburg discovered that the root cause of cancer is too much acidity in the body, meaning that the pH in the body is below the normal level of 7.365, which constitutes an “acidic” state.
Warburg investigated the metabolism of tumours and the respiration of cells and discovered that cancer cells maintain and thrive in acidic environments.
In 1931, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for this important discovery.
A study in the 2001 issue of Shanghai Journal of Protective Medicine found drinking alkaline water between three and six months lowered cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure levels in participants.
“Our water does not contain any chemicals. It is naturally purified by natural ceramic filtration process,” Tirivepi said.
Besides proper hydration, there is also a benefit of detoxification and balanced pH levels.
“Drinking this water can contribute to weight loss and a more youthful feeling and appearance,” reads one of the flyers for Dream Tree International.
A 2010 study published in The Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine titled Acid-Base Balance and Hydration Status following Consumption of Mineral-based Alkaline Bottled Water concluded that their test subjects who drank alkaline water showed an improved acid-base balance and hydration status compared to tap water.
However, while circumstantial evidence suggests that alkaline water might be beneficial to health, solid data is scarce.
So far there are no peer-reviewed studies demonstrating that consuming alkaline water can reduce a person’s cancer risk or help them fight the disease.
Dream Tree Zimbabwe, which has gone through all the processes with the Ministry of Health and Standards Association of Zimbabwe, is not selling its water in large supermarkets yet, but from the bottling plant in Graniteside.
“We are selling directly to the customers because we want to educate them first on the benefits. If we just put it alongside other bottled water, how will the members of the public know of these other benefits?” Tirivepi queried.