Myth vs. Mechanism: Alkaline Water and pH Balance

By Amy Putnam-Rector, FNTP, FBCS

Introduction

Alkaline water has become a wellness industry darling. You’ve probably heard claims like: “It balances your pH, detoxifies the body, fights cancer, and improves hydration.” It sounds simple — drink a special kind of water, and your body becomes healthier.

But here’s the truth: alkaline water doesn’t alkalize the body. Your blood pH is tightly regulated within a very narrow range (7.35–7.45), and no beverage can shift that without causing a medical crisis. What alkaline water does affect is your stomach acidity — and that has consequences for digestion and nutrient absorption.

Let’s break down the myth vs. mechanism, so you can see where alkaline water helps, and where it may actually work against you.

The Myth

“Drinking alkaline water balances the body’s pH and prevents disease.”

The Mechanism

Blood pH is Tightly Regulated

• Your body maintains blood pH between 7.35–7.45.
• The lungs and kidneys do this automatically — no drink or diet can override it (Schwalfenberg, 2012).
• Shifts outside this range are life-threatening (acidosis or alkalosis), and would require medical intervention, not water.

Alkaline Water Alters Stomach pH

• Normal stomach acid is extremely acidic (pH ~1.5–3.5). This acidity:
  Activates digestive enzymes like pepsin.
  Breaks down protein into amino acids.
  Triggers bile and pancreatic enzyme release for fat and carb digestion.
• Drinking alkaline water raises stomach pH (makes it less acidic), which can:
  Reduce protein digestion.
  Impair mineral absorption (iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc require acid for solubility).
  Allow more pathogens to survive the stomach and reach the intestines (Koufman & Johnston, 2012).

Hydration and Urine pH

• Alkaline water can temporarily change urine pH, but this reflects what your kidneys are excreting, not your blood or tissue pH.
• This is why some people see urine test strips “alkalize” — it’s excretion, not systemic alkalization.

Who Might Benefit (Special Circumstances)

• Between meals: If consumed away from food, alkaline water may not significantly impair digestion, and some people may enjoy its taste.
• Reflux sufferers: Some small studies suggest alkaline water (pH ~8.8) may temporarily deactivate pepsin, offering symptom relief (Koufman & Johnston, 2012). However, this does not address why reflux is happening.
• Athletes in high-acid load states: Some research suggests alkaline water may help buffer lactic acid post-exercise (Heil, 2010).

Who It May Harm or Mislead

• Anyone relying on it to “alkalize” the body — this is not possible.
• Those with poor digestion: By weakening stomach acid, alkaline water can worsen bloating, gas, protein maldigestion, and nutrient deficiencies.
• At mealtimes: Drinking alkaline water with meals dilutes and neutralizes stomach acid, impairing protein and mineral absorption.

Best Practices If You Drink Alkaline Water

• Timing matters: If you choose to drink it, consume it between meals, not during.
• Balance with plain water: Use regular filtered or mineral water for most hydration, especially with food.
• Don’t rely on it for “detox”: Focus on liver, kidney, and gut health for real detoxification.

Why Testing Matters

If digestion is impaired, hydration alone won’t fix it. Functional testing can reveal:

• Stomach acid sufficiency (via Heidelberg test, gastric pH markers, or betaine HCl trials).
• Mineral status (serum, RBC, or HTMA analysis).
• Gut microbiome balance and pathogen load.

This helps determine whether alkaline water is a neutral add-on or an obstacle to true digestive health.

The NutriSleuth Takeaway

• ✅ Alkaline water may be tolerated in small amounts between meals, and may have niche benefits (reflux relief, exercise recovery).
• ❌ It does not alkalize your body or balance systemic pH.
• ⚠️ It can impair digestion and nutrient absorption if consumed with meals.
• 🕵️ Always test first: if you have digestive issues, nutrient deficiencies, or reflux, the answer lies deeper than your water choice.

References

1. Schwalfenberg GK. The alkaline diet: is there evidence that an alkaline pH diet benefits health? J Environ Public Health. 2012. PMC
2. Koufman JA, Johnston N. Potential benefits of pH 8.8 alkaline drinking water in reflux disease. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2012. PubMed
3. Heil DP. Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010. PubMed

Call to Action

If you’ve invested in alkaline water hoping it would rebalance your health — you’re not alone. It’s one of the biggest wellness myths of our time.

But true health comes from supporting digestion, nutrient absorption, blood sugar regulation, and detox pathways. That’s where the real “pH balance” is maintained.

In my practice, I help clients uncover these root causes with testing, not guessing. Because whether it’s your water, your food, or your hormones — context is everything.