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Benefits of alkaline water unveiled

By Paul Joseph Nanna
06 July 2017   |   4:01 am
Alkaline water has been described as a supplement because the water that we drink today is far from perfect. There is hardly any bottled water in the shops that is alkaline...

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Alkaline water has been described as a supplement because the water that we drink today is far from perfect. There is hardly any bottled water in the shops that is alkaline and what we refer to as ‘pure water’ is indeed diluted acid. The standard for us human beings should be between 7.0 (6.8) and 8.5. I believe this is in line with the recommendations of the regulatory authority in Nigeria.

Why should we drink alkaline water? You may ask. Originally this is the type of water that GOD gave to human beings, “——a land of brooks [river or stream running down a valley or hill] of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills (The Holy Bible. Deuteronomy 8: 7b). Even today, there are still streams and springs running down hills and valleys and such water are usually alkaline. This type of water gets its alkalinity as the minerals in the rocks and stones get dissolved in the water as it flows down. These are the energy-rich, electron-carrying, alkaline minerals that support life and remain hostile to infection causing microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, parasites and cancer cells.

Furthermore, we do know that following all the physiological and metabolic functions that occur in the body, acidic wastes are released. Certain food types that we eat, like animal proteins and dairy products are by far more implicated in the formation of these acid wastes. They give rise to what is known as metabolic acidosis. The colon (large intestine) is one of the greatest sources of acidic wastes. Everything that we eat or drink will eventually pass through the colon. Digestion and absorption take place in the small intestines and those items that cannot be absorbed (fecal matter) are first collected in the rectum before they are passed out of the body. The amount of acids in this waste fecal matter will depend on the rate of completion of the digestive process in the small intestines, the quantity of undigested food material (this is determined by the quality and quantity of enzymes present and the bacterial flora of the intestines). The rate of clearance of this fecal waste from the colon which is dependent on the type of food eaten, the amount of water in the body, the alkalinity or acidity of the water will determine the amount of acid released into the circulation.

Animal proteins, which do not contain any fiber and enzymes, move slowly in the colon, causing constipation. “Unfriendly” bacteria leading to the formation of more acids will act upon the fecal matter in circumstances such as this. Stress and toxic emotions like anger, bitterness, malice and unforgiveness are other sources of acid wastes. Accumulation of these wastes further worsens an already bad situation and dehydration which most of us are familiar with is the cause. Apart from evacuating these acids from the cells they are transported via the liver to the kidneys, lungs and skin, organs that will finally eliminate them from the body. As these wastes pass through the liver, they are detoxified by a complex biochemical transformation to water-soluble metabolites that are harmless to the tissues of the body and easily excretable by the kidneys and skin.

Certain enzymes are involved in this transformation reaction in the liver in two distinct phases and they are highly pH sensitive. An alkaline pH enhances and accelerates the detoxification process in the liver. The liver enzymes involved in detoxification perform optimally when the body pH is alkaline and the body is well hydrated such that circulation is fast. The ability of the liver to detoxify becomes hindered and overwhelmed when the body remains chronically acidic with a slow and sluggish circulation. In the liver, the alkaline ions enhance the ability of the liver to detoxify the acids as they pass through. No other type of water can support the body in wellness as alkaline water does.

Indeed, all other types of water being acidic compound the challenges that the body may already be faced with. In next week Thursday’s edition of The Guardian Newspaper, I shall show case specific diseases that alkaline water has effectively been shown to enhance treatment with supplements and diet.

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