Water is essential for life, but with so many claims about alkaline water’s supposed benefits, it’s easy to get confused. Some manufacturers market alkaline water machines as the key to better health, claiming they improve hydration, neutralize acidity, and even prevent disease.
But are these claims backed by science, or are they just marketing tactics?
At Eat for Life, we prioritize evidence-based nutrition and wellness. Let’s break down the myths surrounding alkaline water and compare it to distilled water, a scientifically proven source of pure hydration.
One of the biggest claims about alkaline water is that it hydrates the body better than regular water. The reasoning? It has smaller water clusters, making it easier for cells to absorb.
No scientific research supports this claim. Hydration depends on your body’s ability to absorb water, which happens efficiently regardless of the water’s pH level. The human body naturally regulates its hydration, particularly when provided with purified, clean water, free from contaminants and inorganic minerals that it cannot process.
Distilled water is completely free of contaminants and minerals, making it one of the purest forms of hydration.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 86,607 chemicals are found in drinking water across the U.S., and most filters remove only a small fraction of these chemicals. Additionally, many water tests don’t screen for all these contaminants.
Many alkaline water supporters argue that drinking high-pH water helps balance the body’s acidity levels and prevent disease.
Your body naturally regulates pH through your lungs and kidneys. Drinking alkaline water does not significantly impact blood pH levels. If it did, it could be dangerous—too much alkalinity can disrupt normal bodily functions.
To maintain good health and function properly, our bodies maintain pH levels ranging from about 2 (similar to lemon juice) to 8 (slightly below baking soda’s pH of 9). These pH levels are precisely balanced through a complex system of buffering and breathing.
Distilled water is better than alkaline water for many reasons. It has a neutral pH and does not affect the body’s acid/alkaline balance. It’s safe, effective, and free of unwanted additives and chemicals.
Some believe that alkaline water neutralizes stomach acid, reducing symptoms of acid reflux and GERD.
While studies suggest that highly alkaline water (pH 8.8 or above) may help temporarily deactivate pepsin, the enzyme responsible for acid reflux, this effect is minimal. Over time, relying on alkaline water may lead to digestive issues by disrupting normal stomach acid production, which is necessary for proper digestion.
Distilled water, on the other hand, supports digestion without interfering with stomach acid levels. It allows your body to function as intended without artificial interference.
Keep in mind that reduced stomach acid levels disrupts important functions like digestion, food absorption, microbiota balance, skin health, and blood sugar regulation. Additionally, most alkaline water machines come from multi-level marketing companies and rely on marketing hype rather than scientific evidence.
Many brands claim that alkaline water removes toxins from the body more efficiently than regular water.
Your body already has a built-in detox system: your liver and kidneys. They effectively filter out toxins and work best with purified, clean water.
Distilled water is actually one of the best choices for detoxification because it is completely free from contaminants, heavy metals, and other pollutants found in tap water, well water, and most bottled waters. Keep in mind: distilled water doesn’t deplete your body’s minerals—toxins do.
Although distillation removes minerals from the water (along with chemicals and pollutants), this isn’t a huge issue because those minerals are not in a bioavailable form anyway and we should be primarily getting our minerals through our food, not our water.
Alkaline water is often marketed as a miracle cure for conditions like cancer, arthritis, and osteoporosis.
There is no clinical evidence that alkaline water prevents or treats any disease. Your body maintains a stable pH, and drinking alkaline water won’t change that.
What does support health? A balanced diet rich in whole foods, adequate hydration, and proper nutrition. Distilled water can be a great addition to this, ensuring your body gets pure, uncontaminated hydration without unnecessary additives.
Distilled water is the only truly pure form of water free of contaminants. It can help prevent increased toxicity, which is strongly linked to chronic illness and other health challenges. With a proper diet and lifestyle, you’ll still get all needed nutrients for health, since minerals should come from food rather than water.
If you’re looking to improve your health—especially if you feel stuck in your wellness journey—we recommend drinking distilled water. This approach effectively separates water from contaminants, protecting you from their harmful effects.
Some people believe alkaline water is a more natural choice than distilled water.
Most alkaline water is artificially altered using electrolysis machines, which change its pH. This process doesn’t make the water healthier—it just alters its chemical properties.
Distilled water, however, mimics the natural water cycle, where water evaporates, condenses, and falls as rain. It’s free from contaminants, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, and pollutants, making it one of the purest forms of water available.
Taste is subjective, but some claim that alkaline water tastes better because it has added minerals.
Pure distilled water has a neutral taste—clean and crisp. Alkaline water may taste slightly different due to added inorganic minerals, but these aren’t beneficial because your body doesn’t absorb them. If you prefer a certain taste, you can add bioavailable minerals such as ConcenTrace Trace Mineral drops—using 1 drop per 16 ounces of water.
This isn’t primarily to replace minerals, but rather to stabilize pH and restore the water’s natural structure. These minerals are plant-derived and bioavailable, which means your body can readily absorb them for essential functions.
Although filters and reverse osmosis systems are better than tap water, they gradually lose effectiveness, allowing chemicals and toxins to pass through. Basic water filters (like the Brita pitcher and refrigerator water filters) that use only activated carbon are highly inadequate for drinking water purification.
Distillers, however, maintain consistent performance because they use phase changes rather than physical barriers. This means they remove contaminants just as effectively on the millionth use as they do on the first.
Additionally, tap water is contaminated with heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceuticals. Chlorine and fluoride are also added to water supplies, which can be harmful. The water may contain dangerous bacteria and parasites like Giardia. For these reasons, tap water isn’t safe to drink. Unpurified well water is equally problematic, as it often contains similar contaminants.
Studies have identified unsafe levels of PFAS (forever chemicals) in the drinking water of more than 200 million Americans. These chemicals are linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental issues, and immune system damage—making your choice of drinking water critically important.
Like many others, Eat for Life founder Samantha Gilbert once believed common misconceptions about distilled water—that it’s acidic, depletes the body’s minerals, and poses health risks. She tried numerous water purification methods, including advanced filtration systems, reverse osmosis, alkaline water, and structured water, but was never fully satisfied. When she discovered distilled water, she noticed its distinctly clean taste and experienced better health effects. Our experience has shown that clients consistently achieve better results and faster healing when drinking distilled water.
At Eat for Life, we prioritize clean, science-backed hydration. That’s why we recommend distilled water over alkaline water.
For those looking for a reliable distilled water solution, we recommend Waterwise Distillers and Dispensers. These machines provide fresh, pure distilled water at home, ensuring you get clean hydration every day.
While alkaline water is heavily marketed as a health solution, the truth is that there’s no solid scientific evidence supporting its benefits. The body naturally maintains its pH balance, and no amount of artificially altered water can change that.
Distilled water, however, is backed by science as a pure, safe, and effective choice for hydration. If you’re looking for truly clean, purified, reliable water, consider investing in a high-quality water distillation system.
Get started with pure distilled water today! Check out Waterwise Distillers.
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