Can Alkaline Water Give You Heartburn?
I think you'll agree that acid reflux (or heartburn) can be one of the most irritating experiences you can suffer from after enjoying your evening meal. Not only can it cause great discomfort for hours after eating but it can also trigger a frustrating sense of regret about indulging in your favourite cuisine.
There are numerous reputed remedies for acid reflux but could the most simple cure have been easily accessible in your home all this time?
In today's post, we're going to show you how you can cure acid reflux using the most common household appliance.
What is Acid Reflux and How Does it Occur?
Perhaps more commonly known as heartburn or indigestion, acid reflux is often caused by Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
It is primarily caused by reactivation of the enzyme known as pepsin. Pepsinogen is activated and converted into pepsin in the presence of stomach acid. The primary purpose of pepsin is to break proteins down into amino acids making them easier for your body to absorb.
The enzyme becomes inactive after this process but is subsequently reactivated by consuming acidic foods and drinks. This can cause tissue inflammation leading that uncomfortable burning sensation in your stomach and esopheagus.
Can Alkaline Water Give You Heartburn?
An interesting study by Kaufman & Johnston (2012) investigated that potential benefits of pH 8.8 alkaline drinking water as an adjunct in the treatment of reflux disease. They set out to test whether consuming water with a pH level of 8.8 could inactivate human pepsin more effectively than conventional-pH water such as those straight from the tap or bottled varieties (which they estimated between 6.7-7.4).
The study found that pH 8.8 alkaline water irreversibly inactivated human pepsin and its hydrochloric acid-buffering capacity far exceeded that of those conventional forms of drinking water.
The University of Maryland has also suggested that drinking filtered water throughout the day can help prevent heartburn.
The Best Part...
You may think that alkaline water is an expensive commodity. This can be true in the form of bottled brands and large reverse osmosis systems, however a countertop alkaline water filter, which has a five-stage activated carbon process can give you alkaline water with the enhanced pH level that could help to reverse heartburn at just 3p per litre. Learn more about how to make sustainable alkaline water.
An alkaline water filter allows you to access the drinking water needed to cure acid reflux straight from your kitchen tap. Filtering out the impurities, odours and toxins found in tap water while giving you the great taste of bottled water without the financial or environmental cost.
So if you find yourself suffering from indigestion more often than you'd like, the perfect remedy may just be as simple as improving your drinking water.