With each passing year, more and more people have made it their priority to achieve and maintain good health. As such, health trends tend to pop up here and there—some of which have essentially claimed to be better for the body than plain drinking water.

Hydrogen water and alkaline water fall under this category. Numerous testaments from actual drinkers about their effectiveness can be found in diet books and health websites. Their relative popularity has also prompted many researchers to conduct various studies that aim to better understand their nature and benefits.

Sounds promising so far, right?

You might be tempted to try hydrogen water and alkaline water right away, but I advise you to pause and figure out first if hopping on this trend is truly what your body needs now and in the long run. Read through this article to discover the similarities and differences between hydrogen water and alkaline water, as well as how each may affect your health if you decided to add them to your diet.

Let’s begin by shedding light on this frequently asked question: “Is hydrogen water and alkaline water the same?”

Not really.

• Hydrogen water contains more hydrogen molecules than regular water. In theory, the extra hydrogen molecules boost the detoxifying effects of water on the body. Moreover, since they are not connected to any other element that is normally present in water, the free hydrogen molecules can be absorbed faster than the H₂O molecules. Simply speaking, their health benefits may be observed within a short time.

• Alkaline water, as its name implies, has a higher pH level than the water you might be typically drinking. It is created through the process called “electrolysis”, wherein passing an electric current through the water molecules results in the increased amounts of antioxidants. The incorporation of alkaline minerals—such as calcium and magnesium—is also necessary to achieve the optimal pH level for this type of water. Given these, the benefits of alkaline water stem from having negative oxidation-reduction potential and being rich in natural minerals.

Since hydrogen water and alkaline water are not the same, how do their effects on the body differ from one another?

Main Difference #1: The Way They Boost Physical Performance

• Hydrogen Water: Many supporters praise its ability to limit the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles, which leads to cramps and other common yet unwanted side-effects of working out the body. In addition, Dr. Nicholas Perricone suggests that the consumption of hydrogen water leads to faster energy recovery. According to his study, drinking 16 ounces of hydrogen water stimulates the production of energy in the skin cells of the participants. Such benefits would not only improve your physicality, but also your overall endurance.

• Alkaline Water: Drinking this especially after an intense physical exercise can prevent you from experiencing fatigue or suffering from muscle pain. Its high pH level counteracts the sudden increase in the levels of lactic acid in the body. This allows people to stay on track with their exercise schedule and achieve their fitness goals.

Main Difference #2: How They Protect the Body from Damage

• Hydrogen Water: The increased hydrogen molecules can be effective at reducing free radicals, which cause damage to the skin and other body organs. It also boosts the efficiency of red blood cells in transporting toxins from different parts of the body to the kidneys or liver. Other than drinking hydrogen water, bathing yourself in it may further prevent the onset of physical signs of aging, such as wrinkles and age spots.

• Alkaline Water: As more cells become oxidized, the chances of suffering serious internal damage to the organs also increase. Some nutritionists recommend adapting alkaline diets to reduce the risk of diseases caused by oxidation. Since this type of diet isn’t exactly easy to maintain, drinking alkaline water every day adds up significantly to reaching the required intake of alkaline minerals. High levels of acidity in the body cause damage to the muscles and bones, too. The minerals present in alkaline water may keep the body from using its mineral reserves to achieve optimize again its acidity levels.

Main Difference #3: Their Potential as a Means to Weight Loss

• Hydrogen Water: A group of researchers noted that hydrogen water affects the body fat of their mice subjects. The observed weight loss had occurred even without making other changes to the diet or physical workout. Such a potential is possible because hydrogen water could affect the metabolism and fattiness of the mice’s livers on a molecular level. No substantial proof that the same effect may be expected among humans, but many view this as a positive sign that there’s certainly more to hydrogen water than your regular tap water.

• Alkaline Water: At this point, there has been no study to prove that alkaline water causes weight loss or increases the body’s metabolic activities. Still, much like plain water, drinking this does not contribute to your daily calorie count. So, it’s still a healthier—albeit more expensive—beverage option than juices, tea, or coffee.
  
  

Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load, and improve the function of all your tissues – Dr Kevin R. Stone

As you can see, drinking hydrogen water and alkaline water can be beneficial for your health. Take note, however, that much like regular water, you must not overdo it because too much of either could have adverse effects on the body.

For example, consuming too much water at a given time can lead to hyponatremia—a life-threatening condition that occurs because there is not enough sodium content in the blood and the kidney could not keep up with the removal of excess water in the system.

Nonetheless, this risk does not completely diminish the positive effects that these health trends could have on your quality of life. Given what you have learned about their nature and differences, do you think that hydrogen water or alkaline water can help you attain your health goals?

Feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments below.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5090085/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5668469/

https://time.com/4907106/hydrogen-water-health-benefits/

https://web.archive.org/web/20180309221409/http://www.sjss-sportsacademy.edu.rs:80/archive/details/drinks-with-alkaline-negative-oxidative-reduction-potential-improve-exercise-performance-in-physically-active-men-and-women-double-blind-randomized-placebo-controlled-cross-over-trial-of-efficacy-and-safety-223.html

http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(08)00781-3/abstract

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21293445

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313681#:~:text=Does%20alkaline%20water%20promote%20weight,a%20standalone%20weight%20loss%20remedy.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/hydrogen-water-health-benefits#1

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