# Straight dope on alkaline/ionized water? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999 "2017-01-24T02:14:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/1 "2017-01-24T02:14:55Z")
My wife is having a health care warning (pap smear and biopsy came back with a warning) and suddenly now believes that she needs a $2000 water ionizer to make alkaline water to drink. I want to address her concerns but just because something “sounds” like it makes medical sense doesn’t make it so. A casual search turns up 1. lot’s of testomonials 2. Multi level marketing 3. Lack of peer reviewed studies or validated claims in the US. There are some references to studies in Korea and Japan but nothing solid that I can see 4. nothing from the FDA 5. Evian or Fuji water is more alkaline than normal tap water (as are some other brands) 6. American Cancer Society does not endorse the claims I’m going to start buying big cases of Evian from Costco as a start to see how that works…any other suggestions (serious please as I am concerned with my wife as to her legitimate health concerns)? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/2 "2017-01-24T02:18:53Z")
It’s 100% snake oil marketed to people who have health concerns. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/3 "2017-01-24T03:03:39Z")
I don’t care how alkaline the water is, once it hits your stomach it becomes acidic because your stomach is full of hydrochloric acid. Anything sufficiently alkaline to change that would do terrible damage to your mouth and throat on the way down, In other words, it’s not only bogus, it contradicts biological and chemical facts. What she needs to do is wait for the biopsy results and follow the advice of a real doctor (MD or DO, but most likely she’s got an MD) in regards to those results. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/4 "2017-01-24T03:06:06Z")
Thanks Beowulf. If it wasn’t clear, I think it’s snake oil. Trying to find a legit debunking is a little tough given the thousands of MLM false hits out there. So, any pointers for some fact based counters to the “testimonials” would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/5 "2017-01-24T03:20:08Z")
People who are alive and not in the ICU have blood pH in the narrow range from ~7.3 to 7.5. That alone should be a reason to be suspicious of any claims to benefits of alkalization. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/6 "2017-01-24T03:22:06Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Thanks Beowulf. If it wasn’t clear, I think it’s snake oil. Trying to find a legit debunking is a little tough given the thousands of MLM false hits out there. So, any pointers for some fact based counters to the “testimonials” would be appreciated. The problem is: people who have bought into this crap attribute every positive thing in their life to it. You won’t find very many (if any) people who will say “yep, I was a fool.” ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/7 "2017-01-24T03:29:16Z")
[Here’s how Quackwatch debunks it.](https://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/coral2.html) May your wife be well sooner than later. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/8 "2017-01-24T03:32:20Z")
Wouldn’t a single tums tablet have the same alkalizing effect on you as several gallons of slightly alkaline water? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-alkaline-ionized-water/777999/9 "2017-01-24T04:01:47Z")
Did your wife ask her doctor?