Have you ever even wondered that even something as basic as the water one gulps down can prevent health issues including cancers? Many are those who hear about alkaline water and perhaps feel that such could be the answer to warding off cancer. This blog explores that idea by reviewing what scientists have found out. Punarjan Ayurveda hospitals would always go step by step so that anyone reading us will get the explanation in words that are easy to understand as part of awareness. Just think of it as talking to a friend over coffee about how our bodies work inside.
But anyhow, what is alkaline water?
Alkaline water is simply normal water that has been tampered with in order to increase its pH. pH is a scale of defining how acidic or basic the solution is, in other words as whether one is closer to a low pH substance of vinegar or closer to a high pH substance of baking soda. Normal tap water is almost neutral with a pH of around 7. The alkaline water is normally between 8 and 9 pH. It can be found either in electricity-powered machines that separate the parts by zapping water, or in bottles which have added minerals like calcium or magnesium. Certain natural springs like Zamzama were found to consist of naturally-occurring alkaline water due to the specific rocks that it passes through. And this is precisely the reason why people drink it, hoping that it will counter all the sour things that they had- carbonated drinks to fast foods.
But the thing is, our bodies are rather clever at dealing with that. As you take alkaline water it is absorbed into your stomach that houses concentrated acid-the same compound as lemon juice-which is used in digesting food. That is because acid can push the alkaline water back to neutrality before it reaches your bloodstream. So how much does it matter? And that is which we are going to discuss next.
What occurs on a day-to-day basis relative to our body as far as pH is concerned?
Your body prefers everything to be the same just like the thermostat you have at home. The blood pH is 7.35-7.45 or a little towards the alkaline end. If it veers too far off, you feel sick. Your lungs come in by expelling carbon dioxide-which would acidify things up were it to accumulate. The kidneys therefore do their extra acid or base work through pee, and the buffers in your blood nearly do the same thing, sucking up the extras to make everything even. pH is a very big issue at the minute cell scale.
Cells are like miniature cities, churning out energy thanks to the factories in them. That’s achieved via pumps on the cell walls, pushing out hydrogen ions – the stuff that makes things acidic – outside the cell to keep it comfy inside. If the pH goes wrong, the function of the cells cannot be executed properly; they may retard or even die. While normal cells manage to maintain the inside pH around neutrality, that fact is different in the case of cancer.
What exactly occurs with cancer on the cellular level?
Now, let’s zoom into the cells: A healthy cell is like a busy beehive synthesizing energy from glucose and oxygen in a clean way. But cancer cells do things differently. Even though oxygen might be available, they turn to this sloppy way of making energy from glucose with a lack of oxygen, known as the “Warburg effect.” This produces a lot of lactic acid, sort of like party waste.
Inside the cancer cell, it remains alkaline-higher pH-continuing to run fast. Outside, though, it becomes acid-from all that lactic acid leaking out-in the space around the tumor, called the microenvironment. This sour neighborhood serves as a hiding place for cancer cells from the body’s defense team, the immune cells. Immune cells get exhausted in acid-environments, like running in mud.
They contain special doors and pumps like NHE-1 or V-ATPases which extrude the acid in order to protect them. This enables them to proliferate and spread in different locations and even develop resistance to different medications in the future. It is as if the cells are building a moat of acid around themselves for protection against threats. In the long run, such an imbalance may result in an inflammatory milieu in the entire site-literally nurturing the cancer.
Are there any positive effects on human cells of alkaline water?
Now, consider drinking alkaline water-is it able to get to those cells? Various researchers feel that, in general, if you can make the environment of the body less acidic, it might calm things down. In one lab test on breast cancer cells, natural alkaline water raised the pH and amped up ROS. ROS are little sparks that can burn bad cells if there are too many of them, causing cell suicide, or apoptosis. In this case, the water prevented the cells from reproducing by locking them in a phase of growth without causing too much damage to normal cells.
At a cellular level, shifting pH outside would reduce those acid-pumping doors and reduce the capability of cancer cells to dump their waste. This could weaken their shield, letting immune cells attack better or drugs work stronger. But it’s not simply that our gut and kidneys might adjust before it hits the tumor. Some animal studies have shown that bicarbonate-a base found in baking soda-can neutralize tumor acid, shrinking spread. Yet, whether this same effect is achieved with bottled alkaline water in everyday drinking-only without big changes in diet-is unclear.
What do recent research reports reveal?
Scientists have dug into this with tests on cells, animals, and even people. One big review looked at alkalization using diet or agents to boost pH and found that it might help standard treatments. In mice with breast cancer, baking soda in water raised tumor pH, cutting spread and boosting survival. Human stories from clinics show folks with lung or pancreas issues living longer when they keep urine pH high-a sign of body balance-alongside chemo.
A remarkable report about natural alkaline water tested it on breast cancer cells. It reduced the cell growth by more than 30% and also induced cell death. Minerals in the water, like selenium, might play a role too. However, larger studies caution: alkaline water has not been proven to halt cancer in people on its own. The body tightly regulates pH; hence, it is suspected that drinking might not be able to shift things far enough. In addition, most of the evidence comes from small groups or labs, not major trials everyone trusts.
On the other hand, greater intake of vegetables and fruits, which are alkaline-forming foods, has been associated with lower tumorigenesis in general studies. It’s not only about water; it is a way of life. Researchers recommend more trials to confirm whether the alkali adjustments will be truly effective at the cellular level and without side effects.
In conclusion, some reports hint at benefits from balancing pH, but may not be a helping hand. It is best to consult with a doctor before trying to center life around more proven habits, such as eating well and moving. The revelation? Science shows promise at the cell level, but it’s early days.
REFERENCE LINKS:
https://unclineberger.org/nutrition/alkaline-water-and-cancer/
https://www.healthline.com/health/cancer/alkaline-water-cancer
https://www.aicr.org/resources/blog/does-the-alkaline-diet-cure-cancer/
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Health-Benefits-of-Alkaline-Water.aspx