The other day in class we discussed some of the issues surrounding pH and its effects on water. Clearly, a slightly lower or higher pH in an environment can have huge effects on the natural world. This fact got me to thinking about the liquids we consume on a daily basis, and whether or not the acidity of these beverages affects our bodies in harmful ways. Although I could not find out this specific information, I did come across this interesting article and table with pH levels of different commercial drinks.
According to the author, "alkalizing" your body is one of the best things you can do for your health! Your body wants to have a pH of around 7.3, which is slightly alkaline. Because your body is 70% water, it is very important to not only keep hydrated, but also to drink alkaline beverages.
Check the table out! Does any of this surprise you?
See the full article here: http://www.justgoodenergy.com/2009/09/11/is-your-bottled-water-acidic/
Wow! The pH range on these waters is shocking! I am especially shocked at the number of acidic pH waters! It would be interesting to take the pH of the various tap water around campus just to compare.
ReplyDeleteI was curious about the fact that your article says that we should drink slightly alkaline beverages to keep our body at a good pH, so I googled it. I had never before understood the references to 'hard' water or 'soft' water. My parents put in a water filter in our house when I was little and I remember them talking about hard vs. soft water and how one was good for showering and one was good for drinking... But anyway, the sources I found said that it matters very little what pH the drinks you consume are at because your body is very good at maintaining its equilibrium and stays between 6-8.5. A lot of the beverages we drink are indeed acidic. Apple juice and orange juice are at 3 and 3.5, respectively. Even milk (which intuitively, I thought would be basic) is at 6.2!
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