[katieHaylor (OP)]

Benedict asks:

Is alkaline drinking water the real deal? Are the benefits already proven? Won't the alkalinity in the water just be neutralized by the acid in the stomach? Also doesn't our blood have a buffer system to regulate pH levels in our blood regardless of what we drink and eat?

What do you think?

[chiralSPO]

Your intuition is correct: alkaline drinking water is a scam. As you point out, the buffering system in our blood prevents substantial changes in our pH, and any beverage that would substantially change the pH of our bodies would be a bad idea to drink a lot of. I am unaware of any proven benefits of drinking "alkaline water" or actually increasing one's pH.

Changing the rhythm of breathing will have a greater effect on the pH of your blood--and a sure way to increase blood pH is to hyperventilate, blowing off as much CO₂ as possible. This, however, is not a good idea, as anyone familiar with the feeling of hyperventilation can tell you.

[chris]

That said, I'd want alkaline water coming through the pipes in my house because high pH is less likely to mobilise lead ions off old piping en-route and so my risk of dementia is probably lower...

[Bored chemist]

Here's a summary of the physiological effects of changing blood pH.

Blood pH.png (101.57 kB . 800x300 - viewed 5072 times)

[rami999]

water is more natural so it is better

[Bored chemist]

water is more natural so it is better

Would you like to show how you can parse that  statement in a way that makes it helpful?

[Nika2003]

Hey. Despite claims, there is no evidence that water sold as an alkali is better for your health than tap water.
I think that it's all about marketing
The pH scale indicates whether the liquid is more acidic (lower) or alkaline (higher pH). Clean water has a neutral pH of 7, and tap water has some natural changes depending on its mineral composition. Most bottled waters are slightly acidic, and soda and juices are even more.
Bottled water, sold as alkaline, generally requires a pH of 8 to 10. Some of these are sources or artesian wells and, naturally, are alkaline due to dissolved minerals. Others are manufactured with an ionizing process, and water ionization machines are also sold for home use
Companies with alkaline water make vague statements that they "activate" and "detoxify" the body and lead to "excellent hydration." And some argue that ionized water can prevent everything from headaches to cancer.
But there is no evidence that drinking water with a higher pH can change the pH of your body or even that this result will benefit.