Is Alkaline Water Safe for Kids and Infants?

We want our babies to get the best nutrition they need to grow up healthy.

Nowadays, most women breastfeed their babies. For babies, breast milk provides the best amounts of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), as well as antibodies and other immune factors. Research shows that breastfed babies are less likely to develop asthma, allergies, ear infections, and digestive issues. (1) They are also less likely to develop obesity, diabetes or certain cancers later on in life. Breastfed babies are more likely to enjoy higher IQ scores later in life and better mental/emotional health. (2)

For the first six months of life, breastfed babies will get everything they need from their mother’s milk. They don’t even need water, as breastmilk contains over 80% water. But what happens next?
At six months, parents begin to introduce solid foods and water to their babies. For health conscious parents, finding the right foods and water becomes a serious challenge.

Most supermarkets carry clean, organic foods. While organic foods are far better than GMO foods, they are often depleted of essential nutrients. These nutrient deficiencies have been created by global changes in the climate, modern farming and animal feeding methods, mineral deficient soils, and pollution. Finding high quality water is even harder.

Just like breast milk is essential during the first six months of a baby’s life, a balanced diet and healthy water are critical later on in life. Water is essential to the baby’s health and wellness. Babies need plenty of water and minerals to survive and thrive. For example, calcium, magnesium and trace minerals are essential for a healthy brain and heart, and for strong teeth and bones.

Let’s compare the options:
Tap water is the most common drinking water. Do you know why the taste of tap water is so unpleasant? The answer: it contains hundreds of dangerous substances—from tiny amounts of plastics, to chlorine, fluoride, rust, microbes, sediments, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, tri-halomethanes, heavy metals, organic chemicals and particulates. Not ideal for a developing baby! In addition, the pH of tap water is 6.5, and therefore too low for a baby. Low pH means increased acidity, which has been linked with acid reflux and many other health problems. Many naturally occurring minerals are lost during the processing and cleaning of the tap water, thus lowering the pH of the water.

Mineralized alkaline water is by far your baby’s best friend. It shares quite a few similarities with breast milk. First of all, it is a great source of hydration. Just like breast milk, mineralized alkaline water contains calcium, magnesium as well as trace minerals which are essential for growth and optimal health. The pH of mineralized alkaline water is around 9, which is close to the pH of breast milk (which is 7.4). (3)

Mineralized alkaline water becomes alkaline due to the minerals present in the water. This way your baby will not only get a healthy, alkaline water, but also minerals such as calcium, magnesium and trace minerals. The added minerals are a great bonus, helping correct mineral deficiencies from foods.

You may be asking...is alkaline water safe for kids and infants? The answer is yes. It is safe for babies, it is safe for mothers. It is safe for the whole family!

Let’s use magnesium as an example. Magnesium is one of the essential minerals your baby will get from mineralized alkaline water. Do you know its many health benefits? According to Carolyn Dean, MD, and a magnesium expert, magnesium deficiency is very common in North-America. A shortage of this nutrient had been linked with dozens of health problems. During pregnancy, magnesium deficiency can cause premature contractions, preeclampsia and eclampsia. Magnesium is given by I.V. as needed, to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In the general population, magnesium deficiency had been associated with many conditions—from anxiety and panic attacks to allergies, asthma, increased risk of blood clots, diabetes, fatigue, heart diseases, various digestive and liver problems, bladder issues, sleep problems, headaches, muscle and nerve pains, osteoporosis and unhealthy teeth. Magnesium is also a powerful detox agent, helping remove toxic compounds and heavy metals from the body. (4)

A quick note on ionized water. We believe that ionized water is too alkaline for babies. The pH is over 10. Do you know that pH10 is ten times more alkaline than pH 9? Going from one extreme (tap water, low pH) to another extreme in the form of ionized water (high pH) is not a good idea. It’s all about balance, and choosing a water that closely resembles breast milk is the best option for your baby.