While babies are not suited for water until several months after birth, you may want to try alkaline water for your baby after one year. Breast Milk is over 80% water, which is more than enough for your baby’s first year of life.
A balanced diet and clean, fresh water is important for babies once they’re able to start eating solid food. Babies also need plenty of good minerals to help them grow. If you have been questioning the quality of your water, you may also want to look at the benefits of alkaline water for your baby.
Is Alkaline Water Safe for Babies
First, you should always talk to a pediatrician before introducing something new to your baby’s diet. Alkaline water is best when given by itself as a small drink before and after meals. It’s not a good idea to drink alkaline water with any meal.
In addition, you may want to avoid drinking high pH alkaline water, over 8.8 pH, consistently for a number of days. Drinking alkaline water too much can affect the level of pH in your body and change your stomach acid.
Research also shows that it’s best to not mix baby formula or baby food with alkaline water. These should simply be mixed with tap or filtered water instead.
What is Alkaline Water
Alkaline water is water that has been ionized and has a higher pH level than regular water. When pH is over 7.0 and particularly higher over 7.5 pH, water will become alkaline.
You can use a water ionizer to create alkaline water at home. Many of these ionizers, such as Tyent filters, also have multi-step filtration, which provides cleaner drinking water.
Naturally, alkaline water is also created through springs as it moves over rocks and gathers minerals.
When Should Your Baby Drink Alkaline Water?
Babies do not start drinking water until after 6 months of age typically. However, every baby is different, and you may want to start with a small bottle of alkaline water in the beginning. It’s always best to consult your pediatrician before starting any new diets for your baby.
Health Benefits of Alkaline Water for Babies
Multiple studies have been conducted on alkaline water and how it improves your body’s ability to fight off oxidative stress and free radicals. This is due to the number of antioxidants in alkaline water. There are many advantages associated with drinking alkaline water, particularly if you have certain illnesses such as acid reflux.
Some of the most important benefits include:
Higher Antioxidants and Anti-Inflammatory Properties
One of the main reasons that scientists began studying alkaline water is because of the higher antioxidants and healing properties. Multiple studies have shown that higher pH levels in water indicate more antioxidants. This can help your body fight off oxidative stress and free radicals.
Alkaline water may help your baby fight off free radicals and oxidative stress from an early age, but it’s also been studied for disease prevention. It’s also said that alkaline water can improve blood flow and make it easier to absorb nutrients into your bloodstream.
May Relief Indigestion and Constipation
Many people drink alkaline water to help with indigestion and relieve constipation. If your baby doesn’t have the best digestive system, you may want to try filtered alkaline water to help their body recover and heal.
Reduces Acid Reflux Symptoms
Other studies have shown that alkaline water can reduce the enzyme pepsin, which is responsible for acid reflux problems. When people have acid reflux, it causes acid to wash back up the esophagus, creating a burning feeling as well as hiccups and nausea. Alkaline water has been shown to neutralize this enzyme and relieve these symptoms.
Decreases Risk of Osteoporosis
Another study found that drinking more alkaline water may help to strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis. For example, one study found that alkaline water improved spine T-scores in post-menopausal women.
Relieves Symptoms from Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy
Cancer patients were given alkaline water during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The researchers found that the patients had a higher quality of life and said that their symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and headaches were less severe.
Helps with Muscle Fatigue
Athletes have been known to drink highly alkaline water during training because it’s more hydrating, provides antioxidants, and has anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows that it can help reduce muscle fatigue after strenuous workouts, which makes it easier to recover.
Is Alkaline Water Okay for Kids?
For older kids, alkaline water is even more safe to drink. Babies typically need to breastfeed for the first six months to one year, depending on advice from your doctor. However, older toddlers and children can easily have 1 to 2 cups of alkaline water per day without issues.
How to Get Alkaline Water for Your Baby
If you’re thinking of trying alkaline water with your baby, the best way to go is with a water ionizer at home. You can control the pH level of your water so that you don’t accidentally go too high. Most ionizers allow you to have presets that range from 7.5 to over 9.0 pH. You may not want to start with such a high level of pH.
Water ionizers can be kept at home and also provided filtered, clean water. Tyent ionizers have multi-step filtration to clean water before ionization. This is the best and most pure form of water to give your baby to drink.
Should You Start Drinking Alkaline Water?
If you have stomach issues, dietary problems, fatigue, or issues with acid reflux, there are a number of reasons to drink alkaline water. However, it’s simply one of the cleanest drinks that you can have to help your body heal and recover from illnesses, stress, and free radicals.
For your baby, alkaline water is a pure drink with more antioxidants than even bottled or plain, filtered water. It could be beneficial to have alkaline water available for your baby every few days, especially if they experience lots of hiccups and indigestion.
