J Urol

Alkaline water: Does it benefit patients with kidney stones?

January 22, 2024

Commercially available alkaline waters had negligible alkali content and thus aren’t likely to provide benefit over tap water for patients with uric acid and cystine urolithiasis.

• In this analysis, researchers used anion chromatography and direct chemical measurements to determine mineral contents of five commercially available alkaline water brands (Essentia, Smart Water Alkaline, Great Value Hydrate Alkaline Water, Body Armor SportWater, and Perfect Hydration). The alkaline content of each product was then compared to that of potassium citrate (the gold standard for urinary alkalinization).
• pH levels of the bottled alkaline water ranged from 9.69 to 10.15. For all brands tested, electrolyte content was minimal, with physiologic alkali content <1 mEq/L. Compared with potassium citrate, the alkali content of alkaline water was minimal. Investigators also tested several other organic beverages, synthetic beverages, and other supplements, and found them to contain more alkali content than alkaline water, with the potential to achieve AUA and European Association of Urology alkali recommendation of 30 to 60 mEq/day with ≤3 servings/day.
• Conclusion: All five samples of commercially available alkaline water provide scant alkali and, thus, are expected to have negligible effect on urinary pH and urinary citrate levels. Among the broad range of beverages evaluated, sodium bicarbonate was found to provide the highest level of alkali at the lowest cost, at the expense of a mild increase in dietary sodium intake.

Source:

Piedras P, et al. (2024, February 1). J Urol.Alkaline Water: Help or Hype for Uric Acid and Cystine Urolithiasis? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38193415/