EFFECT OF ALKALINE WATER WITH A pH OF 8.5 ON WEIGHT AND MAIN BLOOD INDICATORS IN RATS

Water intended for human consumption called drinking water must have a neutral pH, that is a pH value of 7. Below this pH value, the water is considered acidic; above this value it becomes alkaline. The pH value range tolerated by the human body is between 6.5 and 9. Alkaline water with pH values between 8.0 and 9.5 is considered one of the best types of drinking water due to its hydrating, detoxifying, and antioxidant effect. This study aimed to follow the biological effect of alkaline water consumption on body weight, blood glucose, and some blood biochemical parameters in a population of 20 rats. Rats were divided into two equal groups, a control group, and an experimental group. Both groups of rats were given 300 ml of water 3 times a day for 40 days. The rats in the control group received tap water from the mains and the rats in the experimental group received alkaline water with a pH of 8.5. Analysis of the physicochemical parameters of the two types of water revealed that their values do not exceed the maximum allowed according to the drinking water quality standards, except for the chloride values and the temporary hardness in alkaline water. The values obtained were analyzed and statistically interpreted and showed that consumption of alkaline water with pH 8.5 does not affect usual water intake, body mass values, and biochemical parameters; it does not produce systemic adverse effects, having a hypoglycaemic, antioxidant, and immunostimulatory effect.