A number of celebrities are seen carrying a bottle of black alkaline water to their gyms or even to cop a cool airport look! While it may seem like a bizarre way to stay hydrated, black water isn’t just water that is a weird hue of black. There’s more to it. With celebs like Malaika Arora, Karishma Kapoor, Manish Malhotra and Virat Kohli seen carrying a bottle of water, the black water trend is viral at the scene. You must be wondering what’s special about it and isn’t our regular mineral water sufficient? Well, let’s investigate.
What is Black Water?
Black water or alkaline black water is power-packed with minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium. Its distinct colour is attained by the elevated alkaline water pH that ranges between eight to nine. It’s touted to be effective in improving skin health especially if you are dealing with issues like acne. It’s also a good aid for digestive problems like hyperacidity and indigestion and for heart health. For those dealing with lifestyle diseases like diabetes can also seek benefits from black water.
Benefits Of Blackwater
1) Hydration
Alkaline black water reduces the effects of blood viscosity following exercise-induced dehydration. There are a number of studies that evaluated the effect of black alkaline or high pH water compared to standard water on blood viscosity and rehydration and these show that black water helps in maintaining hydration levels in the body.
2) Boost in Metabolism
Black water also aids in augmenting metabolism. The intake of alkaline water also portrays beneficial effects on fellow sportsmen and individuals with heavy exercise regimes and boosts their metabolism.
3) Improving bone health
Black alkaline water can be beneficial to bone health. Its consumption helps in diminishing the risk of bone loss, thereby proving contributory to reducing the symptoms of osteoporosis.
4) Digestive Health
A good healthy diet reflects on our body and face and removing toxins from the body is what alkaline water does. The alkaline properties of black water help in managing acid reflux by reducing the activity of enzymes.
What Do The Experts Have To Say?
When asked about the effects and benefits of black water on the skin, Janvi Chitalia, an Integrative Gut Microbiome Health Coach and Functional Medicine Nutritionist, explains that it helps fight acne with its detoxification properties. “Alkaline water does a pretty good job in flushing out toxins, it is packed with antioxidants that work wonders to get rid of bad bacteria (LPS and E Coli) in the gut microbiome which causes acne,” she says.
Kajal Wattamwar, dietician and co-founder of Healthy Steady Go reiterates that black water provides better hydration and helps to get rid of toxins from the body. “This in turn can lead to glowing skin and better quality of life. Although, overconsumption can lead to upset stomach and flaky skin for some people,” she also gives a word of caution.
Lastly, the most common question – what does black water taste like? Dr Sushma, dermatologist and cosmetologist at Skinology, Bangaluru, says that black water is just like regular water, it’s tasteless. However, on the other hand, Dr Sravya C Tipirneni, a Consultant Dermatologist and Cosmetologist at Bangalore’s Manipal Hospitals says, “When you drink it for the first time, it will give a slightly bitter and earthy taste and this is only natural considering the ingredients used in its making.”
Is it worth the hype? You know what they say about going black…you never go back! With the goodness and health benefits supplied by this miracle elixir, black alkaline water revitalises the body, which in turn helps us experience a much-heightened sense of alertness through improved metabolism, detoxification and sustained hydration. Drinking mineral water to stay well-hydrated is vital but drinking black alkaline water is a lifestyle you must include in your diet as it brings the best results for your skin and health.