• zout@fedia.io
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    3 days ago

    Alkaline water won’t be alkaline for long after it enters the stomach, so it doesn’t really matter

    • Klear@quokk.au
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      3 days ago

      So I said, blue M&M, red M&M, they all wind up the same colour in the end.

      - Homer Simpson

      • zout@fedia.io
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        3 days ago

        Better for the teeth than pH neutral? Nope. For heartburn it might help, but only for a real short time. Non-fat milk would probably be the better choice.

    • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      I believe the intended purpose is to reduce the overall acidity of your body, which it will do (negligibly, maybe even immeasuably). Your stomach acid will compensate regardless, but, in doing so, it uses acidic compounds in the process to do so. Whether that is even beneficial in general is debatable at best, though likely not. But mixing in other acids does negate at least some of the alkalinity, which would defeat the entire point, if there is any effect from it.

      Edit: Clarified my position a bit. I’m not suggesting that alkaline water is effective at doing anything at all, nor even that its intended purpose would be a health benefit.

      • bjorney@lemmy.ca
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        3 days ago

        Stomach acid is like 10,000,000x more acidic than most alkaline water is basic. Dilution is probably doing an order of magnitude more work than the hydroxide here (meaning just drink more tap water)

        • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          I didnt say it would make a significant or even measurable difference. But it will technically drop your overall pH. If I drop any mass of basic material in any volume of acidic material with which it can react, there will be some net change in acidity, even if negligible.

          • angrystego@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            The body maintains homeostasis. It cannot afford to change pH. It is capable to buffer pH by neat biochemical mechanisms.

            • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
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              3 days ago

              Yes, I know. And to maintain homeostasis, it has means to make adjustments to changes, like pH. Which means you can change the pH of some fluid in the body within reason, and it will correct this change. We are not saying anything different.

              • angrystego@lemmy.world
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                3 days ago

                Yep, we agree. I was just pointing out the overall pH doen not change, there are ways to avoid that. From the the previous comment it kimd of seemed as though if you put something acidic in, the overall acidity must increase, which is not the case, so I wanted to make sure random readers don’t get the wrong idea.

  • dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    The most important thing to keep in mind with celebrity actors is that they make a living pretending to be someone/something they’re not. And they’re damn good at it too.

    Not to cast doubt on everyone in that profession. Rather, proceed with an abundance of skepticism when considering celebrity endorsements.

  • MissJinx@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    The best way to remain beautiful your whole life is being born in a family of (white) millionaires, remain a millionaire through inheritance and by working on your family’s cushy business without ever having to worry about nothing for not even a second of your life and also having access and being able to aford the most modern and technological advancements in beauty. If that is not enough and you still feel time is getting close you can create your own fake science and get even more money (maybe that helps?)

      • tempest@lemmy.ca
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        2 days ago

        For us poors sunscreen is the best value per dollar. Especially men, because women often include it with other cosmetics (even if it’s not that effective and you should be using a straight up sunscreen)

  • Feyd@programming.dev
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    3 days ago

    Not defending pseudoscientific health regimens, but the acid in “a spritz of lemon” doesn’t neutralize an arbitrary amount of alkalinity

    • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      No, but it does reveal a distinct lack of understanding on her her part as to what these pseudoscientific health products even are that are supposedly doing things for her. Like saying “I always drink decaf coffee and pop a shot of 5 hour energy in the morning.” “I drink skim milk with a splash of double cream.” “I love honey on my keto toast.” Like, even if it’s not enough acidity to completely negate the alkalinity, it’s literally antithetical to the supposed goal.

      • ameancow@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        I am reminded of the detail in The Office where Michael Scott is stirring sugar into his diet coke.

    • Carrolade@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      I think it was Angela Collier that did a pretty basic test with a common store bought alkaline water, a lemon and some test strips. The water doesn’t start very alkaline at all.

      edit: Yep, here we go. https://youtu.be/rBQhdO2UxaQ

      It’s an amusing video.

      • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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        3 days ago

        She did the math (with some assumptions), but basically 0.25 mL of lemon juice will turn 500 mL of alkaline water into neutral water:

        This is in the video at 13:16.

        The reason is that pH is a logarithmic scale. Alkaline water has a pH of about 8, which means it has a tenth of the hydrogen ions compared to neutral water at pH 7.
        Lemon juice has a pH value of 2, which is 1,000,000 times more hydrogen ions than there are in pH 8. So, you just need a little bit of lemon juice to increase the hydrogen ions in alkaline water tenfold, which makes it neutral.

        • Lvxferre [he/him]@mander.xyz
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          3 days ago

          0.25 mL of lemon juice is probably too much already.

          She’s doing the maths for the concentration of citric acid in lemon juice through the formula C(acid) = 10^(-pH). That works fine for a strong acid, because you can be pretty sure all that acid in the solution is dissociated, and thus lowering its pH… but citric acid is weak - and weak acids don’t dissociate properly in already acidic conditions.

          This means there’s probably way more acid in that solution than the pH makes you believe, but that acid will react once you raise the pH, by mixing the lemon juice into the water.

          (I don’t blame her for using the strong acid maths. It’s already enough to convey her point, plus the maths for weak acids is a bloody pain.)

      • tburkhol@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        That girl can rant. Love her work, but always watch it at 2x to maximize the frustrated-teacher vibe.

      • inconel@lemmy.ca
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        3 days ago

        Even regular neutral water shifts to slightly acidic (5.6) as long as it has contact to air (CO2 dissolving). Would be interesting to know how long those store bought alkaline water becomes base or acidic.

  • public_image_ltd@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Sorry to disappoint y’all. This is actually not so dumb. Chemically she makes a buffer solution.

    How a Buffer Solution Works: Example with Baking Soda and Citric Acid

    A buffer solution is a system that resists changes in pH when small amounts of acids or bases are added. Buffers are essential in chemistry and biology because many processes require a stable pH.

    How Buffer Solutions Work

    A buffer usually consists of a weak acid and its corresponding conjugate base (or a weak base and its conjugate acid). When an acidic or basic substance is introduced, the buffer reacts to neutralize the added ions, thus stabilizing the pH.

    • When an acid (H⁺) is added, the buffer’s base component reacts with it, “soaking up” the excess H⁺ ions.
    • When a base (OH⁻) is added, the acid part of the buffer reacts with it, neutralizing the excess OH⁻ ions.

    The ability of a buffer to do this depends on the presence of both a weak acid and its conjugate base in appreciable amounts.

    Buffer Example: Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) and Citric Acid

    Ingredients Involved

    • Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO₃): A weak base that can act as a proton acceptor.
    • Citric acid (C₆H₈O₇): A weak acid, commonly found in citrus fruits.

    When these two substances are dissolved in water, they interact according to the following reaction:

    $$ \text{C}_6\text{H}_8\text{O}_7 + \text{NaHCO}_3 \rightarrow \text{C}_6\text{H}_7\text{O}_7^- + \text{Na}^+ + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2\uparrow $$

    This reaction creates a mixture containing both citric acid (weak acid) and its conjugate base (citrate ion).

    How This Buffer System Functions

    • If an acid is added to the solution (increasing H⁺), the citrate ion (Citrat-Anion) from the reaction will bind to the excess H⁺, lessening the pH shift.
    • If a base is added (increasing OH⁻), the leftover citric acid will release H⁺, which neutralizes the OH⁻, keeping the pH stable.

    Key Point:
    This buffer is only effective within a certain pH range, which in this case is close to the pKa value of citric acid (around 3-7 depending on which proton is being lost, as citric acid is a triprotic acid).

    Summary Table

    Component Role Action if acid is added Action if base is added
    Citric acid (C₆H₈O₇) Weak acid Conjugate base absorbs H⁺ Releases more H⁺ to neutralize OH⁻
    Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) Weak base (forms buffer) Provides conjugate base (citrate ion) Provides weak acid (citric acid)

    This mixture resists pH changes thanks to the reversible interplay between the weak acid (citric acid) and its conjugate base (citrate ion), demonstrating the core principle of buffer solutions.

    • Dave2@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      3 days ago

      Stomach acid is much more acidic for this buffer to function and even then you shouldn’t need anything of this sort, well, unless your body fails to regulate it’s own secretions (in that case, go to a doctor for gods sake!) At most this would provide you with some nutrients and minerals.

      • Agent641@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        To be fair the top commenter is just explaining what a buffer solution is, and why “adding lemon to alkaline water” isn’t just creating a neutral pH saltwater. They aren’t justifying it’s use as a healthy tonic or anything. I learned something from the comment.

    • undergroundoverground@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      The point isn’t the apparent health benefits of applying the worlds mildest buffer to a ph 2 solution, it’s that it’s the sales equivalent of dehydrationmonoxide.

    • OldChicoAle@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Do these kinds of buffers have health benefits? Why is it good to drink water that has buffering capacity?

          • ulterno@programming.dev
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            3 days ago

            Because having salt of an acid out of a citric fruit in water, makes it tasty.
            I just use some black salt, though. Much cheaper.

          • dubyakay@lemmy.ca
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            3 days ago

            It’s not dumb in the sense that water that is not alkaline is not the same as water that is alkaline with some added acid.

            In Eastern Europe the soft drink created by mixing sodium bicarbonate into water and then adding a tea spoon of lemon juice or vinegar to it was an oft used refreshment before the 80s.

        • FlyingCircus@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          I reported the guy after he doubled down. Waiting to see if the mods will do something or if I will have to block the comm.

      • yogurtwrong@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        oh but we can call people “a dick” and that’s okay right?

        stop being offended on behalf of other people

        • FlyingCircus@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Why shouldn’t I be offended on behalf of other people? You just were.

          Or is just that I shouldn’t be offended on behalf of people that you don’t like? Like women?

          • yogurtwrong@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            I gave an example. To show your double standard. And it is working.

            Speaking up for atrocities towards other groups is something. Getting offended on behalf of other groups when no member of that group is feeling under attack is something else.

            Like women?

            I really don’t get it. I go to another thread on reddit and they call me a wokescold for speaking out on a insanely sexist joke. And I get called a misogynist here because I want people to treat women and men equally. Acting like women are more fragile than men is inherently sexist

            Tbh, it’s been a lot since the last time I called someone a “pussy”. Because I think it’s belittleling to women. But I frequently call people a “dick”. Which is derogatory towards men and I shouldn’t use it either. Turns out, slurs are created to offend people, who would’ve guessed

            I can’t count the times a neurotypical got offended on behalf of me. Those people also do a lot of belittleling. So much infantisation in fact, I would rather have them call me the r word. Or the times a christian got offended on behalf of me (back then when I was a muslim). It’s annoying af

  • TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Gwyneth seems to mean well albeit ignorant, but I don’t know how Chris Martin put up with her for so long in their marriage. I don’t even know what he saw in her if she is a cuckoo from the start.

  • 58008@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Is there a consensus view on whether or not Gwyneth is a genuine numbnut or is just cynically exploiting people who are?

  • Plurrbear@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    GOOP = What your brain is made of if you support or buy these “products”.

    She’s just another GRIFTER!

  • FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io
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    3 days ago

    Paltrow is full of shit broadly speaking of course, but she may be accidentally (technically) onto something here: A more ph neutral drink would be a little better for your teeth compared to one that’s more acidic or basic, wouldn’t it?

      • IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works
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        3 days ago

        Yeah, but with lemon flavour. I think the idea is if you started with plain water, then added lemon, you’d now have lemon flavoured acidic water. If you start with alkaline water, you’d end up with lemon flavoured neutral water.

        • Enkrod@feddit.org
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          3 days ago

          And with juuuuust a tiny bit more sugar so the bacteria in your mouth can create more acid to bathe your teeth in way longer than the water remains in your mouth, nice.

    • Enkrod@feddit.org
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      3 days ago

      The level of pH difference we’re talking about here is negligible. You’re constantly bathing your teeth in your (slightly acidic) spit and swallowing your spit all the time, the very few moments your teeth come into contact with slightly more alkaline water have no lasting influence. Plain tap-water (also slightly alkaline with a pH of ~7.5 in most of the US) would have the very same effect.

      Brushing your teeth after a meal and abstaining from sugary drinks is where the difference is at, Everything else is talking about if Mount Everest is higher when you place a grain of sand on top… technically yes, but no.

  • IngeniousRocks (They/She) @lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 days ago

    Just an aside, you can make Alkaline lemon water.

    It do it:

    1. Peel a lemon using a vegetable peeler
    2. Squeeze the bits of peel (pith side up) into a glass or bottle. This allows you to express the oils from the peel.
    3. Add your Alkaline water to the Glass, the oils will rise to the top, some of it (very little as oils are hydrophobic) will mix with the water, giving it a lemon flavor similar to lacroix.