Does Alkaline Water Actually Improve Your Health?
What this video covers
Posted August 16, 2019, this segment takes on alkaline water — the premium bottled-water category marketed on claims of superior hydration and health benefits from its higher pH. True to the show’s “Oz investigates” format, the segment is framed as a skeptical inquiry rather than an endorsement: Oz sets out to test three claims — that alkaline water balances blood pH, hydrates better than regular water, and eases heartburn — with family physician Dr. Jennifer Caudle on hand.
The segment’s verdicts, from the broadcast itself: on the pH claim, Oz says he “couldn’t find a single study” showing alkaline water changes blood pH, and Caudle adds that the body manages pH on its own — “we don’t need fancy water” for that. On hydration, the show ran its own small experiment: two producers drank regular water for two days, then alkaline water for two days, tracking urine color and volume — and found no meaningful difference. On heartburn, the segment lands as a “maybe”: one lab study suggested alkaline water can deactivate pepsin, an enzyme involved in acid reflux, so Caudle says a healthy person could try it, but stresses that more research is needed.
Caudle also spells out what’s actually in the water: purified water plus calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), landing at pH 8–9 versus plain water’s neutral 7.
With over 1.4 million views, the clip shows the show’s investigative mode resonating with the YouTube audience — the rare Oz segment built around testing a popular wellness claim rather than promoting one.
Key points
- Oz and Caudle test three alkaline-water claims: pH balancing, better hydration, and heartburn relief — and find little backing for the first two.
- On pH: Oz says he couldn’t find a single study showing alkaline water changes blood pH; Caudle notes the body regulates its own pH without help from specialty water.
- On hydration: the show’s own two-day-per-condition producer experiment (urine color and volume) found no meaningful difference between alkaline and regular water.
- On heartburn: a “maybe” — one lab study suggested alkaline water deactivates the enzyme pepsin, so Caudle says a healthy person could try it, pending more research.
- Caudle explains the water’s actual contents — purified water plus calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate — at pH 8–9 versus plain water’s 7.
- The skeptical framing (“does it actually…”) distinguishes this from the show’s more promotional wellness segments.