Will Drinking Alkaline Water Help Prevent Kidney Stones?

Bottled water marketed as “alkaline water” probably won’t live up to the hype when it comes to preventing kidney stones.

A new study finds these products don’t contain enough alkali to change urine pH enough to help.

Researchers tested 5 brands of alkaline water and while all of them had a higher pH than tap water,

they contained a "trivial" concentration of alkali, according to the results.

The researchers say this suggests bottled alkaline water provides no added benefit for patients prone to kidney stones.

On the other hand, there is science that backs other beverages for boosting urine pH.

The researchers say orange juice is rich in alkali and can help you achieve the recommended daily level.

Baking soda products that dissolve in water may also help, although researchers say there are concerns about the sodium content.

The senior author says these findings “may help to guide the selection of other treatments, including beverages and over-the-counter products, for preventing recurrent urinary stones."