Recently I was sent a box of Essentia Water. My family laughed when they saw it. My husband said, “Super hydrating water? Uh… duh.” My mom came to visit and asked, “If you put it in a sponge does it get wetter than regular water on a sponge?” And I admit, the phrase “super hydrating water” sounds kind of dumb!
So, here’s the product claim: It has a “proprietary electrolyte formula and higher pH of 9.5” which can help facilitate “maintaining normal blood pressure, restful sleep, concentration and focus, proper cardiac rhythm, muscle strength, endocrine balance, intestinal function and more” and even balance your body’s pH levels, all while tasting great!
Yes, it tastes good… like nice, clean, clear water. Really tasty, clean, clear water. It’s refreshing!
Most bottled water has a basic pH of 7.0 or below. That means it doesn’t absorb into your body as easily, and therefore, doesn’t provide the superior hydration you get with Essentia.
So… I have no idea how to actually test all this stuff on my own. Perhaps if I was friends with Bill Nye the Science Guy he would have given me a host of tests I could use, but I did come up with a TOTALLY NOT SCIENTIFIC test that probably says nothing. I used pH testing strips I purchased from Swanson’s Vitamins.*
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js
//
I filled 3 glasses with some water; one with Essentia, one with filtered water from my fridge dispenser and one filled with tap water.
Then I tore off little strips of the pH testing tape and dipped it in the water for the required 3 seconds. Now, the pH testing tape says it’s for use with bodily fluids… like saliva and/or urine. So that could make a difference.
The strip on the bottom is my own saliva next to the tape dispenser which has a little color guide to show the results.
Now according to those results, the Essentia has a lower pH than all of the other “types” of water. However, since the tape says it is for testing bodily fluids, I’m willing to admit that it might not be the most scientific way to gauge the pH of these waters. (I would need a special meter that costs over $100.) But it definitely shows there is a difference in pH levels when compared to the water that comes straight from the Las Vegas water district, filtered or not.
An interesting claim from Essentia comes in regard to drinking it vs. sports drink:
Essentia provides a blend of dissolved minerals that emulate the ratio of the body’s own mixture and concentration – providing the correct proportion of electrolytes without all the sugars and other additives you typically find in sports and energy drinks.
Some people count on the sugars/carbohydrates from sports drinks as part of their fueling process. But for those who prefer to get their calories from other sources, it’s kind of an interesting thought… to use an electrolyte-enhanced water. You can buy it online via Amazon
So I may try putting it in my handheld water bottle over the next few weeks and see if I feel a difference. I know as it warms up here in Vegas, I have to replace electrolytes and I usually come home from a run and chug a bottle of nuun. Maybe this will be a difference?
* 05/08/2013 Update: So… as it turns out, my guess was right that using the pH testing strips isn’t effective.
“Litmus papers or test strips will not provide accurate results for pure waters because the indicator or strip material actually changes the pH of the sample, especially in low ionic-strength waters. This means that small or trace amounts of acidic components are present, which, in low ionic-strength waters, manifests and actually lowers the sample pH. ” (from Essentia’s PR Agency)
So while my test in no way can accurately reflect the true pH of the water, I do think it illustrates that Essentia is somehow vastly different from the other water sources!
Jill Will Run 
I too noticed positive differences after a case or two of Essentia. I was wondering about this myself and looking for info online. Thanks for this.
[…] Essentia Water is having a Super Summer Hydration Giveaway. Simply tell Essentia “How do you hydrate?” for a chance to win a Super Hydration Kit including a case of Essentia water, a JetFlow Tomahawk hydration pack, and a workout DVD from health and fitness experts The Healthy Housewives (approximately $100 retail value). All entrants receive an Essentia Coupon that can be downloaded and redeemed at a local retailer. […]
I have been drinking this water for about 21/2 months, love the taste but feel no different. ..
I have had one cancer or 4 times and all my doctors fed water was very important can make sure that it was a pH balance of 9.5 and I totally believe water has a lot to do with our cells. I am drinking this all the time and I’ve had a clean PET scan for almost a year now first time in 4 years
A high ph BALANCE is the best for you. Cancer cannot survive in a ALKALINE ENVIRONMENT. As long as you keep your ph BALANCE high you’ll be free of cancer always. We are born with a 7.2ph and we don’t keep it like this cause we don’t know and the only way to learn is to read and most have no idea about this. Anything below this will cause our bodies to become acidic and that leads to cancer and many other problems. Keeping our ph high prevents all these problems and or cures our problems. ALKALINE STARVES CANCER CELLS so they just shrink and die off. This is what we all she be doing. It’s all in our veggies (Greens) you can buy this product on Amazon called AMAZING GRASS but look up ALKALINE & DETOX. AMAZING GRASS is the company name or brand name but what you want it to say on it is ALKALINE & DETOX cause this also gives you everything you need and it flushes out your body. Theres another that has acai and goji berry in it and has the rest of the veggies in it that you’ll need as well. A lot of the ingredients in it are also used to beat cancer. It’s all organic and it’s just so healthy for you. I thought I’d let you know about this cause it will help. I’m so happy you beat cancer and I only wish more knew about this and they can too. If you go on YouTube you’ll see a Dr that tried to help so very many in this country the hollistic way and you would not believe what they did to him. He did not care cause he said he saved lives and he’d do it again. He meant every word of it. Now he is no longer with us but there is another man who is continued his work and he’s giving out all the info to help ppl beat cancer. It’s truly crazy how this country did what they did and so many need help. God Bless you and big happy smiles to you.😀 Cheri👆☝🙏
Mom, sponge, ph strips….geez – did you fail or not take chemistry…? If you really care you can buy a real ph tester for about $50 and see the water is what it says it is, and the others will fall below Essentia for ph. Finally the key is the elevated ph and ions enable the cells to absorb it, ever notice drinking lots of “normal” water and having to pee soon afterwards – that’s because your cells could NOT absorb most of it so out it goes. You want an unscientific but accurate (and better than yours) test…drink 3 or 4 glasses of regular water and just wait to see how long it take you to pee and estimate how much (unless you want to measure this – I don’t) Then under same conditions another day drink that much Essentia; you should notice either/or a longer time frame / less pee as the body absorbed more – this is the intent of hydration in its purest form.
Editors Note: He forgot to add the “asshole alert” before posting.
Thank you for the explanation. Well said. The article kind of through me off a bit.
A high ph BALANCE is the best for you. Cancer cannot survive in a ALKALINE ENVIRONMENT. As long as you keep your ph BALANCE high you’ll be free of cancer always. We are born with a 7.2ph and we don’t keep it like this cause we don’t know and the only way to learn is to read and most have no idea about this. Anything below this will cause our bodies to become acidic and that leads to cancer and many other problems. Keeping our ph high prevents all these problems and or cures our problems. ALKALINE STARVES CANCER CELLS so they just shrink and die off. This is what we all she be doing. It’s all in our veggies (Greens) you can buy this product on Amazon called AMAZING GRASS but look up ALKALINE & DETOX. AMAZING GRASS is the company name or brand name but what you want it to say on it is ALKALINE & DETOX cause this also gives you everything you need and it flushes out your body. Theres another that has acai and goji berry in it and has the rest of the veggies in it that you’ll need as well. A lot of the ingredients in it are also used to beat cancer. It’s all organic and it’s just so healthy for you. I thought I’d let you know about this cause it will help. I’m so happy you beat cancer and I only wish more knew about this and they can too. If you go on YouTube you’ll see a Dr that tried to help so very many in this country the hollistic way and you would not believe what they did to him. He did not care cause he said he saved lives and he’d do it again. He meant every word of it. Now he is no longer with us but there is another man who is continued his work and he’s giving out all the info to help ppl beat cancer. It’s truly crazy how this country did what they did and so many need help. God Bless you and big happy smiles to you.😀 Cheri👆☝🙏
Did you not read this. Those were jokes her family made. And not everyone know anythi g or everything about ph BALANCE or that it even has anything to do with our bodies. Not everyone studied chemistry. I’ve asked many different ppl and they know nothing about ph BALANCE and the fact that we need to keep a good ph BALANCE in our bodies to live a good normal healthy life. If they did? Don’t you think more would be healthy and fighting off illness??? Ppl of every age are ignorant to this in a huge way. Don’t judge them!! Teach them!!! I’m so tired of ppl like you who think they know everything nd get pissed off cause someone else doesn’t. Not everyone is like you and instead of being a egotistical maniac!!! Teach them.