Buffered Alkaline Water vs. Regular Alkaline Water: What’s the Difference for Silent Reflux (LPR)?

THE SCIENCE OF BUFFERING

By Team Sootha

Two alkaline waters can have the same pH but very different abilities to neutralize acid. Regular alkaline water is typically defined and marketed by its pH number. Buffered alkaline water contains compounds such as bicarbonate and citrate that help neutralize added acid and resist changes in pH.

For people researching silent reflux (LPR), this distinction is particularly relevant because published research on alkaline water has examined both its effect on pepsin, a digestive enzyme associated with reflux, and its capacity to neutralize stomach acid.

“Its hydrochloric acid-buffering capacity far exceeded that of the conventional-pH waters.”

Koufman & Johnston, 2012
Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology
Read the published research

What Is the Difference Between Buffered and Regular Alkaline Water?

The difference is buffering capacity: how much acid water can neutralize before its pH drops to a specified level.

pH tells you how acidic or alkaline water is at a particular moment. Buffering capacity tells you how well it resists changes when acid is introduced.

The U.S. Geological Survey explains alkalinity in terms of water’s ability to neutralize acids. That ability comes largely from dissolved compounds such as bicarbonates and carbonates, rather than from the pH number alone.

Many alkaline waters are marketed primarily on their pH. But a high pH doesn’t necessarily mean high acid-neutralizing capacity.

Buffered alkaline water is formulated with buffering compounds, making acid-neutralizing capacity an intentional feature of the water’s composition.

Buffered vs. Regular Alkaline Water: At a Glance

Some ordinary alkaline waters naturally contain buffering minerals. The categories can overlap. The distinction is that a pH number alone does not reveal a water’s acid-neutralizing capacity.

Why Isn’t pH Alone Enough?

Consider two glasses of water, each with a pH of 9.

The first contains very few buffering compounds. Add acid, and its pH drops quickly.

The second contains bicarbonate, a compound that reacts with and neutralizes added acid. Add the same amount of acid, and the second glass maintains a higher pH.

Same starting number, different result.

A water with a pH of 9.5 can therefore neutralize less acid than a water with a pH of 8.8, depending on its composition.

This is why comparing alkaline waters solely by the pH number printed on the bottle doesn’t tell the whole story.

pH tells you where the water starts. Buffering capacity tells you how much acid it can handle before its pH changes substantially.

Why Is Buffered Alkaline Water Relevant to Silent Reflux (LPR)?

Silent reflux, also known as laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), occurs when stomach contents travel upward into the throat and voice-box region, sometimes without the familiar sensation of heartburn.

People with LPR may experience persistent coughing, frequent throat clearing, hoarseness, or a sensation of something stuck in the throat.

Stomach contents contain hydrochloric acid and may also contain pepsin, a digestive enzyme that breaks down proteins.

Pepsin is not itself an acid, but it functions in acidic conditions. When stomach contents reflux into the throat, pepsin can travel with them.

Researchers have investigated alkaline water in connection with silent reflux for two reasons:

1. Acid neutralization. Alkaline water can neutralize acid, and its acid-neutralizing capacity determines how much acid it can neutralize before reaching a specified pH.
2. Pepsin inactivation. Laboratory research has shown that sufficiently alkaline conditions can inactivate pepsin.

These two properties provide a scientific basis for understanding why both pH and buffering capacity have attracted attention in reflux research.

What Does Research Say About Alkaline Water and Buffering?

A frequently cited study published in 2012 by researchers Jamie Koufman and Nikki Johnston examined alkaline water with a pH of 8.8.

The researchers conducted laboratory experiments measuring two properties:

1. Acid-buffering capacity. The researchers compared the alkaline water’s ability to buffer hydrochloric acid with that of two popular conventional bottled waters. The alkaline water demonstrated substantially greater buffering capacity.
2. Pepsin inactivation. The researchers found that the alkaline water irreversibly inactivated human pepsin under the experimental conditions.

The study is significant because it examined more than the water’s starting pH. It also measured how the water responded to acid.

That distinction is central to understanding buffered alkaline water.

The experiments were conducted in vitro, meaning outside the human body, and measured chemical and enzyme-related effects rather than symptom relief in patients.

Research reference: Koufman JA, Johnston N. Potential Benefits of pH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology. 2012.

Read the study on PubMed

Why Sootha Is Buffered

Sootha was developed around the distinction between pH and buffering capacity.

Rather than focusing simply on increasing water’s pH, Sootha uses a measured combination of buffering minerals to provide acid-neutralizing capacity.

Sootha is a mineral supplement in pre-measured sachets that transforms ordinary drinking water into buffered alkaline water.

Each sachet is designed to be mixed with water, offering a convenient alternative to purchasing and transporting cases of bottled alkaline water.

Our focus is on a property that often receives less attention than pH: the ability of water to neutralize added acid and resist changes in pH.

That’s the science behind Sootha’s buffered formulation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is buffered alkaline water the same as regular alkaline water?

Both are alkaline, but buffered alkaline water is deliberately formulated with compounds that provide acid-neutralizing capacity. Regular alkaline water may also contain buffering minerals, so the actual difference depends on its composition.

Does a higher pH mean greater buffering capacity?

No. pH and buffering capacity are different properties. A water with a lower starting pH can neutralize more acid than one with a higher pH.

What gives buffered alkaline water its buffering capacity?

Dissolved compounds that react with and neutralize added acid, including bicarbonates, carbonates, and citrates. Their concentrations and the overall chemistry of the water determine its buffering behavior.

How is buffering capacity measured?

One method is acid titration. A measured amount of acid is added to a water sample in increments while its pH is monitored. The amount of acid required to reach a specified pH provides a measure of the water’s acid-neutralizing capacity.

Why is pH 8.8 associated with silent reflux?

A 2012 laboratory study by Koufman and Johnston tested alkaline water with a pH of 8.8. The researchers reported that the water inactivated human pepsin and had substantially greater hydrochloric acid-buffering capacity than the conventional bottled waters tested.

Can alkaline water neutralize stomach acid?

Alkaline water can neutralize acid through chemical reactions. The amount it can neutralize depends on its composition and buffering capacity, not simply its starting pH.

The Bottom Line

Not all alkaline waters behave the same way when exposed to acid.

Two waters can have identical pH values but very different acid-neutralizing capacities.

Scientific research into alkaline water and silent reflux has examined both pH-related effects on pepsin and the ability of water to buffer hydrochloric acid.

pH tells you where water starts. Buffering capacity tells you how much acid it can neutralize.

That’s the distinction Sootha is built around.