Stressful lifestyles, air pollution, and water contamination have contributed to a variety of health and environmental concerns. Recently, some water filter suppliers in Hong Kong have launched products marketed as “energy water” or “health water,” claiming they can help the body absorb minerals, boost immunity, treat chronic illnesses, neutralize excessive acidity in the body, and so on. However, such claims require scientific evidence, and products should not be promoted as treatments for disease without reliable evidence to support their effectiveness.

The human body obtains most essential minerals and nutrients from food, although drinking water can also provide certain minerals, including calcium and magnesium. Having an unusually high mineral content in drinking water does not generally cause dehydration, although water with extremely high concentrations of dissolved substances may be unsuitable for drinking and can have other health effects.

The pH level of drinking water, provided it is safe and uncontaminated, does not normally have a meaningful effect on blood pH or immune function. The human body has sophisticated mechanisms that tightly regulate the pH of its internal fluids and maintain the balance necessary for normal physiological function.

The body needs adequate hydration to support normal circulation, kidney function, digestion, temperature regulation, and many other physiological processes. Water also helps the kidneys eliminate metabolic waste through urine. Therefore, drinking safe, high-quality water and maintaining adequate hydration are important for overall health, although drinking water alone cannot prevent or cure disease.

By Michael Chiu, MWS, CI
Previously published in Ming Pao Daily News – Updated and Revised in 2026