Not defending pseudoscientific health regimens, but the acid in “a spritz of lemon” doesn’t neutralize an arbitrary amount of alkalinity
It's OK to just like lemon water.
Submitted 2 days ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/d42637cd-886c-435c-8b3e-7cc217e42955.jpeg
Comments
Feyd@programming.dev 2 days ago
kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 2 days ago
No, but it does reveal a distinct lack of understanding on her her part as to what these pseudoscientific health products even are that are supposedly doing things for her. Like saying “I always drink decaf coffee and pop a shot of 5 hour energy in the morning.” “I drink skim milk with a splash of double cream.” “I love honey on my keto toast.” Like, even if it’s not enough acidity to completely negate the alkalinity, it’s literally antithetical to the supposed goal.
Arcka@midwest.social 2 days ago
All the posts advocating for combining baking soda and vinegar for cleaning.
Carrolade@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I think it was Angela Collier that did a pretty basic test with a common store bought alkaline water, a lemon and some test strips. The water doesn’t start very alkaline at all.
Ephera@lemmy.ml 2 days ago
She did the math (with some assumptions), but basically 0.25 mL of lemon juice will turn 500 mL of alkaline water into neutral water:
Image This is in the video at 13:16.
The reason is that pH is a logarithmic scale. Alkaline water has a pH of about 8, whereas lemon acid is at 2. That means lemon acid has 1,000,000 times more hydrogen atoms.
Lemon juice isn’t pure lemon acid, so that’s why you do still need 0.25 mL (rather than just a millionth of 500 mL).tburkhol@lemmy.world 2 days ago
That girl can rant. Love her work, but always watch it at 2x to maximize the frustrated-teacher vibe.
inconel@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
Even regular neutral water shift to slightly acidic (5.6) as long as it have contact to air CO2. Would be interesting to know how long those store bought alkaline water becomes base or acidic.
AHemlocksLie@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
True, but your body will not enjoy water that’s very alkaline, so there’s a chance it’s sufficient since lemon is pretty acidic.
Plus, if the whole point of it is to be alkaline, why directly counter that with what you add?
Ephera@lemmy.ml 2 days ago
The body doesn’t care much about alkaline water, since the stomach acid is so acidic that it will easily overpower it…
OmnipotentEntity@beehaw.org 2 days ago
It turns out, that for the values we are talking about here, it actually more or less does! A lemon has a pH of around 2.5, while “Flow” has an advertised pH of 8.1. This means roughly that to neutralize 1L of this water you need approximately 0.4mL of lemon juice or about 8 drops/half a gram. It’s hard to tell how much a “spritz” is intended to be, but a single lemon contains about 60mL of juice, so this represents about 0.67% of the total juice inside.
It’s a surprising consequence of using a logarithmic scale for pH.
GeneralEmergency@lemmy.world 1 day ago
No. But thinking it does sure helps inflate egos.
ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 2 days ago
So should I put AA batteries in my water bottle or not?
ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I believe the AAs go in your vagina. She does a lot of vagina stuff, like my ex.
acme401@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I can confirm the vagina stuff with his ex
She was a freak!
Damage@feddit.it 2 days ago
a lot of vagina stuff, like my ex.
We need more women like this
Leon_Grotsky@hexbear.net 2 days ago
No, AA batteries don’t have enough alkaline flavor, what you need is to throw a car battery into the sea
MissJinx@lemmy.world 2 days ago
The best way to remain beautiful your whole life is being born in a family of (white) millionaires, remain a millionaire through inheritance and by working on your family’s cushy business without ever having to worry about nothing for not even a second of your life and also having access and being able to aford the most modern and technological advancements in beauty. If that is not enough and you still feel time is getting close you can create your own fake science and get even more money (maybe that helps?)
Corridor8031@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
- using sunscreen
MissJinx@lemmy.world 1 day ago
and drinking water
tempest@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
For us poors sunscreen is the best value per dollar. Especially men, because women often include it with other cosmetics (even if it’s not that effective and you should be using a straight up sunscreen)
Alaik@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
That’s not fair… Plenty of Arab, Indian, Chinese, etc billionares who are selfish idiots. Leave ethnicity out of it. No war but class war.
ThunderclapSasquatch@startrek.website 1 day ago
Pretty sure millionaires age better regardless of skin color, don’t know why race is involved
Credibly_Human@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I imagine due to media beauty standards being quite racist
MissJinx@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I added thar because foe black milionaires the “ever having to worry about nothing for not even a second of your life” don’t apply
You know they worried at least once in their lifes about a police siren lol
sakodak@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Mixing an acid and a base makes a salt. She’s drinking saltwater.
ThunderclapSasquatch@startrek.website 1 day ago
Add a little sugar and you have a solid rehydration blend then
Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de 1 day ago
public_image_ltd@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Sorry to disappoint y’all. This is actually not so dumb. Chemically she makes a buffer solution.
How a Buffer Solution Works: Example with Baking Soda and Citric Acid
A buffer solution is a system that resists changes in pH when small amounts of acids or bases are added. Buffers are essential in chemistry and biology because many processes require a stable pH.
How Buffer Solutions Work
A buffer usually consists of a weak acid and its corresponding conjugate base (or a weak base and its conjugate acid). When an acidic or basic substance is introduced, the buffer reacts to neutralize the added ions, thus stabilizing the pH.
- When an acid (H⁺) is added, the buffer’s base component reacts with it, “soaking up” the excess H⁺ ions.
- When a base (OH⁻) is added, the acid part of the buffer reacts with it, neutralizing the excess OH⁻ ions.
The ability of a buffer to do this depends on the presence of both a weak acid and its conjugate base in appreciable amounts.
Buffer Example: Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) and Citric Acid
Ingredients Involved
- Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO₃): A weak base that can act as a proton acceptor.
- Citric acid (C₆H₈O₇): A weak acid, commonly found in citrus fruits.
When these two substances are dissolved in water, they interact according to the following reaction:
$$ \text{C}_6\text{H}_8\text{O}_7 + \text{NaHCO}_3 \rightarrow \text{C}_6\text{H}_7\text{O}_7^- + \text{Na}^+ + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2\uparrow $$
This reaction creates a mixture containing both citric acid (weak acid) and its conjugate base (citrate ion).
How This Buffer System Functions
- If an acid is added to the solution (increasing H⁺), the citrate ion (Citrat-Anion) from the reaction will bind to the excess H⁺, lessening the pH shift.
- If a base is added (increasing OH⁻), the leftover citric acid will release H⁺, which neutralizes the OH⁻, keeping the pH stable.
Key Point:
This buffer is only effective within a certain pH range, which in this case is close to the pKa value of citric acid (around 3-7 depending on which proton is being lost, as citric acid is a triprotic acid).Summary Table
Component Role Action if acid is added Action if base is added Citric acid (C₆H₈O₇) Weak acid Conjugate base absorbs H⁺ Releases more H⁺ to neutralize OH⁻ Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) Weak base (forms buffer) Provides conjugate base (citrate ion) Provides weak acid (citric acid) This mixture resists pH changes thanks to the reversible interplay between the weak acid (citric acid) and its conjugate base (citrate ion), demonstrating the core principle of buffer solutions.
OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml 2 days ago
Thanks for the ChatGPT paste
Dave2@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 days ago
Stomach acid is much more acidic for this buffer to function and even then you shouldn’t need anything of this sort, well, unless your body fails to regulate it’s own secretions (in that case, go to a doctor for gods sake!) At most this would provide you with some nutrients and minerals.
Agent641@lemmy.world 2 days ago
To be fair the top commenter is just explaining what a buffer solution is, and why “adding lemon to alkaline water” isn’t just creating a neutral pH saltwater. They aren’t justifying it’s use as a healthy tonic or anything. I learned something from the comment.
undergroundoverground@lemmy.world 2 days ago
The point isn’t the apparent health benefits of applying the worlds mildest buffer to a ph 2 solution, it’s that it’s the sales equivalent of dehydrationmonoxide.
Agent641@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Thank you Gwenyth
OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Do these kinds of buffers have health benefits? Why is it good to drink water that has buffering capacity?
public_image_ltd@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I have no idea. I am a chemical engineer, this question has to be answered by a biologist or physician.
anon@lemmy.sdf.org 2 days ago
Send me a message too please about the health benefits
LefterShark@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
I want dehydrated water.
QuadG@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Alaik@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
You forgot to put two versions out: One with an American flag, cross, and an M16 on it and another with a discouraging message to prevent people to vote for the most left candidate.
n0respect@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I can sell you a bottle of 2 parts hydrogen and 1 part oxygen. Just add fire.
Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 1 day ago
The boom is litteral thought
MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Such a stupid cunt snake oil salesperson.
muhyb@programming.dev 2 days ago
What’s the pH of snake oil?
_edge@discuss.tchncs.de 2 days ago
With or without lemon slice?
MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Maybe the same as her “Goop”.
ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Or is she a stupid snake cunt oil salesperson?
Jerkface@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Okay, let’s see … stupid cunt sales oil snakeperson?
MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Hmm, does “Goop” sell Cunt oil?
FlyingCircus@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Can you say that again without the misogyny?
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2 days ago
I mean salesperson is gender neutral and stupid cunt is pretty gender neutral too, even if it originally referred to female genitalia. Somehow genitalia based insults have become gender neutral, or some of them at least.
Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 2 days ago
I dont think most people that specifically purchase it know what alkaline water is.
WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Apparently it works better than rechargable water.
SpongyAneurysm@feddit.org 2 days ago
Isn’t that the water that’s inside my Alkaline batteries? It must be good to energize the body.
FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 2 days ago
Paltrow is full of shit broadly speaking of course, but she may be accidentally (technically) onto something here: A more ph neutral drink would be a little better for your teeth compared to one that's more acidic or basic, wouldn't it?
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 2 days ago
So, like plain water, then?
Enkrod@feddit.org 2 days ago
The level of pH difference we’re talking about here is negligible. You’re constantly bathing your teeth in your (slightly acidic) spit and swallowing your spit all the time, the very few moments your teeth come into contact with slightly more alkaline water have no lasting influence. Plain tap-water (also slightly alkaline with a pH of ~7.5 in most of the US) would have the very same effect.
Brushing your teeth after a meal and abstaining from sugary drinks is where the difference is at, Everything else is talking about if Mount Everest is higher when you place a grain of sand on top… technically yes, but no.
huf@hexbear.net 2 days ago
so… just drink water?
58008@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Is there a consensus view on whether or not Gwyneth is a genuine numbnut or is just cynically exploiting people who are?
TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Gwyneth seems to mean well albeit ignorant, but I don’t know how Chris Martin put up with her for so long in their marriage. I don’t even know what he saw in her if she is a cuckoo from the start.
Plurrbear@lemmy.world 2 days ago
GOOP = What your brain is made of if you support or buy these “products”.
She’s just another GRIFTER!
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 1 day ago
The most important thing to keep in mind with celebrity actors is that they make a living pretending to be someone/something they’re not. And they’re damn good at it too.
Not to cast doubt on everyone in that profession. Rather, proceed with an abundance of skepticism when considering celebrity endorsements.
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
“You know what would make this poison really pop? A fistful of active charcoal and prompt medical treatment!”
plinky@hexbear.net 2 days ago
enamel must be disciplined
fossilesque@mander.xyz 2 days ago
I like it too. It’s the best.
LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 2 days ago
Unrelated but they put out water at my work that’s like just tap water sitting in a dispenser that they’ll sometimes slice like, a couple oranges or lemons or cucumbers into. It adds no flavor and just wastes the fruit or cucumbers
TheBat@lemmy.world 2 days ago
FuckyWucky@hexbear.net 2 days ago
What’s the net pH after mixing a glass of alkaline water and a ‘spritz of lemon’ thinking-about-it
Darth_Reagan@hexbear.net 2 days ago
Wouldn’t this just to counteract some of the acidity in the lemon and so it has extra minerals? Doesn’t seem that stupid.
ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
Just an aside, you can make Alkaline lemon water.
It do it:
- Peel a lemon using a vegetable peeler
- Squeeze the bits of peel (pith side up) into a glass or bottle. This allows you to express the oils from the peel.
- Add your Alkaline water to the Glass, the oils will rise to the top, some of it (very little as oils are hydrophobic) will mix with the water, giving it a lemon flavor similar to lacroix.
expatriado@lemmy.world 2 days ago
they claim lemon juice metabolize into mostly alkaline byproduct during digestion, but could be bs or exaggeration
taiyang@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Look, only a basic bitch drinks Alkaline water without a like acid.
moosetwin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
I bet he heard it from that one video by angela collier
DioramaOfShit@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Cool but what’s her pussy smell like?
half_built_pyramids@lemmy.world 2 days ago
because the body must “grip” the egg to keep it inside the vagina, sellers claim jade egg use also strengthens vaginal muscles.
drascus@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
I don’t know why people are so obsessed with water. Just move on with your life.
Lojcs@piefed.social 2 days ago
I thought it was about the minerals in alkaline water, not the ph itself?
bitjunkie@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I know the pH difference is meaningless, but I enjoy the crispness.
zout@fedia.io 2 days ago
Alkaline water won't be alkaline for long after it enters the stomach, so it doesn't really matter
realitista@lemmus.org 2 days ago
Alkaline water does have a place for LPR sufferers like me because it deactivates the pepsin that has vaporized and deposited itself in my esophagus and throat which when activated by acidic foods will begin to digest my soft tissues.
Infamousblt@hexbear.net 2 days ago
This is true for most fad health things. They come from a place of “this is good for one hyper specific medical outcome” and then extrapolate to “this is good for literally all medical outcomes”
ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Huh, cool.
SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 days ago
Hey fellow LPR person! Ever looked into baclofen? It’s an oddball, but it helped me and a friend with our LPR.
zout@fedia.io 2 days ago
TIL, thank you. It indeed makes perfect sense that it would help for this.
Klear@quokk.au 2 days ago
- Homer Simpson
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
Which is reason number two (pun intended) why brown M&Ms are the superior ones.
chgxvjh@hexbear.net 2 days ago
nationalgeographic.com/…/121011-blue-honey-honeyb…
IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Slightly better for the teeth maybe? And maybe a slight benefit if heartburn is an issue.
zout@fedia.io 2 days ago
Better for the teeth than pH neutral? Nope. For heartburn it might help, but only for a real short time. Non-fat milk would probably be the better choice.
kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I believe the purpose is to reduce the overall acidity of your body, which it will do. Your stomach acid will compensate, but it loses acidic compounds in the process to do so. But mixing in other acids does negate at least some of the effectiveness.
bjorney@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
Stomach acid is like 10,000,000x more acidic than most alkaline water is basic. Dilution is probably doing an order of magnitude more work than the hydroxide here
Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 2 days ago
It’s not debatable.
Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
It absolutely will not.