Claim Verification: "Alkaline water or alkaline diets meaningfully improve health by counteracting body acidity" — Disproved

Automated fact-verification of the claim: "Alkaline water or alkaline diets meaningfully improve health by counteracting body acidity" Verdict: DISPROVED Key Findings The stated mechanism is false. Blood pH in healthy individuals is tightly regulated by the kidneys and lungs within the narrow range of 7.35–7.45. Three independent authoritative sources (Harvard Health, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and peer-reviewed PMC literature) confirm that neither alkaline water nor dietary changes can meaningfully or durably alter blood pH. No meaningful health benefits in controlled studies. A 2023 systematic review (De Gruyter / Reviews on Environmental Health) found no significant difference in blood parameters, gut microbiota, or fitness between alkaline water and mineral water groups. A separate systematic review (Fenton & Huang 2016, British Journal of Nutrition) concluded that promotion of alkaline water/diet for cancer prevention or treatment "is not justified." Alkaline diet benefits, where they exist, come from diet quality — not pH. MD Anderson and peer-reviewed literature note that any health advantages of alkaline-leaning diets are attributable to increased fruit and vegetable intake (antioxidants, K/Na ratio) — not to any alkalizing effect on the body. The claim fails on both the mechanism (SC1) and the health outcome (SC2). Each sub-claim was tested against 3 independently verified authoritative sources. Both meet the disproof threshold (3/3). Files proof.py — Re-runnable Python verification script proof.md — Structured proof report proof_audit.md — Full verification audit trail proof_narrative.md — Plain-language summary proof.json — Machine-readable structured data Generated by Proof Engine v1.3.1.