The effect of drinking water pH on the human gut microbiota and glucose regulation: results of a randomized controlled cross-over intervention

2018 Nov 09   Scientific Reports   Hansen TH, Thomassen MT, Madsen ML, Kern T, Bak EG, Kashani A, et al.

No differential effect of alkaline versus neutral drinking water was observed on overall gut microbiota diversity or community structure in young male adults. There was also no significant impact on the abundance of individual operational taxonomic units (OTUs) or genera. However, there was a potential effect of quantitative or qualitative changes in habitual drinking habits on the relative abundance of certain OTUs. In terms of host glucose metabolism, there was an observed increase in plasma glucose concentration at 30 minutes and incremental area under the curve of plasma glucose, but these results did not withstand correction for multiplicity.