I was recently online, scrolling on Facebook and I saw a woman post that she was drinking this water called blk.
I recall seeing it in stores before, but I never questioned its color or it’s purported health benefits.
So I want to take some time to discuss what blk. water is, what gives it its black color, and if its purported health benefits are worthy enough to buy into.
blk. water started with 2 sisters trying to take care of their mom
Photo credit: https://www.getblk.com/what-is-blk/
Sisters Jacqueline and Louise Wilkie discovered blk. water while trying to research different way to help their mother manage symptoms with her Breast Cancer.
Fulvic Acid, in particular was found to help Jacqueline and Louise’s mother decrease in overall tightness and she experienced a boost in energy as well.
Due to the positive response of the Wilkie Sister’s Mom and blk. water being well received at tradeshows, they decided to produce it at scale.
Aside from Fulvic acid, what else is blk. water made of? Read on to learn more..
What’s In blk. water and what makes it black?
Photo credit: https://www.getblk.com/blklife/
Humic substances (which contain Fulvic Acids) is naturally dark in color and when added to water, it turns black.
blk. water contains other electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride.
blk. water contains over 77 trace minerals.
blk. water is often confused with activated charcoal water although it is very similar. Activated charcoal is charcoal made from coconut, peat, coal or wood that's been heated with a gas that creates internal pores, making it very absorbent.
Does blk. water have any side effects?
Research suggests that Fulvic Acid is safe for most people to take, although there hasn’t been much research done in special populations, such as those with impaired immune systems or pregnant women. If you have a disorder that results in abnormal immune functions, such as an autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis, you shouldn’t take Fulvic Acid without being monitored by a physician since it can activate the immune system and potentially complicate your condition. Also, not enough is known about how it affects hormones in pregnant women, so it's best to stay away from using Fulvic Acid supplements if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding without being monitored by a physician as well.
blk. water will not stain teeth.
Where does blk. water come from?
Purified alkaline water is the base of blk. The company sources it from multiple locales, including springs and aquifers in the United States and Canada wherever possible. They use RO (reverse osmosis) water when these are not available. There CA source report is available here: Water Quality Report.
Does blk. water do what it says it does?
In 2018, John Winkler and Sanjoy Ghosh published a review article where they examined the available peer reviewed research on Fulvic Acid and examines its anecdotal health claims.
The review found the following health claims to be supported by the current research:
Improves Gut Health: Gao et al. showed that Fulvic Acid increases the activity of digestive enzymes like lysozyme, proteases, and acid/alkaline phosphatases in fish. As to if this translates to humans is questionable due to lack of human studies and the limited amount of research overall.
May Help in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Shilajit, which contains Fulvic Acid, has been shown to reduce hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) in diabetic rats. Another research study suggests that Fulvic Acid might fit as an adjunct treatment to reduce markers of oxidative stress and inflammation as Fulvic can act in a similar manner to NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) .
Antioxdiant Benefits: Fulvic Acid might also reduce oxidative damage and increase antioxidant enzyme activity. On the converse, in some cases, Fulvic Acid can increase oxidative stress can be a contributing factor is some diseases and cancers (found in animal studies only). For this reason, more research needs to be done to rectify these two conflicting bits of evidence.
Potential Treatment for Alzhemier’s Disease: A contributing factor to the development of cognitive disorders is free radical damage and also a type of protein called tau, but studies show that Fulvic Acid help lower the length of tau fibrils and their morphology, disassembling their performance and stopping disease progression. The researchers concluded that Fulvic Acid is likely to provide new insights in the development of potential natural treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Improves Detoxification: Humic Acids (which contain Fulvic Acid) are beneficial for digestion and improving energy because of their detoxifying abilities. As a form of natural chelation therapy, Humic Acids are capable of binding to and breaking down toxins and metals that enter the body through the food supply, water, prescription medications, household products and air pollution.
Repairs/Protects the Skin, and other Anti-inflammatory Benefits: Some evidence suggests that humic acids can help protect the skin and treat wounds or irritations caused by things like eczema, bug bites, scrapes and rashes associated with fungus/microbes. A study published in the Journal of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigative Dermatology found that Fulvic Acid supplementation significantly improved symptoms associated with eczema, even when compared to other other eczema treatments. Another study found that Fulvic Acid reduced allergens in humans similar to taking 1% hyrdocortisone. Note: this particular study used a Fulvic Acid based lotion applied topically rather than consumed as water, but it was still worth mentioning here.
So what’s the consensus regarding blk. water?
Photo credit: https://www.getblk.com/blklife/
The information gathered in the review indicate that there are a lot of benefits with regard to blk water and the Fulvic Acid it contains.
Fulvic Acid can potentially improve gut health, may aid in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, possess antioxidant properties including those specific to those suffering Alzheimer’s Disease.
Additionally, Fulvic Acid can aid in detoxifying the body from metals that are found in high quantities in the certain environments and Fulvic Acid used topically can treat certain skin conditions, especially eczema, allergens, and wounds causes by bacteria.
There is a little room for concern because in some studies, Fulvic Acid did actually increase oxidation stress and was found to be a contributing factor to some diseases and cancer (in animal studies). For this reason, more research needs to be done to investigate these potential negatives further to weigh it against its benefits.
With that said, it’s clear to me that blk water’s health benefits far outweigh its potential negatives. I do have some other questions, such as:
What is concentration of Fulvic Acid is in blk. water? In the research articles I referenced, I saw concentrations as low as .004% and as high as .04% (in animal studies) in showing statically positive effect. So it’s reasonable to assume that blk water is within that range, but do humans need a greater concentration since we’re bigger than the animals (usually rats) used in the study. Note: I did reach out to blk. water to an answer to this question and will update this article when and if I receive a response.
How long would you need to consume blk. water to see any noticeable health benefits? This is also an important question because blk. water is not cheap; it cost $2.49 for a 19.6 oz bottle. In the Type 2 Diabetes study, it took 14 days to see a lowering of blood sugar at .01% Fulvic Acid concentration. That comes out to a minimum of a $34.86 investment, but that may be a bargain compared to pharmaceutical drugs that lower blood sugar (as per this example). Keep in mind, I am addressing only one potential health benefit, there are many others, and for that reason, the price may be a reasonable investment.
As always if you are ever questioning rather you should start consuming any type of supplement, it’s best to contact your primary care physician first.
DMP Fitness Flex Rating (3.5 of 5): 💪🏽 💪🏽 💪🏽 💪🏽
blk. CHARITY WORK
Not only does blk. make a great product, but they also give back to the community domestically and abroad by supporting www.water.org. Click here to see details of blk.’s charity work.
Until next time - ENVISION, BELIEVE, EXECUTE and SUCCEED
To your health!
DMP Fitness
Your Goals + Our Design = Get You Fit
Darryl Perrilloux
Owner/Master Trainer
Mobile: 832-736-3664
Email: Darryl@dmpfitness.org
Web: www.dmpfitness.org
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