An investigative report team from MBC, a South Korean TV network, prepared an unusual experiment using 40,000 new-born chicks.  The team separated them into two groups of 20,000 each and put them in two separate farm buildings, A and B.

These chicks were raised for one month and given the same amount of feed, but the drinking water supply was different.  The group in building A was supplied with normal ground water, the group in building B was supplied with alkaline water (water with added minerals,  including magnesium).  Alkaline water is known to have reducing power to get rid of excess acidic wastes created by human metabolism.

The investigative team wanted to know the difference, if any, between the two groups as a result of drinking ordinary water and alkaline water.

First, they inspected the survival rate:

Building A (ground water): 18,900 survived in 30 days [1,100 died]:  94.5% survival rate.

Building B (alkaline water):  19,860 survived in 30 days [140 died]:  99.3% survival rate.

The mortality rate of the chicks drinking alkaline water was about one-eighth of those drinking ordinary ground water.

Next, the team randomly selected 100 chicks from each group and measured their average weight.

Ground water group: 1590g

Alkaline water group: 1720g,

The difference was 130 g (0.287 lbs.) – the alkaline water group was heavier.

These results demonstrate that chickens drinking alkaline water have a greater likelihood of gaining weight and having a longer life expectancy.  A 5% increase in the survival rate plus more than a quarter pound of weight gain per chick clearly translates into economic gains for chicken farmers. 

This test lasted only a month.  If the investigation continued for the duration of a typical lifespan of a chicken, it is quite probable that drinking alkaline water would extend the life of these chickens.

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