My goal when I started this blog was to educate the public so that every man, woman, and child would learn about the benefits of drinking alkaline water and end up with a unit in their home.
As an industry observer, I have witnessed 8 years of futile efforts by the entire water ionizer industry to educate the public about the benefits of alkaline water. The one exception to the terrible performance of the industry has been the incredible efforts put forth by the hard working and passionate Enagic dealers.
I have been writing about the need for honest advertising in the industry in order to build trust. I have been writing stories about people benefiting from the water. I have been writing about the fact that all of the various brands of water ionizers provide significant health benefits to most people.
While my blog and other blogs are helping build awareness, what the industry really needs is to be able to provide the public with affordable machines.
In the past three years, the public has been able to purchase good quality water ionizers in the $2,000 to $2,5000 range from various different companies. While the lower prices are easier to justify for most people than the $4,000 pricetag for an Enagic SD501, lets face it, $2,000 is a lot of money in this economy. Everyone I talk to has been feeling the economic pinch, so purchasing “special” water at a price of $2,000 is simply out of the question for most people. Therefore, the buyers of water ionizer have primarily been people who are searching for solutions to health problems that escape their physicians, and “health nuts” like my wife.
My blog has been a lot more work than I ever imagined. However, the benefits have definitely been worth the effort. The comments and messages that I receive are great, and I have also be able to meet some amazing people.
One of the people that I have been introduced to is Ian Hamilton from Australia. Ian is a true pioneer of the industry as he has been drinking alkaline water and selling ionized water machines for 11 years. He has also been blogging about the water for the past 5 years.
I received a message a couple of months ago on my blog from Ian Hamilton asking me what I knew about Antioxidant water filters based upon the free hydrogen principals discovered by Dr. Hayashi about ten years ago. Antioxidant Filters produce free hydrogen. I replied that I didn’t know much other than the fact that when Mary and I visited Korea in April of this year, the engineers for the companies that we visited kept trying to tell us that the industry was moving in the direction of free hydrogen and the machines that produce them, which surprised me.
I was able to spend the better part of a day with one older engineer that had been working in the water ionizer business for 25 years. I came to respect the man a great deal that day. I tried to get him to explain the significance of ORP to me a number of times and he eventually told me that the old pros in Japan and Korea don’t assign much value to ORP. He indicated that Hydrogen was the secret. I remember sitting in my hotel room that night telling Mary that the engineer had thrown a monkey wrench into my entire thinking about why water ionizers were so effective. Unfortunately, I was so focused on learning about water ionizers that I didn’t pay much attention to the Hydrogen discussion. In hindsight, I wish I had been more attentive.
I mentioned to Ian that I had tested Hydrogen sticks and that while the results were interesting, they were inconvenient, cost a lot for what you get in terms of needing multiple sticks at one time to get stronger results, and they didn’t clean the source water.
Ian asked me what I would think about Antioxidant Filters that didn’t need to be plugged in, could hook up to my tap that would produce filtered water on demand at a decent flow rate, and would produce all the same health benefits of drinking water. I told Ian that I liked the idea of filtered water, as water ionizers are not designed to filter water properly, but I wanted to know about the cost. Ian then told me that the retail price would be $329 through dealers, he had my interest.
I asked Ian how could an Antioxidant water filter sell for $329 when I knew that the cost to build most of the leading water ionizers was between $400 and $500. Yes folks, the machines that you see for sale on the internet actually cost between $400 and $500 to make and the difference is made up of licencing fees, sales commissions, and profit. Everybody blasts the Enagic SD501 for being overpriced, but most of the other water ionizers are also overpriced as well.
Ian explained that an Antioxidant Filter was much less expensive to make, as the machine didn’t require the three most expensive parts…the ionizing chamber with its platinum coated titanium plates… the SMPS (switch mode power supply/motherboard)…and the keypad with its computer chip board. That made sense to me.
So I asked Ian how the machine performed. He told me in his charming Aussie way that the machines performed brilliantly. I asked “how brilliantly?” He told me that the machines didn’t produce acid water, or the really high pH levels (10.5 to 11.0) used to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables when they have been soaked in the water for 20 to 30 minutes, but when it came to producing the drinking water that has helped so many people, the results were the same as those from the $2,000 to $4,0000 water ionizers. I said I found that hard to believe, so I asked Ian about the science behind the Hydrogen machine.
He pointed me in the direction of Dr. Hidemitsu Hayashi M.D., the “Godfather” of alkaline water research. That got me started on researching Hydrogen for its health benefits. I have posted a research position paper written by Dr. Hayashi on my blog that explains how free hydrogen acts as a powerful antioxidant and can eliminate the harmful effects of free oxygen in the body. You can read the paper here: http://www.waterfyi.com/scientific-research/dr-hayashi-explains-how-active-free-hydrogen-scavenges-free-oxygen/
It turns out that Dr. Hayashi started his research with the intention of proving the benefits of alkaline ionized water, which is based upon the creation of negatively charged hydroxyl ions (OH-). As Dr. Hayashi’s research continued over a fifteen year period from 1985 to 2000 at the Japanese Institute of Water (now that is a mind blower for us here in North America), he came to realize that the real cause of the benefits was free Hydrogen. He then went about figuring out how to produce free hydrogen. He found that he could produce free and stable hydrogen by running water over magnesium at room temperature.
After spending a couple of days researching Dr. Hayashi’s work, I spoke to Ian again. He asked me if I was convinced and I had to admit that I found it all a bit confusing. He then said “why don’t I just send you a couple machines mate to test for yourself”. I received the machines a few weeks ago and have been putting them to the test. I have been reporting my research on the progress of my testing in some of my comments on this blog. I have to admit that I was really surprised how good the machines performed.
When I reported my findings to Ian, he asked me if I could help him find a distributor for the machines in America. I said I would be happy to put the word out, but first I needed to see the results from different
independent people with different source water conditions. Ian then arranged to have 24 machines sent over to various people to be tested. What a refreshing attitude compared to anything I have dealt with in the water ionizer business.
I tried to arrange for a major water ionizer company that I believe is the most ethical of the water ionizer companies, to pick up the machine to add to their product line. They turned down the opportunity, which surprised me as it seemed like such a great product. A couple of days later, I discovered that the company was actually working on their own version of an Antioxidant Filter of their own that they planned to introduce in the new year.
I decided that searching for water ionizer companies to distribute an Antioxidant water filter was a waste of time, as it would be a huge conflict of interest for anybody who sold higher priced water ionizers and they would likely see Antioxidant Filters as a threat unless they had created the machine themselves. I finally contacted a group in the Pacific Northwest that I trust. They are experienced in the water industry, and they are passionate about water and helping people. They seized upon the opportunity after they had finished testing their unit. They didn’t have any concerns about providing a low priced unit to the market, as they didn’t have a conflict of interest with higher priced machines. You can see check out their new website at www.alkastream.com to see the machine. They are offering the machine for $399 are providing dealers with a handsome discount. I appreciate the fact that they are taking care of the dealers who work their butts off, without driving up the price to the customer. My kind of people!
I listened in on a conference call on Friday night for a new MLM company that is going to be introducing their own Hydrogen machine in the coming weeks. The driving force behind the company is one of the original founders of Ion Ways (another MLM company focused on water ionizer sales) and one of the speakers has been one of Ion Ways “top dogs”. They are calling their new Antioxidant Filter the “Revolutionizer” and will be retailing the unit for $495. They currently offer four different lines of products (an Antioxidant Filter, a Himilayan salt supplement, beauty products, and a shower filter). You can check out their website at www.revolutionlaunch.com
Based upon my research and the fact that big players are joining the game, I think Antioxidant Filters will indeed be the future of the industry. How could they not play a significant role when they offer filtered water, provide the same health benefits and convenience as water ionizers… at a fraction of the price?
I don’t know who all the players will be yet, or who the winners will be, but I can tell you one thing…the real winners will be the consumers… yipppeeee!
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. It is recommended that you consult your health care professional with health issues.
How would I order one of these? Sounds interesting, that is the cheapest price I’ve seen on the internet. I have hard water; will that work okay with this machine?
Hi Jenny:
I don’t blame you for being interested in a Hydrogen machine. I was really skeptical of hydrogen machines until I tested them. Now we are using a Hydrogen machine for our drinking water, and we have 10 different kinds of water ionizers in our home to choose from.
You can contact the people that are selling for their machine for $395 at http://www.alkastreamusa.com or call them at 1-866-723-3075.
You can check out the people that are selling their unit for $495 at http://www.revolutionlaunch.com. They don’t have any contact information yet, but I see that they are populating their website this week, and they now have a sketch of their unit on their site. I was impressed by the fact that their top guy emailed me today to thank me for the referral and to let me know a little more about their company. That shows me that they are on the ball even if they are not quite up to speed yet.
In regards to hard water, a Hydrogen machine is the ideal solution. The units offered by Alkastream are using an ion exchange, which is like a mini water softener. Hydrogen machines will never have scaling problems like you get with water ionizers because they don’t use electrolysis to create the ionization.
Electrolysis precipitates calcium out of the water, which is why you sometimes see white specs or a foggy-like layer on your drinking glass or glass bottles when using a water ionizer. When calcium precipates out of the water in the ionization chamber of a water ionizer during electrolysis, the calcium forms a hard scale on the platinum coated titanium plates. When the plates get covered with scale, they stop being effective and your test results when using the pH reagent will produce green water instead of blue or purple water. When I was in the business, most of the customer complaints were about the machine not working when there was nothing wrong with the machine at all other than the plates were scaled up.
Great news for all concerned Rob. During testing what were the percentage reduction levels of chlorine, fluoride and heavy metals etc in the water? Where did it take the ORP and pH levels too.
Hi Jody:
Long time no chat…my fault.
Good news for everyone indeed. The news won’t make me any more popular with the owners of the water ionizer companies, but they have their mission and I have mine. I don’t care who sells the machines, as long as people learn about the importance of water and do something about it.
The people at alkastream have posted their independent lab results at: http://sites.google.com/site/alkastreamusa/test-results-data. The results are stunning. From what I have been able to tell, they are removing the contaminants from the water with ion exchange, and then they are remineralizing the water by running the water across magnesium beads, which is exactly what Dr. Hayashi has been preaching for 10 years.
I tested the Alkastream against the Chanson VS70 and the Tyent Turbo yesterday for a few hours in my lab. The VS70 and the Turbo produced stronger pH and ORP numbers when the Chanson was in the strong alklaline mode and the Turbo was in the Turbo mode, but nobody would ever drink water from either machine when they are set at those settings. In fact, both machines produce a distinctive chime sound to warn you not to drink the water that is being produced. When I compared the three machines at the drinking water level (the VS70 at Medium Alkaline and the Turbo at Alkaline Level 2), the results of the three machines were almost identical for pH and was very close for the ORP readings.
I used the same pH/ORP tester, the same water flow rate, the same source water, the same water temperature, and the tests were all run at the same time to avoid any discrepancy in the source water. I would not have expected the results to be so close, but they were. That is when I got excited.
The people at http://www.revolutionlaunch.com are using a standard media of KDF and Activated Alumina etc. that you would expect to see in a pre-filter system. They have not posted their lab results yet.
Hey Rob,
Here are my 2 cents after testing and 2 days of drinking.
I was amazed at how quickly it set up…literally 3 minutes. It’s sleek and can fit nicely in a small space. 1 small diameter tube and no power required…awesome.
The AlkaStream tests nearly exactly like the ionizer I’ve had for 8 months now. Which seems to match with the other tests being done across my country and yours. Again…awesome.
Lastly, and this one is less provable than hard numbers, but my kids prefer the AlkaStream to the ionizer. They would rather walk downstairs and get the water than grab it from the kitchen. I thought it was a novelty thing…but they think it tastes sweeter/better. Which when you look at how well it filters everything out, would make sense. I guess my palette isn’t as sensitive as theirs.
Hi Gabe:
Two days of drinking. If I was still my kid’s age, I would say you had a great weekend
On a more serious note, thanks for reporting the results. Now we know that the Hydrogen machine matches up evenly with the Vollara, the Tyent, and the Chanson machines.
I have being informing people from the start that all the water ionizers work. Now we know that the new single disc technology that Vollara uses and the Hydrogen technology that the Alkastream uses both work as well.
It is a fairly safe bet that your kids like the taste of the Alkastream better because of the built-in filtration of the Alkastream, unless you have a pre-filtration system for your Vollara. Can you get back to us about that. If you don’t have a pre-filter system for your Vollara, you should have. I believe everybody with a water ionizer should have a pre-filtration system no matter which brand people choose.
When I was in the business, we made it a point to learn what was in our customer’s source water so that we could best serve their needs. I wish everyone in the water ionizer industry would focus on their customer needs, which starts with source water. Source water is a huge factor in the performance of any water ionizer, so it is only logical to start with filtration first, whether you are spending $400 or $4,000 on a water machine.
Nope. No pre-filtration for my current unit. It’s not something I considered when first learning about it thru the Vollara ranks. They teach the 2 internal filters are all that’s needed. Similar to what Enagic would say I suppose. However, since branching out and soaking up as much info as possible, I’ve learned the importance. But I also knew there was something new on the horizon to meet that need. 😉
Wrote this tonight after being inspired by an election sign… http://wearewhatweabsorb.com/?p=1617
Hi Gabe:
Finding the proper solution to source water conditions is vital for health and for the performance of water ionizers. It appears that the Alkastream, with its ion exchange filter will pretty much take care of the source water problems for virtually anybody drinking water supplied by a municipality and for a lot of well water situations. Anyone that drinks well water should have their water checked every year or anytime there is a chance to the local ecosystem.
I checked out your article on your blog and it was great as always. I always enjoy reading your articles and I encourage anyone reading this to check out Gabe’s blog. I found the comparison between politics and the water ionizer industry insightful and funny. I don’t know about the hydrogen machines creating a tsunami in the water industry, but I do hope that an affordable product will encourage people to do something postitive about their hydration.
What can I say…I was feeling festive.
The local response I’m getting has been very encouraging though. Answering the question of “how much would this cost me?” goes over a whole lot better when I say $400 then what I used to say. If taking a “no sale” and turning it into 5 sales doesn’t cause a tidal wave, maybe we can at least start with a ripple.
I’m looking forward to throwing a few pebbles.
Hi Gabe:
$400 vs $2,000 is a quantum difference by any measure. Are you saying you sold someone 5 Alkastream units when they turned you down for a Vollara sale?
Yes and No. I’m saying that people who could not [or would not] invest 2K for a unit no matter how beneficial it was for them, would also not tell anyone else about them because they assume those people couldn’t or wouldn’t pay for one either.
All of a sudden when the cost drops to 400, they know lots of people they want to refer me to…or who they will share it with. Now it’s a cool secret they know about and want to share. And no Vollara sale suddenly becomes 5 Alkastream sales.
Hi Gabe:
I don’t know what the effect of the $400 machines will ultimately be, but I had a couple or really encouraging calls today.
I spoke to a lady from California tonight that contacted me through the blog. She has been on a disability pension for many years and as such has very limited disposable income. She has been saving for a water ionizer for over a year and suddenly she can afford one. Now that is encouraging!
I also had a conversation with a Kangen distributor today who has sold nearly 100 Enagic SD501’s. He is a health care practioner that sees a lot of patients over the course of a year. He told me the tough economy has really hurt his Enagic sales. He said that if the Hydrogen machines work well, he thinks most of his patients will want a $400 machine. He was really excited about being able to help out his patients. He didn’t even bother to ask me if I knew anything about how the companies pay distributors or if they were MLM or not. Now that is encouraging!
I need to know more about Vollara v/s Alkastream? Where can I find that info?? Also why ia the
silence so deafening on Life Ionizers??? Thanks
Hi Alex:
I don’t know much about Vollara other than they sell for $2,000, they use a new technology with only one ionizer plate, they operate on a low wattage by industry standards, and they are a MLM company that offers other products as well. Gabe Hunninghake is our resident expert on Vollara. Hopefully, he will provide you with the information you are seeking about Vollara.
I have been testing the Alkastream for a few weeks. It has produced virtually the same results as the Tyent Turbo, the Chanson VS70 and the EOS Platinum in my testing for pH and ORP. The taste of the water from the Alkastream is definitely superior to all the the aforementioned machines. Gabe says that the Alkastream matched the Vollara results for pH and ORP as well. At the drinking water level, it should not be surprising that the results are similar for all the leading brands because all the machines are using exactly the same process. What did surprise me at first was that the Hydrogen machine matched the results of the water ionizers without using electricity. The results no longer surprise me, as they have been tested and tested and retested by myself and others.
The Hydrogen machines obtain their results by running water through a magnesium media. The oxygen in the water binds with the positely charged component of the magnesium, thereby leaving free hydrogen. Dr. Hayashi began telling the world ten years ago that he supported the belief that free hydrogen is the key to healing and that the relevence of ORP was highly over stated.
Boy, how good it feels to hear these comments!
Especially about the practitioner who saw the AlkaStream not in terms of money, plans, PV’s, BV’s yada yada but about how many more people he could help. And really, isn’t that what we strive to be about?
I know it’s hard sometimes when you see the holy dollar, but I’ve always felt that there must be a way to make a decent living while being aligned with integrity and purpose.
Hi Ian:
You are the man! I wouldn’t even know about the Hydrogen machines if it wasn’t for you. Thank you.
We all thank you because suddenly healthy drinking water is not just for the well off or the very sick. Now people can afford to drink the water so that they can maintain good health instead of waiting to get sick before they have to do something.
I have maintained all along that the water ionizer industry has been build on the hard work of the Enagic dealers. While everyone else in the water ionizer industry bashes the Enagic distributors because of the high price, they don’t give the actual distributors the proper credit they are due for their effort. It is not the Enagic distributors fault that the prices for the Kangen machines are so high. Most of the Kangen distributors that I have talked to over the years do what they do because they believe in the benefits of the water. They appreciate the money, but nobody develops the kind of passion that Kangen reps have solely because of the money. Anyone that is willing to work hard and be passionate in what they believe in can make money no matter what they do.
Rob, as an “exE’ I couldn’t agree with you more. 99% of the people I knew in Enagic were in it for the health benefits that ionized water provided, and they sincerely believed that the SD501 was the very, very best. We were taught from get-go that everything else was inferior, and that other companies’ “lies” on the internet were in defense of their inferior product.
You know, today I just don’t know if there IS a “superior” electronic ionizer. My experience with Enagic was good, not outstanding. It doesn’t work well in soft water areas, it creates icky calcium excretions in hard water areas, requires monthly cleaning and a trip back to Torrance one a year, and the touted high ORP (f you aren’t living where water is soft) is too much for so many people. The tech support sucks – Japanese speaking bad English – and I never got the answers I needed about pre-filters and other issues. I learned more from calling IonLife/Jupiter tech support — OMG the evil empire!
I still am leary of mesh plates for a number of what I think are valid reasons based on conversations with metallurgical engineers – it’s all in the composition of the titanium alloy. But all ionizers produce “dirty” water according to Dr. Hayashi, ‘father’ of the water ionizer industry. Aside from that issue, I think most modern ionizers do a good job of delivering ionized, alkaline water and the attendant health results if people don’t screw it up by drinking alcohol, soda, and eating a crappy diet.
I also know as an “ExE” that 90% of people who bought an Enagic machine are NOT active in the business because their circle of friends/family thought they were nuts for spending $4k on some water machine.Only a very small percentage were professional marketers, and most of them live in Orange County! If the 90%ers could give all their loved ones one to use, (or even water that stayed stable for more than a few hours,) they know these friends/family would FEEL THE DIFFERENCE … but they can’t afford to give them away. They want to get their loved ones on a healthy water regimen, but it’s out of their reach financially.
So when you talk about $400 hydrogen machines – and yes, I am very familiar with Hayashi’s position that free hydrogen is the determining factor for the health effects – I am jumping up and down. Can’t wait to try one, buy a bunch for my family, to sell them, recommend them and all that jazz. I know other current and ExE’s will be doing the same. Thanks for letting us know about the new era in healthy water!
Hi Ionwaterwoman:
As an ex Enagic rep, I think you have done if presenting your views without bashing Enagic….good job.
You have certainly added insight into the world of Enagic, and I appreciate your post.
I agree with you that Enagic people are passionate about their machines because they know that the machines work. I also agree with you that the other brands work as well.
I’m excited about the Hydrogen machines as well. My hope is that all the people out there who have learned about the machines from Enagic dealers or from anywhere else and didn’t buy a water machine will now rethink their postion. Virtually anyone can afford a Hydrogen machine, and that makes everyone’s job easier.
From what I’ve read about the hydrogen machines, there is no ability to set a desired pH level – rather, you get whatever comes out. As someone who has not regularly consumed ionized water, I understand that it is recommended to start at a pH level of 8 or 8.5 and gradually work up to 9.5. But that does not seem possible with the hydrogen machines. Am I missing something ?
Thank you.
Hi Kelly:
Thanks for the comment. Your question is a good one.
You are correct that you can’t adjust the pH or ORP levels on the machines itself. However, you can control the volume of the water flow with the tap or with a flow valve that comes with the machine. Just like a water ionizer, the performance of the machine is depenedent upon the rate of water flow. In a water ionizer, the water flows over an ionization chamber while in a Hydrogen machine, the water flows through a media that causes the ionization. When I increased the flow rate from 1 litre/quart per minute to 2 and then to 3 litres/quarts per minute, the pH level dropped down to about 9.2 and 8.6 respectively.
You can also limit the amount of water you drink each day when you begin and gradually add volume. I read in the manual for the Alkastream that you should start out drinking the same amount of water as you normally do and then add one 8 ounce glass per day each week until you reach the desired volume of water for your body weight and circumstances. This makes sense to me as most people in our society don’t drink enough water.
I see the Hydrogen machine as ideal for people that are healthy and want to stay healthy. If I was really sick or I had skin problems, I would opt for a water ionizer over a Hydrogen machine. The reason for that is due to the fact that if I was really sick, a water ionizer could provide me with really strong pH and ORP levels to combat things like cancer. If I had skin issues, a water ionizer could produce acidic water that I could use for exteral treatiment.
There is no magic bullet to fix all things or to serve everyone’s needs or budget. The great thing about the new Hydrogen machines is that they are perfect for poeple who want very clean water and a steady diet of alkaline water…at a price that is affordable to virtually everyone. Water ionizers offer additional options at a higher price. I love them both.
Kelly, my penny’s worth on this same subject:
I’ve long been aware of the whole issue of precise pH. Ionizers that have a set pH value on the dial, as if you’re actually going to get that pH, are the hardest of all to use. The fact is that your source water has a pH that is in constant flux, usually related to the day the worker at the processing plant chucks a bag of lime into the mix. Here at home it can vary from 7.2 to 8.9! So given that an electronic water ionizer can’t actually change the input pH, this means that the ‘pH 9″ printed next to the button on the face of the machine means little.
Further, unless you have the ability to ‘zero’ your machine, that is, to test your water and decide that is the benchmark pH you are going to use for tap water input, the button you press will mean even less. I’ve only seen one water ionizer that has this ability, and it also has the ability to adjust power to achieve a set pH RELATIVE to that set benchmark as the water flows through the system. This is way beyond other units pH regulation ability. Remember, I’m not saying it will give you exact pH. I’m just saying it will adjust power to achieve exact pH relative to your set benchmark pH.
The AlkaStream takes quite a different and unique approach because it absorbs minerals into the ion exchange resin first. This ‘removes’ pH. Then it adds its own minerals to ‘reinstate’ pH as well as ionizing the water using its own supply of ionizing minerals and magnetics. So in comparison to water ionizers, it’s cleansing your source water, then creating its own ionized alkaline water.
Of course, the limitation, like electric water ionizers, is that you must control the flow and keep your filter in good condition.
Hi Ian:
Ian is the man when it comes to Hydrogen Water Filters…a more accurate name for the technology imo.
From what I just read, I think what you are really saying is that the Alkastream takes the guesswork out of the output pH level because it strips the water to remove the impurities and then it remineralizes and magnetizes the water to provide a predictable result. Very cool.
Thanks for your input
I really appreciate all the great info on this website, THANKS. I’ve been looking for an affordable alternative to the water ionizers and the Hydrogen Water Filter seems almost to good to be true.
What are the total operational cost over a years time? What is the cost of each filter replacement ?What are the cleaning requirements? Thanks again.
Hi David:
Thanks for the compliment.
The Anitoxidant water filters are not too good to be true. I have decided to call them Antioxidant water filters instead of Hydrogen machines because the new name describes what they do while a Hydrogen machine doesn’t describe anyhing. The Antioxidant water filters use the free hydrogen technology proposed by Dr. Hayashi, but it is just too difficult to keep explaining the process. People just want to know what they do without a long explanation.
Antioxidant water filters are not too good to be true. They just purify water with the filter and provide antioxidants with the ionized water they produce. The reason they are so affordable is that they don’t need three parts that cost about $250 to make, and the companies that are making them are not jacking up the price. Even the two MLM entries are only charging $100 more that the direct marketing company and that is not bad for MLM.
I don’t know exactly how much the filters will cost, as none of the companies have declared their prices yet. The people at Alkastream seem to be hedging at a price in the $100 range, but to my knowledge, they have not set the final price. I read in the AlkaStream manual that I received that their filters will last 5,000 litres unless the source water has fluoride. Therefore, it sounds like an annual cost of $100 for every 5,000 litres of water. The cool thing about the Antioxidant water filters is that they don’t waste 1/3 to 1/2 of the water as acidic water, so the filter will last much longer than a water ionizer.
If you have fluoride in your source water, you should change the filter every six months to insure that the fluoride is removed. I suppose you could live with the fluoride after six months until the filter has used up 5,000 litres, but I wouldn’t. Pure ionized water for $200 per year seems like incredible value to me. The filters for water ionizers typically cost about $200 per year and they don’t purify the water.
I really appreciate the figures for the filters and it all makes technical sense now. I like the fact that Alkastream keeps the price so low and isn’t doing the network marketing thing. Do you think that this will be a game changer in terms of marketing and force changes or will the lies continue to confuse the general public?
Could this new technology using hydrogen become the new “gold standard” in water ionization and purification next year? Thanks again for your clear explanations.
Hi David:
Lower prices that are affordable to the average family will give water machines a chance to go mainstream. If that happens, my work is done…until I find something else to be passionate about.
Unless I’m reading the public response to water ionizers completely wrong, I think the Antioxidant Water Filters will be a game changer. In the years that I have been involved with the water, the public response has been almost unanimous in that they might be interested in ionized alkaline water, but they just can’t see the value in paying $2,000 to $4,000 for a water machine. Most people are more interested in good tasting and safe water.
I have no idea what the spin doctors will come up with to convince the public that they should pay more, but you can be sure that the wheels are turning already. When people start to learn about the AWFs and ask the water ionizer companies about them, you can be sure that the companies will come up with all kinds of reasons why you shouldn’t purchase a AWF. I can see the review sites telling us that too much magnesium is bad because it causes loose stools, but the reality is that the AWFs actually reduce the amount of magnesium. There will be “independent” tests showing that the machines don’t produce the same results, but we all know about the “independent” tests. The good news is that I will be doing my own reviews of different machines where the results will actually be independent and unbiased. I was planning on doing exactly that in October until I got side tracked with the AWF.
I don’t know if the AWFs will be the gold standard. Dr. Hayashi certainly stands behind the technology and he is the undisputed leader in the science behind the industry. I think we will just have to see how the long term results turn out. I know that my arthritis and acid reflux problems have not returned since I switched to the AWF from a water ionizer a month ago. I will be able to give a more informed answer in three months and six months and a year down the road. I expect Dr. Hayashi already knows the answer, but I will just have to find out for myself. My guess is that a year from now, we are talking about the AWFs in the same way we look at the price of a plasma tv now versus a few years ago in terms of the price being a fraction while the technology is better.
hi rob,
i’ve been exploring your wonderful blog for a few days now, ever since i decided to clean up my water supply. thanks for such unbiased and well-thought-out information, from you and your readers.
i was amazed when i read this sentence in this post from you:
“I know that my arthritis and acid reflux problems have not returned since I switched to the AWF from a water ionizer a month ago.
please expand on that comment. since you have presumably been drinking alkaline ionised water, while using pre-filters, for quite a time now, why do you think your arthritis and indigestion problems were not fixed by this? what could account for the major improvements when you switched to an AlkaStream?
i ask because these two health complaints are the same ones i have and i want to get the best results possible.
cheers,
ginger
Hi Ginger:
Thanks for joining our blog. The internet makes the world a small place. I hope you are enjoying your summer.
Alkaline ionized water from a water ionizer fixed my acid reflux in about a week when I started using a water ionizer. What an amazing turn of events, as I had been suffering from acid reflux for more than ten years and had been on prescription drugs (Pantoloc) for about eight of those ten years.
Alkaline ionized water from a water ionizer also fixed my arthritis problems within a month. My arthritis had progressed to the point where I had been on meds (Arthrotec…a coated Voltarin) for a couple of years. My arthritis had progressed to the point that I was seeing a chriopractor three times per week to loosen me up, and I was unable to walk down a flight of stairs without assistance.
I think you misunderstood my statement “I know my arthritis and acid reflux problems have not returned since I switched to using an Antioxidant Filter a month ago”. I didn’t intend to say that the Antioxidant Filter fixed my problems when a electronic water ionizer wouldn’t do the job. My intention was to relate the fact that the Antioxidant Filter provided the exact same health benefits as the water ionizer. I apologize if my wording was confusing.
I’m not surprised that the Antioxidant Filter worked as well as the conventional electric water ionizer (Tyent turbo) that we had hooked up under our kitchen counter (bench for you Aussies) that we had been using for the past couple of years. However, whenever I try something that is a fraction of the cost of another product that I have been using, I always wonder if the product will really be as good as the original. The same thing happened when my wife and I first started drinking ionized water. We had been drinking water provided to us by an excellent Kangen rep for a couple of weeks and the results were amazing. When we decided to buy a unit, I thought the $4,000 price tag was too high for my budget. My wife was really upset with me because I wanted to buy a less expensive unit (why are you being so cheap…this is about our health).
I’m not a physician, but the fact that you are suffering from acid reflux and arthritis would lead me to believe that your body is acidic. It appears that acidosis was the cause of my reflux and arthritis. I’m so grateful that my wife got me off the acidosis treadmill because the next step (diabetes) and the final step (cancer) are just plain scary to me.
My physician told me that I would have to live with the acid reflux for life if I didn’t make a big change in my diet. I would have worked on eating a more healthy diet as my acid reflux was bloody awful, but the Dr. prescribe little pills (Pantoloc) that took care of the problem. What I didn’t know at the time was all the bad things that were happening in my body because of the pills.
While my physician mentioned the possibility of a natural cure for my acid reflux, he told me that there was no natural cure for my arthritis. He told me that I could manage the arthritic pain with pills (Arthrotec), but he would have to change the prescription in about 3-4 years because the pills would cause problems in my digestive tract. Fortunately, my wife got me drinking ionized water and I haven’t taken a pill in 2 1/2 years.
So, water ionizers work and so do antioxidant filters. If you plan to purchase a product, do you homework and find something that best serves your needs and budget…..and enjoy the holiday season.
When I switched from a water ionizer to the non electric Antioxidant Filter a couple of months ago, I was hopeful that the results would match the benefits I had been receiving from my water ionizers be as good as the water ioinizers that I had been using for the past 2 1/2 years, but I must admit I was somewhat skeptical because the price was a fraction of the cost of the water ionizers.
After drinking water from the Antioxidant Filter for two months, I can report that it provided all the same benefits
I believe it will filter out enough of the bad stuff and give a high enough ph,.. but was wondering if it will have the same amount of good minerals in the water that an ionizer has, …not being dead water.
Also is it safe for pets?
How is it better than those to go bottle purifyiers, that are also not electric?
Thanks
Hi Susan:
Thanks for your comments.
The unit that you are referring to at $399 and the Ionways Naia at $599 both introduce 70+ minerals back into the water before it leaves the filter. Both machines also use a bit of KDF to take out any unwanted trace minerals at the final stage of filtration. I don’t know of any source water that has anything close to this amount of healthy minerals in the water.
In regards to comparing the antioxidant filters (or non electric water ionizers for those that are in the industry) to the H2Go and Alkapod products, there is no comparison. The new units hook up to the tap and supply large volumes of water on demand and they cleanse the source water. There will always be room for the portable units that you might take on an airplane ride, and room for water ionizers for those that want the benefits of acidic water for external uses, but the new antioxidant filters are going to change the industry.
We have six cats at our house. They all choose ionized water over tap water every time we give them a choice. When we switched from a Tyent MMP7070 Turbo to an Alkastream, neither the humans or the cats have noticed a difference. Well, maybe the cats have, but they are not talking…and they are not drinking out of the toilets!
Thank you for the quick response.
I have never yet had ionized water. I am going to buy one of these new antioxidant filter systems
in the next day or two.
Looks like there are three choices right now, alkastream, revolutionizer and the spartan or Naia.
Their slightly different with the amount of filters and filter types used I believe, by reading up on them.
Either way my water for me and my pets will be way better and safer and a lot more consumed because of that.
Over time I guess we will all learn and hear more about these new products.
Hi Susan:
I expect many will be buying these wonderful units in the coming days, weeks, and months.
This probably makes me sound like a silly old man, but the fact that so many people will now be able to afford water that will have a such positive effect on their lives brings joy to my heart. I know people don’t talk like that now days, but I’m proud to say that this is important to me.
We have our first grandchild arriving shortly and it just seems like everything is the way it should be!
Hi Susan,
I’m happy to hear of your decision and can only reinforce what Rob said. Something you wrote caught my attention though and I’d like to follow up with you on it.
You said, “Over time I guess we will all learn and hear more about these new products”
If you had to make a list of everything you’d like to learn, what would they be?
Rob…congrats on the grandkid!
Hi Gabe:
Thanks for the ups on the upcoming birth of Emily. It is hard to believe that I have hit that stage in my life as it seems like only yesterday that I was thirteen and thinking that I would never reach age 18 like my older brother.
For anyone looking for information on the Alkastream, Gabe is very knowledgeable about their product and would be a good source to tap into for information.
Gabe: A list of would I would like to know is knowing more about the minerals going back into the water after filtering and to understand more when I read opposing views like this:
One of the new antioxidant filters claims to remove more flouride than another one and add more minerals, but someplace I read that you want to leave some flouride in the water?
I also read somewhere that adding the minerals back in isn’t that affective for the body to absorb them, however I couldn’t imagine why.
I am still doing a little reading then ordering one. I don’t think I want or need one that pulls everything out of the water.
I’ll probably choose middle priced one, I don’t know if I’ll ever really understand what filter is better, i.e, ceramic beads or carbon.
One of them uses ceramic balls and adds in the minerals pottassium, vitamin c, magnesium and tourmaline. That sounds good to have those minerals in the water ? As long as Vitamin C is good for my pet in drinking water.
Another brand doesn’t talk much about the minerals they are putting back in, I can’t determine if they are putting back in more than magnesium.
Then over time I think I meant I wll learn if these new products really are the healthiest way to go, it would be awful to think your doing the right thing then find out not like some people may have done by changing to distilled water.
Do you know if Alka stream lists out all the minerals they are putting back into the water? They have hard or soft water filter I believe? I do not yet know what my water in this city is.
Thanks Gabe and Rob.
Hi Susan:
I’m sure Gabe will chip in, but here is what I know about the minerals that the Ionways Naia ($595) and the Alkastream ($399) “put back” into the water. Based upon the history of Ionways and the claims by both companies that they are adding over 70 minerals, and that they are using KDF as a finishing filter, I think it is a pretty safe bet that they are both using coral calcium to provide the minerals. The Alkastream also claims that their far infrared ceramics add 20 minerals as well. I assume the IonWays people are adding the same. Coral calcium was the rage about a year ago in the industry for adding essential trace minerals but the noised died down as it was discovered that the pollutants in the water where the coral calcium was harvested was a problem. I assume that the companies have put the KDF into the filters to handle that issue.
From what I can see, the two machines do almost exactly the same thing except IonWays uses the old QMP603 triple canister system or a derivative of it, while Alkastream has come up with a much more compact and attractive single canister. They both remove contaminants with an ion resin exchange and they both create natural ionization and put minerals back into the water.
I like what Alkastream has done with their “washable” ceramic filter, which takes out sediment and bacteria but allows you to wash off the filter to prolong the life of the filter. It is such a simple idea but it makes sense because you get fine filtration without blocking up the filter. I expect that Ion Ways will go back to the drawing board as their product doesn’t measure up at the moment and it costs 50% more than the Alkastream. IonWays has indicated that they plan to bring out another Antioxidant Filter in February, which is what I expect was their original plan before the Revolutionizer people jumped into the fray. If IonWays focuses on its Antioxidant Filters, it will be good for all of us. I expect that all of the water ionizer companies will get involved in the new technology within a year, and the consumer wins!
Decided on the Alka Stream, I am ordering now from the U.S. priority shipping.
I liked being able to see a picture of each of the filtering systems that it uses.
Report what me and kitties feel about it in a few weeks.
Hi Susan:
Let us know what you and the “kitties” think about the new machine.
Hi Susan,
That’s great to hear you went with the alkaStream. Please be sure to come back here and let everyone know what your experience is.
You had a lot of great questions above, and I can’t add much more than Rob did. He’s a wealth of filtration info.
In some ways it hurts me to see the questions and confusion you feel after researching the various products. It’s the same problem that so many have to deal with when they are trying to learn about electric ionizers. They are trying to make the best decision possible because they are getting ready to spend $2-4K and instead of getting good information, they get the same story from each brand. “Ours is the best and the others suck”. After a while, it becomes frustrating and they give up.
That’s what has made Rob’s blog so great. He’s not biased…except on price! He knows that all machines produce good water. There are pluses and minuses of each, but nothing as significant as the tyents, lifeionizers, chansons, etc would make you believe. Instead of acknowledging each other and trying to increase awareness across the country (and therefore raise our level of health), they fight and cut each other down.
I posted a message on the Revolutionizer’s facebook page last week because they’re already started the same tactic. “Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations.” It’s a shot at anyone who charges less than their $500. I simply asked that we play by more civil rules. The alkaline water filters are giving us the chance to start over. To do it right. To be honest and transparent. To actually admit that a competitor may be a good unit. It’s just different than what they offer. I don’t see the local Honda dealer pointing fingers and saying the Toyota’s suck and don’t work. Because they know we’d look at them like they were stupid. Somehow though, that same logic doesn’t apply here.
So what did the Rev folks do. They deleted my post the following day.
Anywho…just a little venting when I should be relaxing and happy that I made 4 people’s day today. They’ve been waiting for an affordable option for a long time now, and are overjoyed that it’s finally here. That feeling is even better than the way the water makes you feel.
Enjoy the alkaStream Susan.
Gabe
Hi Gabe:
I’m proud to say that I know you. From the first day that you showed up on this blog, it has been clear that you keep an open mind and actually want to help people.
It is not surprising but it is disheartening to hear that the Revoltionizer people snubbed your attempt to play fair and work together. I hope you don’t give up on them.
My experiences in the water ionizer business were wonderful when it came to dealing with and helping people. However, my dealings with the short sighted owners of the various companies left me with no doubt as to why the industry has languished when it should be flourishing.
When I removed myself from the industry and offered to help anyone who wanted to build the industry and help others, I thought that I would be able to build bridges. Instead, I have had a death threat and a number of threats of litigation from the owners in the industry. If they would stop being so greedy and work towards helping others, everyone would be so much better off.
I expect it will take time to right the ship, but with people like yourself doing things the right way, I have hope that the future is bright.
Hi Rob,
Thought you and your readers would like an update on how the alkaStream is performing. I have a new client in MI who has been sending me test results from his new alkaStream. His source water comes from a well and as of today was reading a pH of 7.95 and ORP of about -60. Really good water to begin with.
Yesterday, he tested 4 different times throughout the day and consistently got around -445 and 9.53. Today he ran the water and collected 7 gallons before testing. After the 7 gallons he measured -500 and 9.75 using a flow rate around 1.0L/min.
Not too shabby for a “filter”, huh.
Hi Gabe:
Thanks for the report. Love the “not too shabby for a filter” comment.
The alkastream is a filter first and foremost. It cleans up the water properly and makes it taste good. Since a filter system that does the same thing typically costs about $250, people are actually only paying an extra $149 for their water ionizer. The test results from your customer in MI are being repeated all over the country.
One fellow in Las Vegas, where the water is really hard has been getting -500 and pH of 11 from his “filter”. Best of all, he isn’t getting calcium deposits in his glassware or his bottles anymore because the hardness is not an issue with the Antioxidant Filters.
Hi Rob,
I’m enjoying your website very much! I respect what you have to share especially after you spent so much of your time speaking to me on the phone at the end of November. I’ve had the Alkastream since the beginning of December. It’s performing great – I’ve had it flowing at about 1 liter/minute and getting about a pH of 9.15, -350 ORP. I bought a meter as I just had to know how the filter was performing. I just turned the flow rate down and the pH is now 9.5, -726 ORP. I was wondering if you would consider writing an article addressing the difference between free hydrogen vs. -OH ions. Is it true that the Alkastream does not produce the -OH like the electronic machines ? I’m alittle confused by this. Also, is the antioxidant filter water microclustered like the electronic machines? It seems very filling to my tummy. I guess I’m just curious about the difference in the “end product” between the antioxidant filter and the electronic machine. Also, I’m curious as to why I have not had any detox symptoms at all while using the Alkastream (and I’m really sick!). I’ve been drinking about 4 liters per day and have also slowly, but pretty much completely changed my diet to alkaline foods. My lack of detox makes me wonder if the water from the filter is ‘as good as’ the water coming out of an electronic water ionizer. I hope you’ll address these questions in a future article/blog post. If you did already could you please direct me to those posts. Thanks Rob and I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!!
Chris
Hi Chris:
Thanks for reporting your results to us.
The Antioxidant Filters obviously don’t have the same range of pH levels as a traditional water ionizer, but as you can see, you can adjust the pH and and ORP by simply adjusting the water flow rate.
It is hard to imagine that a $400 water purifier that provides alkaline water can produce a -726 ORP electrical charge in the water, but obviously it does. I have been getting feedback from all over the USA from professionals who have been testing the machine and the results are stunning. Dr. Robert Young recommends very strong ORP levels like you achieved as a natural replacement therapy for chemotherapy.
I have been working on a article comparing or more specifically, relating free hydrogen to hydroxyl ions. I have been researching and accumulating information that indicates to me that the key to improving ones health is indeed free hydrogen. The evidence that I have accumulated so far points to the fact that the Anitoxidant Filters are actually superior to water ionizers in terms of healthy drinking water.
The only reason I haven’t published the article yet is due to the fact that I know from personal experience and from talking to hundreds of other people that water ionizers also provide incredible health benefits. The missing piece for me at the moment is trying to determine if the water from electric water ionizers contains free hydrogen in atomic form as well as the free hydrogen that it produces in the form of the bubbles you see when the water first comes out of a water ionizer. I expect that the water produced by electric water ionizers does indeed contain free hydrogen above and beyond the bubbles that rise to the surface of the water and are lost. The problem with this entire arguement is that Dr. Hayashi is the only person that I know who has a machine that will test the presence of free hydrogen in water and he is not sharing. I’m a big fan of Dr. Hayashi;’s work, but it bugs me that he won’t share his machine with the world. How much money does the man need to be safe and secure? He obviously developed the machine when his research was being funded by the Japanese government while he was heading up the Japanese Water Institute from 1985 to 2000.
Not everyone experiences detox symptoms when they first start on the water. If your diet was somewhat or very alkaline to begin with due to a proper diet, you would not likely experience any detox symptoms. Based upon all the feedback I have been receiving so far from the various industry pros that have been testing the water, I would have to say that the health benefits from the water from the Antioxidant Filters is definitely “as good as” the water that they were drinking from their water ionizers. In fact, virtually everyone has reported that they definitely like the taste of the water better than from any water ionizer they have ever tested. In addition, I have heard from several people that they have found that their energy level has improved since they began testing the new machine.
Congratulations are in order on your decision to try and become healthy. Everyone that is sick wants to become healthy, but not enough people actually do something about it. Drinking four liters of alkaline ionized water per day is alot, but is often necessary to repair a “sick” body. For standard daily use, most people should drink about 2 1/2 liters of water per day. Since most of us ingest about 1/2 a liter of water from our food, a reasonable consumption level for the average person should be about 2 liters per day. The question is: “What is average?”. Is that something like 2.5 kids? The Olympians that I work with drink 6-8 liters of water per day while they are training, and the cancer patients that I have spoken try to drink, 6 liters per day. That is a lot of water for those of you that have never thought about it.
The first non electric hydrogen alkaline water filter machine was developed by Mr. Edmund Chun with dream tree family The first unit wase introduced two years ago in the US and is called the PCCS unit which uses (4) 9 inch filters and is a counter top model. The second generation has just been released and is called the Tornado which utilizes (4) 10 inch filters. The introductory price is $ 599.99. Dream tree family is a mlm or wholesale/retail company. Just thought you would like to know. Larry
Hi Larry:
Thanks for the heads up. I will check them out.
How/where can one get a meter to measure the ORP of a machine? We bought an Alkastream in January and liked the taste, but felt it wasn’t as hydrating as water we were getting from an Ionways Athena. I took some water to the guy we had been getting the water from, and he tested it and said the ORP wasn’t much different than tap water, which has made us go back to considering an electronic ionizer.
Thanks.
Hi Julie:
You can purchase the meters online on ebay or other sites. I have had good luck with the Hannah product, but there are a number of other meters available.
Can you please describe what you mean by “wasn’t as hydrating”. I haven’t found that to be the case at all from the machine that I drink from, but everyone and every machine is different.
When I first got involved with water ionizers, I used to put a lot of value into the ORP measure. I have since learned that it is not the big deal that I once thought. The old pros in Korea tell me that we should be drinking water with a pH of about 8.5 and a small negative ORP of slightly negative to perhaps -200 at the most. The crazy low ORP numbers that we get from electric water ionizers are great for detoxing but they just don’t make sense over the long haul. The Alkastream provides strong numbers for a couple of weeks but then backs off. You get the same type of response from most of the electric water ionizers in that their filters arrive packed with minerals but the minerals quickly wear off. After that, the electric machines pound the power to the water to extract as much temporary ionization as possible out of the minerals that are in the source water. It’s all good as long as you drink the water within the first few seconds as the negative charges disappear quickly if the water is exposed to air or is jiggled around.
Hi Julie,
I’m sorry for the trouble. It’s very possible you simply received a faulty filter. There were a few in the initial phase that didn’t perform up to par and had to be replaced once they were out in the field. If you bought in January, it’s very possible yours slipped through the cracks.
I went thru alkaStream’s customer records and didn’t find your name/contact info listed otherwise I would have just called you. If you see this, please contact me at contact@alkastream.us or call directly at 785-856-3912. We may just need to ship you a new filter.
hi i was in a store in ecosway store browsing and they demoed this affordable $450 hexagon hydrogen alkaline water filtration system water machine for me. What are your thoughts on it . The downside is a yearly replacement filter for $200. Are you familiar with it. For general health concerns. I just want good filtered alkaline water in nyc at a affordable cheap price. Im also considering the vitev alkastream ultrastream and aqualiv . Which do you think would be the best?
http://www.ecosway.com/nzstore/nz/ProductDetails_nz.jsp?prodId=48116&categoryRefNo=131&categoryGroup=B
Hi Jake:
Check out http://www.vyvwater.com which has just come onto the market. It sell for $59.95 and the annual cost of filters is under $80.
In a nutshell, it combines the best of three water products on the market…water ionizers for alkalinity, brita for water filtration, and gatorade for electrolyte replacement (but without the sugars and calories).
Thnx but i didnt want the cheapest,system out their i am willing to spend about$400. I dont want a pitcher either . I want a full system. Were you familiar. Withthe hexagon machine? You didnt answer my question.
Hi Jake:
I sent you a link to what I think is the best system. I haven’t tested the hexagon machine but I have tested the others. I have most of the the systems you mentioned in my house. My wife uses the Vitev Maxx for cooking and for coffee as it produces lots of volume instantly, but everyone prefers the taste of the VYVwater pitcher.
In terms of ionizing performance, they all work. The Maxx is obviously the best when it comes to “cleaning” the water because it incorporates an RO system.
If you want to learn more about the hexagon machine, you will have to find out somewhere else unless the company sends me one to test. My wife won’t let me buy anymore water machines.
Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after
browsing through a few of the posts I realized it’s new to me.
Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I discovered it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often!
Hi Miquel:
Thanks for the kind words
Rob