Slowly but surely, people are discovering the benefits of drinking alkaline ionized water. Most of us take our health for granted until something goes wrong, so most inquiries about the water come from people who are trying to “fix” something. I suspect it will remain that way for years to come, but my hope is that eventually people will learn to take care of their health before they have problems. Proper maintenance is always a superior solution to repair.
If you are investigating water ionizers on the internet, there is a good chance you are getting confused. The confusion is understandable. While every website tells you that the machines are great, they also try to influence your buying decision by focusing on the attributes of their particular machine.
Here is a list of things I think you should know about water ionizers before you consider buying a machine:
1) All water ionizers work. They use a simple process called electrolysis to separate tap or bottled water into two separate streams of water. One stream is rich in OH- (hydroxyl ions) which is for drinking, and the other is rich in H+ (Hydrogen ions) which is for external use on the skin or for disinfecting germs in its strongest form
2) There is no such thing as the “best” water ionizer. Different machines perform differently in different water conditions. Before buying, you should focus on your source water conditions, what you want to use the water for (as they do more than simply improve your health), and your budget
3) The high priced Multi Level Marketing machines are not superior, and in many cases are inferior to many lower priced brands
4) Your source water conditions, the speed of the flow of the water through the machine, and the amount of power run through the machine are the primary factors affecting the performance of the machine. Don’t be mislead by the “bells and whistles” offered by various brands attempting to entice you.
5) Water ionizers are designed to ionize water. They are not designed to work as filtration systems other than for removing chlorine. While the filters of some brands offer somewhat better filtration, it is important to learn what is in your water supply and install a pre-filtration system. It makes no sense to spend thousands of dollars on a water ionizer and not spend a couple of hundred dollars to remove harmful contaminants from your water.
6) The “independent” review sites are not independent at all. They are sophisticated marketing tools designed to lead you towards purchasing a specific brand of water ionizer.
7) According to the engineers that I met in Korea, no machine for residential use needs to have more than 300 Watts of power. In fact, adding more power is likely detrimental as it will act to corrode the platinum coating on the titanium plates. More is not better.
8) The engineers confirmed our findings that 7 plates provide up to 20% better results than 5 plates, but only under hard source water conditions. In soft and medium water, there is very little difference. However, 9 plates offer absolutely nothing more in terms of performance over 7 plate machines and can be viewed as a gimmick. More is not better.
9) In regards to pH levels, there is somewhat of a consensus among the scientists and engineers that I have spoken to. It is recommended to start drinking alkaline water for about a week at a level of 8.0 to 8.5 so your body can detoxify slowly. Starting with water that has higher pH levels will not harm you, but you are more likely to experience headaches, mild flu-like symptoms, and possibly diarrhea. Once your body has adjusted to detoxifying, most healthy adults should drink water in a pH range of 9.0 to 10.0
10) The opinions among the scientists in regards to the effectiveness and level of ORP for drinking water are much more divergent. Some medical doctors and scientists who have never tested the water believe that the acidic level of the stomach immediately neutralizes the negative ORP values, thereby rendering the effect of the ORP as worthless. Others scientists claim that the antioxidant values of the negatively charged ions are life changing and can lead to sustainable good health.
Ionized water, alcohol, and sugar, are the only known substances that pass immediately through the stomach. You can prove this to yourself with a simple test. Drink 3 sixteen ounce glasses of tap or bottled water within a five minute period. You will feel bloated for hours. However, it you drink 3 sixteen ounce glasses of ionized water in the same five minute period, you won’t feel bloated at all. Based upon this test and the fact that ionized water helped me get rid of severe arthritis and acid reflux while several forms of pharmaceutical drugs failed, my vote goes to the beneficial effects of negatively charged water.
The scientists that do believe in the beneficial antioxidant properties of negatively charged water have varying opinions in regards to what level of negative ORP should be consumed. The scientists from Japan and Korea who have been around working on the water for 25 years seem to be of the opinion that you should drink water with a negative ORP level of -10 to -15. Others claim that you should drink water that has a negative ORP of -180 to -200, as that is the value of the juice of a live orange on a tree. There does seem to be some consensus that drinking water should not have an ORP of greater than -400. However, Dr. Robert Young has indicated that he has had success with using -800 ORP for cancer patients, but that of course is a more extreme measure.
- Tags: hard water, ORP, pH, soft water
Age 34 diagnosed at 30 with Parkinson’s. I’ve tried all kinds of things and I’m now investigating ionized water. Is there a specific brand or brands of ionizers you recommend?
Thanks for all the info.
Best regards,
Robert
Hi Robert:
I don’t refer specific brands. Check out the different brands available on the market and choose the unit that best suits your needs and your budget. If you only need the machine to produce alkaline drinking water that can attain a pH level of 9.5 or 10.0, and an ORP of -200, then I would recommend a low priced brand from an established company that offers a good warranty and support.
Thanks Rob. I’m still trying to figure out what I should use in relation to my Parkinson’s diagnosis. So far I am looking for:
batch mode, with titanium electrodes or platinum-coated titanium electrodes and 5-7 plates.
Thanks for sharing your information.
Hi Robert:
There are many good brands available that all work. If your source water is hard, you might be better off with a 7 plate unit. Most units have titanium electrodes with a platinum coating.
If you are searching for a machine purely for drinking water, you can probably find a 3-4-5 plate machine that will suit your needs and your budget.
Hi Robert,
I have been researching this as well and I am presently drinking Kangen Water and thinking about purchasing the machine. There is no better machine out there, there are cheaper ones however , but they will not perform like to Kangen. I have only been drinking the water for 2 days and already I can see a difference. I have lyme disease and fibromyalgia, brain fog, sweats, insomnia for 15 years and pain. In 2 days I am starting to sleep better and the sweats have almost stopped. I am so excited to see my health improve. The machine is pricey, but you get what you pay for. It has certification that no other machine carries and is the best on the market. Hope that helps.
Hi Susan:
Thanks so much for stopping by and telling us about your experience with the water. I believe there are better machines in the market that can be purchased for a lot less money, but it doesn’t matter what I think. If you are experiencing benefits, the machine is a great deal at any price.