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“Healthier” Reverse Osmosis Systems

rob — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:47:48 +0000

The debate over the benefits and faults of Reverse Osmosis systems has been raging for years. For me, the issue is about creating better drinking water, but I understand the passion behind the debate because there is so much money at stake within the industry.

Our source water is getting more and more polluted and public funding for safe water continues to disappear. People are rightfully questioning the government position that our drinking water is safe. Drinking a glass of water from your tap today won’t make you sick overnight, but the cumulative effects of drinking contaminated tap water over time is very unhealthy.

My Meeting with a Large Reverse Osmosis Water Company

I had the good fortune to be contacted recently by a large retail chain of stores that sells RO water and RO equipment to the public. They found my blog and asked me to talk to them about Antioxidant Filters. I was impressed with the knowledge and experience of the people at the meeting. I was also impressed with their responsible attitude towards serving their customers.

The participants in the meeting were supporters of the benefits of water ionizers as they had all tried ionized water. However, the feedback on the electric water ionizers was that they were too expensive s, and they are not compatible with RO systems.

The people at the meeting asked to describe how and why the Antioxidant Filters perform so well with RO systems. They “got it” right away as soon as I explained how natural ionization works as opposed to electrolysis. It was simple to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Antioxidant Filter by testing the water with pH drops after it has passed through both the RO system and through the Antioxidant Filter.

It became instantly obvious to me at the meeting that there is a huge business opportunity available to those in the RO industry who understand that they can contact previous customers and upgrade their RO systems to provide “healthier” water.

Reverse Osmosis Systems: The Good

Reverse Osmosis systems were originally created for commercial purposes to remove salt from water and they are very effective in that regard. RO systems also remove many other contaminants from water, which means that they can be very beneficial in situations of unsafe water supply. In disaster situations where sanitation is compromised, RO systems can be life savers. For those that receive their drinking water from wells, lakes, or runoff, RO systems can remove harmful bacteria and other dangerous contaminants that may be present. Gone are the days when we can take clean water for granted, so RO systems definitely have a useful function in our world.

Reverse Osmosis Systems: The Bad

There are a number of arguments against RO systems, but the primary concerns are that the systems remove good stuff (essential minerals) from the water and that the systems make the water very acidic. Both concerns are real and important. There are other minor negatives to RO systems, but they are more of an inconvenience thing as opposed to real issues.

The RO System Rebuttal

The RO industry has been claiming for years that the body doesn’t absorb inorganic minerals found in water, so the argument that RO systems removed healthy minerals is redundant. After my meeting with the RO water company, I decided to do some research. The amount of information on the internet in support of RO systems being the best solution for drinking water is staggering. However, the information is completely biased and is not based upon facts, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.

Your body absorbs minerals such as Magnesium and Calcium from water

Contrary to what the Reverse Osmosis industry claims, your body does absorb minerals from water. I will limit my discussion for brevity reasons to a discussion of Magnesium and Calcium, two of the most important minerals in our bodies. Intuitively, you should know that our bodies can absorb minerals from water as our species has somehow managed to survive for thousands of years despite the fact that magnesium and calcium (which the body is unable to produce on its own) are not always available to everyone.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/520182-can-the-human-body-absorb-the-minerals-in-water/#ixzz1XPWOy4nO

Magnesium:

The US government’s National Institute of Health says:

“Tap water can be a source of magnesium, but the amount varies according to the water supply. Water that naturally contains more minerals is described as “hard”. “Hard” water contains more magnesium than “soft” water”. The quote comes from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.

Livestrong tells us:

In general, minerals already dissolved in water are more bio-available than solid forms, although many factors affect absorption within the small intestine, such as pH levels, health of the mucosal lining and the presence of other nutrients, as noted in the text, “Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism.” A French study published in a 2002 edition of the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition” found that the absorption and bio-availability of magnesium in magnesium-rich mineral water was almost 60 percent in healthy male volunteers.

In comparison to absorption of minerals in water, supplemental forms are not absorbed as well. According to a review article published in a 2002 edition of the “Geriatric Times,” supplemental magnesium absorption ranges from about 30 to 41 percent and depends on age, intestinal health and type of magnesium supplement. You can check out the full article at:

Wikipedia informs us about the body’s ability to absorb Magnesium hydroxide. Wikipedia says “Magnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg(OH)2……..Magnesium hydroxide is a common component of antacids and laxatives… all of magnesium hydroxide that does dissolve does dissociate. Since the dissociation of this small amount of dissolved magnesium hydroxide is complete, Magnesium hydroxide is considered a strong electrolyte.”

Calcium:

GoAskAlice, Columbia University’s Health Internet Service (http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/5403.html) tells us: “What we do know is that your body does absorb the calcium in hard water, and utilizes it the same way it would if it came from any other food source.”

I was surprised to learn from Livestrong (http://www.livestrong.com/article/440087-how-does-the-body-absorb-calcium/#ixzz1X0YyYKZX) that:

“Plant-derived foods that contain the chemicals oxalic acid or phytic acid inhibit calcium absorption by binding the mineral in your intestines. Bound calcium cannot be absorbed. Foods that contain a high concentration of oxalic acid include spinach, collards, radishes, beet greens, amaranth, carrots, lettuce and sweet potatoes. Concentrated amounts of phytic acid are found in nuts, seeds, beans and whole-grain products”.
I also learned that your body can’t absorb Calcium without the presence of Magnesium.

Summary:

Like so many things we read on the internet or hear from sales people with a vested interest, the stories are not necessarily based upon facts.

RO systems do remove healthy minerals from water along with a myriad of unhealthy contaminants. I have spoken with many individuals that have suffered from calcium leaching due to drinking RO water. At the same time, I have also spoken to many people who have consumed RO water for many years that are perfectly healthy if they take Calcium and Magnesium supplements.

There appears to be a symbiotic relationship between RO systems and Antioxidant Filters that use Magnesium as their primary ionizing medium. RO systems are superior purifiers that will extend the filter life of the Antioxidant Filters. The balanced minerals found in Antioxidant Filters replace the minerals that are removed by RO systems and add other essential minerals that the body absorbs. The Antioxidant Filters also provide the wonderful health benefits of alkaline and antioxidant water that are not possible with the use of a Reverse Osmosis system on its own.

It looks like the RO guys that brought me in to the meeting are on to something very powerful. I applaud them for their forward thinking and initiative

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Good News For Reverse Osmosis Users

Chromium 6 Solutions: Ion Resin Exchanges & Reverse Osmosis are the Best

Hard Water Scale – Answers and Solutions

Hard Water Scale – Answers and Solutions

rob — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:26:46 +0000

Hard water is not considered harmful to your health, but it can cause ugly stains from scale build up in sinks, tubs, and elsewhere if left unchecked. People notice the stains, but they are generally unaware of the significant hidden costs of the scale build until it is too late.

Scale is formed when minerals (usually calcium) are precipitated out of water. The scaling process accelerates dramatically when the temperature of the water increases or when water travels across the electrically charged plates in a water ionizer.

The hidden costs of hard water scaling:

While hard water scale strains are annoying, the more significant problem is the cost associated with scale buildup. Hot water tanks create scale at a rapid rate as the heat facilitates the precipitation of calcium out of the water. The scale forms on the two heating elements in the tank. As the scale builds up, more and more energy is required to heat up the water in the tank. Nobody thinks about the additional cost of heating their hot water because it is out of sight and out of mind. However, the energy wasted can amount to several hundred dollars per year. Additional costs from scaling show up in the form of shortened lifespans of heat producing appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, kettles, and water ionizers. Additional costs show up in the form or replacing taps and sinks. The greatest cost of all, can come in the form of having to replace water lines if excessive scaling is not kept in check.

What is hard water and how is it measured?

Hard water is water with a high mineral content. The primary components of water hardness are the cations (Ca 2+) and Magnesium (Mg 2+), with calcium playing the major role. Calcium usually enters the water as either calcium carbonate (CaCO_3,) in the form of limestone and chalk, or calcium sulfate (CaSO₄). The predominant source of magnesium is dolomite (CaMg(CO₃)₂). Less significant contributors to water hardness are other dissolved compounds such as the anions of bicarbonates ( HCO₃⁻) and sulfates (SO2−4).

Water hardness is measured in parts per million (ppm) or grains per gallon (gpg). In the USA, 1 gpg = 17.1 ppm. In Canada, 1 gpg = 14.2 pmp. I prefer parts per million as the measure is consistent in both countries. There is no absolute definition of levels of water hardness. However, it is generally accepted that the following categories of water hardness exist:

Soft: Below 17 ppm [or 0-1 American gpg]
Medium: 17.1 – 60 ppm [or 1 - American 3 gpg]
Medium Hard: 61 – 120 ppm [or 3 - 7 American gpg]
Hard: 121 – 200 ppm [or 7 – 11 American gpg]
Very Hard: Over 200 ppm [or over 11 American gpg

It is recommended that anyone that has hard or very hard water take measures to reduce the level of hardness, particularly from the hot water lines. My focus is on water ionizers, and they definitely require some form of assistance to remove calcium from hard water. The plates of a water ionizer will quickly get covered with scale in hard water which will render the ionization process useless.

Reducing hard water for an entire house:

The traditional method of reducing water hardness was to use a salt based water softener. The keep the discussion really short and simple, the system captures calcium and magnesium with beads, and then washes out the beads with salt each day. The state of California has banned the sale of salt based water softeners. I expect that we will see the ban extended to other jurisdictions over time, because the high sodium content of softened water is absorbed by your skin during showers or baths. When people use water softeners, it is recommended that the soft water not be used for drinking water, as the level of sodium typically exceeds maximum acceptable levels and definitely exceeds recommending intake levels of sodium by a wide margin. We are now seeing growth in salt free water softeners, which are much healthier for your skin.

You can also eliminate water hardness with a distillation system or a reverse osmosis machine. However the process is very slow and wastes a great deal of water. As such, a reverse osmosis or distillation system is typically reserved for purifying drinking water. I don’t care for either system if any other alternative is possible because the systems strip all of the minerals required by your body out of the water.

Reducing hardness in your drinking water:

As I stated earlier, hard water won’t hurt you. However, it wrecks havoc with you drinking water line and tap, as scale builds up. Homes that use salt based water softeners should always have a bypass before the water softener so that you never drink water that has passed through the softener. If you use a salt-free water softener, you don’t need a bypass because the water is safe to drink and it will not scale up your water line or taps. If you are thinking about installing a water softener, make sure it is a salt-free system. The salt-free systems typically pay for themselves in about two years, so they are an excellent investment.

If you already use use a salt based water softener and you don’t have a a bypass system under your kitchen sink, you will need a RO system to eliminate the sodium from your drinking water supply. If you are stuck with a RO system under your sink, you will need to replenish the minerals in your drinking water with mineral drops, or by installing an in-line remineralizing filter in order to provide your body with the minerals it requires.

What to do about hard water if you want to purchase a water ionizer?

Scaling from hard water has disastrous results for water ionizers. Therefore, you have to deal with hard water, or don’t bother purchasing a water ionizer at all. Since water ionizers are so import to your health, find a solution that works the best for you.

If you don’t have a water softener and you need one, make sure you purchase a salt-free system. The system will prevent scaling and it will allow your water ionizer to work efficiently.

If you already have a salt based water softener and you want to purchase a water ionizer, you have a number of options:

A) Bypass the water softener and install an inline magnet just before the water ionizer – one time cost of about $95

B) Bypass the water softener and install an inline phosphate filter before the water ionizer – cost $40 every six months for a phosphate filter

C) Install a RO system under your sink and add an inline remineralization filter – cost about $400 + $40 per remineralization filter

D) Replace your salt based water softener with a salt-free water softener – cost about $1,000

You can also combine A) and B) or you can add A) and B) to D). It all depends upon the level of hardness. These options all add to your costs, but nothing is more important to your health.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author based upon his research and experiences working with hard water conditions across the country.

LA Times: Miracle acidic water answers prayers for cleaning!

Marketing hype in the water ionizer industry

rob — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:17:43 +0000

It drives me crazy when I review water ionizer websites that claim that their machines are far superior to their competitor’s machines. They also seem to revel in bashing the competition. Why would anyone want to do this? All it does is confuse potential buyers and make the company look really stupid. The pharmaceutical industry must just be sitting back and chuckling at the ridiculous behavior of the participants in the water ionizer industry.

Bashing other companies or products in order to make your product look good by comparison is pathetic. The public is looking for information and the truth, not a sales pitch. Can you imagine GM using its marketing dollars to tell people not to buy a Ford or Chrysler because they make lousy cars? I think it was about 15 to 20 years ago that Coke and Pepsi went through a short period of bashing each other. The strategy turned the public off and people started looking to alternatives. The management teams at both Coke and Pepsi figured out very quickly that people don’t like that type of approach. I hope that the water ionizer companies learn the lesson quickly, so that they can start to focus on the important issues. I believe that everyone in the health care industry should be morally obligated to become as well informed as possible, as customers are putting their trust in their hands.

Now it’s time to take an honest look at what it takes to produce the best results from a water ionizer machine. I will start by saying that you can ignore most of the marketing hype that you see on the internet. While some sites provide excellent information, most focus their efforts on selling you their product. Marketing people emphasize the virtues of the products, and minimize the factors that are lacking in their machines.

Despite all the flashy proclamations on the internet, there are two key elements to producing the best results for ionized water. Marketing companies illustrate other virtues, but they are secondary factors in producing good results. The primary factors are:

1) The amount of electrolysis that actually occurs in the ionizing chamber of a water ionizer.
2) Dealing with the factors presented by the source water.

Dealing with issue number one (the time that water is exposed to the ionizer plates) is easy. It is simple physics to understand that the more electrolysis that takes place, the better the results in terms of producing pH and ORP. So, how do the machines achieve maximum electrolysis? The ionizer companies go on and on about the plate size, the material the plates are made of, solid plates vs. mesh plates vs. slotted plates, and power. The simple fact is that the more exposure to the surface area of the plates, the more electrolysis takes place.

More surface area can be achieved in three ways… more plates, bigger plates, and introducing slots in the plates. More plates cost more and therefore push the price up. Bigger plates make the machines bigger and therefore make the appearance of the machine on your counter more conspicuous. Slotted plates add 25% more surface area (according to the physicists) without changing the size or number of the plates. So, it seems that slotted plates are a “no-brainer” as it doesn’t affect cost or size. You will see the companies that don’t have slotted plates present an argument about clogging, but it is nonsense. Putting slots in plates is a positive thing and it doesn’t increase the cost, so all the companies should be doing it. In every case, if you slow the flow of the water flow over the plates down, the results will improve, because more contact with the plates means more electrolysis. The review sites use water flow rates as one of the tricks to make their machines look like they produce the best results.

The manufacturers have been engaging in a battle of the number of plates for the past year. I believe that the primary reason for this strategy has been to combat the claims of one of the Multi Level Marketing companies that their machine was better because it had more plates. It is obvious that more plates are better, but how much is enough? I personally wasn’t convinced that moving from 5 plates to 7 plates would actually make a significant difference in performance, as I assumed it was just more marketing hype that would allow companies to raise their prices. However, when testing 5 plate versus 7 plate machines, the 7 plate machines do in fact produce better results under soft water or hard water conditions. If your source water is ideal (pH level of 7.1 to 7.3 and moderate hardness 80 to 140 parts per million), then you can achieve reasonably good results with a 5 plate machine.

Choosing a machine for its plate size becomes a personal issue. Bigger plates are better, but it makes the units bigger and more cumbersome. A bigger unit on the counter bothers some people, but not others. If a machine has small plates, the shortfall can be overcome somewhat by a machine that has more power. Personally, I can’t wait until the industry provides a wide array of under the counter “UTC” units that are priced more reasonably than what is available at this time. UTC units will allow for outstanding output from machines without worrying about the size, because the machine will be hidden away.

Now we need to deal with the more tricky factors, the source water. Canada and the USA have many different source water issues. We have to deal with great variations in the amount of hardness in the water, and we also have to deal with other water issues such as impurities. In cities, most people have to deal with chlorine and fluoride, which are negative factors, as well as concerns about the contents of older pipes. Rural areas don’t have to deal with chlorine and fluoride, but they typically have to deal with sediment in the water, and sometimes nasty things like nitrates (on farms) or heavy metals.

Unfortunately, the water ionizer companies have basically ignored the various issues and focused on selling their units. It is a typical case of greed, where profits are more important than safety. I believe that they can do a much better job. The only issue that the companies have addressed at all is the issue of soft water. Soft water is a problem for water ionizers because soft water contains very few minerals, and the ionizer requires minerals to work.

There are two different strategies that the various companies have chosen to deal with soft water. The old fashioned way to deal with a shortage of minerals in the water is with a calcium port, and the two oldest ionizer companies use this method. Companies that use this system have their customers purchase calcium and inject it into the machine. This system is effective, but I personally don’t care for it, because the amounts injected are not metered out in any systematic and accountable way, and the cost is both high and unnecessary. In my opinion, the better way to deal with soft water is to use filters that slowly introduce minerals into the water as the water moves through the filters. This system makes a lot more sense on an intuitive level, and there are no additional costs. While I would like to say that the manufacturers have perfected this system, it appears that they still have some work to do. Fortunately, one company in particular seems to be getting much better results than others when it comes to dealing with soft water, so it is just a matter of time until the competitors make the adjustment.

When it comes to the nasty things that we find in the water, I find that the manufacturers just don’t seem to care. Maybe they do care, but they certainly haven’t done anything about it yet. I think they can do a much better job. To that end, I have been doing some research with manufacturers of purification systems that could be used in combination with the water ionizer systems. I don’t have anything definitive yet, but the prospects are promising. I believe that we should be able to combine the positive aspects of the purification properties of reverse osmosis systems with the healthy contributions made by water ionizers. There are some logistical problems that we are working on, but I think a cost effective solution is possible. I will keep you posted as things develop.

This is totally off topic, but I thought it was funny. I was talking to a lady the other day about her new water ionizer, and I asked how she liked it. She said that she enjoyed the taste of the water, and that she had more energy, but what really impressed her was that her cat wouldn’t drink regular water anymore. It reminded me of a message on a magnet that my Mom used to have on her fridge. The message said “The more I get to know people, the more I like my cat”.

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Eliminate acid reflux with alkaline diet or ionized water

rob — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:03:21 +0000

Studies have indicated that having acid reflux will not shorten your life expectancy, but it sure can make your life miserable.

Heartburn sufferers typically purchase over the counter products such as Tums or Rolaids or Gaviscon. Those products are basically calcium tablets and the relief that they provide is temporary, but any relief is welcome when an attack takes place. If the number or intensity of occurrences of heartburn increases, people typically end up at their doctor’s office to find a better solution. Doctors typically prescribe drugs such as Pantoloc, which is a calcium blocker which inhibits the amount of acid production in the stomach. This type of drug is expensive (about $2.50 per pill which is prescribed to be taken everyday). The acid reflux drugs manage the symptoms but they never fix the problem.

The most simple and cost effective way to deal with many diseases including acid reflux is to eat properly. Humans are primarily herbivores (plant eaters) that have the ability to also consume meats. Humans should consume a diet that consists of 80% alkaline foods and liquids, but the diet for most Americans and Canadians consists of only 3% alkaline foods and beverages.

What is an alkaline food or beverage? An alkaline substance is one that has a pH greater than 7.0, or the level of distilled water. pH is the power or availability of hydrogen. See a chart of the pH levels of common household products at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PH_scale.png

So, what are alkaline foods and beverages? The foods are made up of primarily vegetables and fruits.

Veggies include cauliflower, turnips, and carrots, but mostly they consist of the “greens” such as: celery, spinach, green beans, broccoli, kale, various grasses, and cucumber.

Alkaline fruits consist of: lemons, tomatoes, limes, grapefruit, rhubarb, and watermelon. Avocados are noted to be an excellent source of alkaline.

Alkaline drinks include: alkaline ionized water, fresh vegetable juice, lemon water, herbal tea, and vegetable broth.

While every Mom has told her kids to “eat your greens” and we know that we should eat well, it is easier said than done. Personally, I don’t mind fruits, but I can’t stand veggies. As a result, I ended up with high levels of LDL (low high density lipoproteins) which is associated with the cholesterol. My physician suggested that I could change my diet or he could prescribe Lipitor, which is a cholesterol lowering drug. Not being a big fan of drugs (my father was one of the old school doctors who believed that prescription drugs were only to be used as a last resort), I chose to work on my diet. Or should I say my wife chose to work on my diet.

I would like to be able to tell you that changing over to a healthier diet was easy. In fact, I would like to be able to tell you that despite the enormous struggle, I was able to persevere and become healthy through an alkaline diet. The truth is I just couldn’t do it. I hate greens, and I like junk food. So how did “we” get me converted over to having a healthy lifestyle so that I could get rid of acid reflux once and for all?

My wife Mary came home one day last year and told me that she had learned the secret to good health. OK! She indicated that the secret was ionized water. I didn’t believe her for a second, but I do know that a happy wife makes for a happy life, so I agreed to start drinking alkaline ionized water that she brought home with her one day. How bad could drinking water be? You should understand that my wife has been working on me for years to eat better and work less. Neither of which has ever worked. So we started drinking alkaline ionized water and my acid reflux disappeared in a few days and has never returned. I should make note of the fact that when my sons and I were away for 8 days golfing without the alkaline ionized water, that my old acid reflux started to rear its ugly head near the end of the trip. The good news is that as soon as we returned home and got back on the water, the acid reflux when away immediately.

It gets better. Based upon my experience with the water, I actually started to pay attention to what I was putting in my body. As a result, I started eating more fruits, but I just wasn’t getting anywhere with the veggies. Mary came to the rescue again after reading about fruit smoothies and “green glop” on the internet. Fruit smoothies are basically made up of putting a bunch of fruits and plain yogurt in a blender and voila. Not too bad. I don’t think that there is anything actually called “green glop”, as I made up the word to describe what comes out of a juicer when Mary has been at it again. Mary cuts up different kinds of raw veggies and feeds them into a juicer. What comes out the other end is “green glop”. It didn’t taste very good, but Mary experimented by including a green apple in the mix, which seemed to make the concoction palatable for me. In a perfect world for me, there would be no “green glop”, but it is a thousand times better for me than eating a plate of vegetables, and it is better for me because the veggies are raw instead of cooked.

I’m in no position to preach about diet, but it has worked for me. If you are what you eat, then I was a Big Mac for most of my life. Now, I have more energy, my acid reflux and arthritis are gone, and I get along with my wife a little better. My secret is not a secret. My strategy is alkaline ionized water, fruit smoothies, and green glop.