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Drink Your Bubbles

rob — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:46:19 +0000

I was watching a video the other day from one of the water ionizer dealers. The commentator was pointing out the bubbles that formed in the glass of water that he had just filled from his electric water ionizer. He informed viewers that the bubbles showed all the healthy generating benefits of hydroxyl ions produced by his machine.

The comments sounded good….too bad the information is incorrect. The entire electric water ionizer industry has been built upon incorrect “facts” offered by companies and sales people. The industry has focused on mechanical features such as power and plates, and on measurable results such as pH and ORP. However, nobody ever bothered to explain to people how and why the machines provide such wonderful health benefits. It’s actually very simple. The health benefits come from hydrogen atoms, which are split away from water molecules during a process called ionization.

Despite the fact that the electrical water ionizer sellers have their facts all wrong, the good news is that the machines work and provide wonderful health benefits.

The bubbles that you see forming in your glass when you first receive water out of your machine are hydrogen gas bubbles (H2). They are produced by electrolysis during the “ionization” process used by electric water ionizers. As water passes over the electrically charged plates, the violent electrical action causes water molecules to separate into hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions. The unstable hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions immediately begin to reform into stable water molecules, or two hydrogen ions join together and form stable hydrogen gas.

Hydrogen provides incredible health benefits derived from water ionizers. Therefore, it is important to drink the water before the hydrogen bubbles, which are lighter than water, float up to the surface of the water and are lost into the air.

Does that mean that there is no benefit to drinking ionized water if you don’t consume the water in the first 60 seconds? Not at all. Free hydrogen ions will continue to remain in the water as long as there are minerals in the water. Ultimately, the degree of natural/sustainable ionization for any source water will depend upon the concentration of minerals in the water. But, the massive initial production of hydrogen bubbles will quickly disappear if you don’t drink the water right away. Therefore, always try to drink the water produced by an electric water ionizer before the bubble float to the surface

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author

ORP, pH, and Hydrogen…A New Perspective

rob — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:11:49 +0000

In my thousands of hours of reading and researching about ionized water, I have never been able to find a good explanation of how or why electric water ionizers work. I keep reading about the wonderful benefits of hydroxyl ions and the hydrating properties of the water, but to quote an old advertising campaign “where’s the beef”. I know from personal experience and from speaking to hundreds of others with their own personal experiences, that ionized water works. However, I’ll be darned if I can find a reasonable explanation as to why.

I always assumed that the lack of widespread acceptance of electric water ionizers was due to the high prices charged for the machines, but perhaps the real reason is that people just won’t buy into something that they don’t understand. If the seller can’t provide a plausible explanation and the medical community condemns the product, the buyer is asked to make a leap of faith. At a price of $2,000 to $4,000 that is a big leap.

My quest to understand how and why water ionization works has lead me in recent months to the world of Dr. Hayashi (pictured above) and his theory that hydrogen is the key to healthy water.

Due to my inability to “get to” Dr. Hayashi, I have been reading about and talking with his most loyal supporters in America. If you are interested in learning additional details about hydrogen and its health benefits, check out the writings of Craig Hoffman at his website at www.hydrogenfriends.com or see what Bruce Curtis has to say atwww.LivingWaterUSA.com.

As my education about water ionizers has progressed, I have come to the realization that many of my original thoughts about ionized water were incorrect. You have to start somewhere, and like so many others, I began my journey by listening to a sales presentation from an excellent Enagic representative. Finding myself intrigued but concerned about the $4,000 price tag, I checked out the “unbiased” ionizer review sites which turned out to be totally biased towards the companies that paid for the sites. At that point in time, the “more is better” game was on for me and so was the preoccupation with pH and ORP. Today, I understand that the real factor behind the health benefits of ionized water is hydrogen. Before I get into a discussion about hydrogen, I think it is appropriate to review what I have learned about ORP and pH.

ORP – Oxidation Reduction Potential

In its simplest form, ORP is the measure of the availability of electrons (measured as an electrical charge) in a solution such as water. Negative ORP values in a solution have the ability to reduce the destructive nature of free oxygen (aka “free radicals”) in the body. The lower the ORP of a solution, the greater its ability to feed electrons to the electron hungry free oxygen in the body, and thereby neutralize the nasty effects of oxidation. So far so good….lets get negative!

Before you start accepting the electric water ionizer industry mantra that “more is better”, both intuition and my research indicate that moderation is the key. A steady diet of anything that doesn’t occur in nature is not a good thing and more is definitely not better. Based upon what I have read and experienced, mildly negative ORP values, in the range of -10 to -200 are the best for the human body over the long term. It seems logical to me that a good “flush” of the system in terms of a mild “detox” every six months or so makes sense. However, it also seems logical to me that drinking strong alkaline water on a sustained basis will force your body to compensate from what it naturally requires. I believe that drinking alkaline water and eating an alkaline diet are good for you and will eventually overcome years and years of bad dietary choices, but over doing it can be harmful as well.

A negative charge can be created by electrolysis in electric water ionizers through the creation of hydroxyl ions (OH-). ORP can also be created through natural ionization by both electric and non-electric water ionizers such as antioxidant filters or hydrogen sticks. Natural ionization can be achieved by means of introducing water to magnesium or other alkali earth metals such as calcium, sodium, or potassium, which I will explain below.

Electric water ionizers actually split the source water into two separate streams. In the separation process, the machines create alkaline water with potentially very low negative ORP values due to the creation of a large amount of OH- (hydroxyl ions) produced. The negative charge associated with hydroxyl ions (OH-) is unstable and short lived if the water is jostled or if the water comes in contact with air. The presence of light will also dissipate the ORP charge. Electric water ionizers also create free hydrogen due to the presence of minerals in the water. Ultimately, the water produced by an electric water ionizer will return to the natural level of ORP generated by the mineral content of the source water.

Non-electric water ionizers creat ORP because of the stronger attraction between oxygen and magnesium than the attraction between oxygen to hydrogen. When water comes in contact with magnesium, the oxygen atoms disassociate from hydrogen and bond with the magnesium. As a result, hydrogen atoms are left free in the solution. While atoms are not ions and don’t carry a specific electrical charge, the hydrogen atom has one free electron that essentially acts like an ion because it can easily donate its electron. Since the ORP being created occurs naturally due to the presence of magnesium, the ORP is much more consistent/stable/long lasting under normal conditions.

Electric water ionizers can produce stronger initial ORP readings because of the creation of short term OH- (hydroxyl ions), but the hydroxyl ions themselves are not beneficial. The process of electrolysis produces hydrogen in massive quantities as witnessed by the collection of hydrogen gas bubbles in your glass when you first recieve water from the machine. Unfortunately, the gas bubbles are lighter than water and rise to the surface and dissipate. I always drink water produced by an electric water ionizer within ten seconds after it is produced if possible. That way, I can receive all the healthy benefits of the hydrogen before it dissipates into the air.

pH is often referred to at the potency or potential of hydrogen. What the “p” really stands for is “negative logarithm” and it can be associated with other elements besides hydrogen. Sorensen, the creator of the pH scale ultimately defined pH as the negative logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen.

In pure water with a pH of 7.0, the number of H+ (hydrogen ions) is equal to the number of OH- (hydroxyl ions). At a pH of 7.0, there is one hydrogen ion present for every 555 million water molecules. That means that hydrogen ions are very rare. If the water has ten times as many hydrogen ions as normal, the pH will be 6.0 and if the water has ten times fewer hydrogen ions, the pH will be 8.0.

If the number of hydroxyl (OH-) ions exceeds the number of hydrogen ions (H+) in water, the water will become alkaline. The higher the ratio of OH- to H+, the higher the pH. If you subscribe to the marketing efforts of the electric water ionizer industry, you would believe that a machine that produces the higher pH is superior for health benefits. Unfortunately, that is not true, because it is the amount of free hydrogen in the water that makes you healthy, not the ration of hydroxyl ionis (OH-) to hydrogen ions (H+). Therefore, the key factor is how much hydrogen is in the water, not how you can get the pH level. If you want to gain a better understanding of the relationship between hydroxyl (OH-) and hydrongen ions (H+) and water molecules, check out the following links which provide useful graphics: http://www.johnkyrk.com/pH.html and http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ph-scale. In the second link, click on the Run Now button highlighted in green

Hydrogen

I believe Dr. Hayashi is the leading authority in the world on the subject of ionized water. Dr. Hayashi believes that consuming hydrogen is a significant factor when it comes to being healthy. At one point in time, Dr. Hayashi supported the use of electric water ionizers, but he changed his mind at the turn of the century. Although you still see websites using his name and his research to support the use of electric water ionizers, I can assure you that he they are doing so without his authorization.

So, why is hydrogen so important to our health? It seems that there are two reasons which include
antioxidant properties and chemiosmosis.

Antioxidant Properties of Hydrogen

Those of you who have been following my blog will understand the antioxidant properties of hydrogen. For those that are reading about this for the first time, here is a quick recap. Our bodies require oxygen to survive. Unfortunately, we only use about 98% of the oxygen that we breathe. The other 2% of unused oxygen forms nasty free radicals which attach to other cells and begin the decaying process of oxidation. Hydrogen is the perfect antidote as hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water. Therefore, the ingestion of free hydrogen, or hydrogen gas molecules (H2) which get broken down into hydrogen atoms in the body by hydrogenase, is critical in combating free radicals.

Chemiosmosis – Energy Producing Properties of Hydrogen

What the heck is chemiosmosis? According to Wikipedia: Chemiosmosis is the movement of ions across a selectively-permeable membrane, down their electrochemical gradient. More specifically, it relates to the generation of ATP by the movement of hydrogen ions across a membrane during cellular respiration. For a more in depth description and a graphic, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemiosmosis

What does the relationship between hydrogen and chemiosmosis and ATP and mitochondria have to do with your life in layman’s terms? Consuming hydrogen helps the mitochondria in your cells to produce energy. More and more athletes are turning to the consumption of hydrogen as they get an energy “boost” and they receive more sustained energy from consuming hydrogen. Most of the people that I have spoken with over the years experience and energy boost when they first start drinking ionized water. Now I know why, and it has nothing to do with oxygen. I will dedicate a future article to the topic of chemiosmosis and how it relates to the production of energy in the cells in our body.

Summary

What is the best way to get free hydrogen to the places in your body that matter the most? By that I mean into the mitochondria in your cells and to the potentially damaging free oxygen that exists in your body. The answer is ionized water because it is absorbed quickly and handled efficiently by your body. The same process can also be achieved by means of consuming an alkaline diet, which also has additional benefits, but drinking ionized water full of free hydrogen is fast and easy.

What is the best ionized water to drink to help as an antioxidant and in chemiosmosis? You can achieve the same beneficial results from ionized water produced by electrolysis or by natural means via hydrogen producing products such as antioxidant filters or hydrogen sticks.

The makers of hydrogen sticks take the position that water produced by electric water ionizers is bad for you. They lobbied Dr. Mercola for three years about the perils of using electric water ionizers before Mercola spoke out against the use of electric water ionizers last fall. I’m not convinced at all that the position of the hydrogen stick people is correct as the water has had an incredibly positive effect on my life over the years without any negative side effects. The fact that Dr. Mercola supports their position doesn’t impress me as he clearly didn’t do his homework on the issue.

I’m now reasonably certain that the water produced from antioxidant filters will provide all the same health benefits as electric water ionizers for a fraction of the price. In addition, the antioxidant filters are far superior filters to the filters provided in electric water ionizers as they remove fluoride, chloramines, THMs, VOCs, lead, mercury and a lot more on top of the sediment and chlorine that the filters in electric water ionizers remove.

I much prefer antioxidant filters to hydrogen sticks for home use for several reasons. Antioxidant filters are fast and convenient, they are capable of producing a much stronger output if the user desires a range of outputs, and they remove contaminants from the source water. The hydrogen sticks do provide a very useful function for those wanting access to effective ionized water when they are on the go. The sticks are extremely portable and they continually produce hydrogen which is useful when water is being jostled around.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and the people mentioned in the article.

How Antioxidant Filters Ionize Water Without Electricity

rob — Tue, 24 May 2011 04:28:58 +0000

This article is a bit long and requires you to link to another longish article, but if you want to understand how and why water ionizers work, I believe it is well worth the read.

Hydrogen Sticks….The Beginning of My Journey into Hydrogen

I first learned about hydrogen ions when I investigated Hydrogen sticks a couple of years ago. When I tested the sticks, I was amazed that they actually raised the pH and lowered the ORP of water without electricity. How could that be? What happened to the acidic water? What do you mean they don’t produce acidic water? How can that be? How can they produce alkaline pH water and a negative ORP without producing hydroxyl ions?

Despite my mild curiosity, I didn’t really like the hydrogen sticks other than as a travelling device. They are inconvenient as they take a long time to ionize the water, they didn’t purify the water, and they were expensive if you wanted stronger results because you needed three sticks at a time.

The Korean Engineer and Hydrogen Machines

I took a trip to Korea in early 2010 to learn why water ionizers worked so well and to visit a number of manufacturing facilities. Specifically, I wanted to learn about ORP. During my visit to Korea, the engineer that impressed me the most introduced me to hydrogen machines. The engineer explained to me that electrolysis was old technology and that hydrogen machines were then “next” thing. I was too busy trying to understand ORP to pay much attention to what the engineer had to say.

The engineer did mention a few things that stuck with me despite my preoccupation with learning about ORP. He told me that you needed to drink the water from an electric water ionizer in the first ten seconds before all the hydrogen bubbles floated to the surface. He indicated that once the hydrogen bubbles reached the surface and reacted with air, the benefit of the hydrogen in the bubbles was lost. When I asked him why that was important, he told me that Hydrogen was the key to good health, as opposed to the temporary negative charges associated with the hydroxyl ions produced by electrolysis. He also told me that he thought North Americans were crazy because we drink ionized water that is far too strong in terms of pH for our long term health. I listened politely and got right back to my questions about ORP. I should have paid more attention at the time as it would have saved me a lot of work. I don’t know whether to blame my stubborn streak on being male, or Irish/Welsh, or perhaps it just comes naturally to me.

Ian Hamilton’s Alkastream

In September 2010, Ian Hamilton, one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of ionized water contacted me and asked me to take a look at his new Alkastream hydrogen ion producing machine. When I did my testing, the results were stunning. The results were beyond dispute, but the machines had many flaws. Despite all the design flaws, I was really excited about the machines. Affordability has always been a big issue for me, and I recognized that a $399 price tag would be affordable to almost anyone. I agreed to help them with the technical and design problems and spent several months tearing apart their test machines. I drove them crazy with all of my suggestions for required changes, but they did everthing I asked and more.

Dr. Hayashi Explains How Hydrogen Eliminates Free Radicals/Free Oxygen Atoms

When I came to realize that hydrogen ions were the key component of ionized water when it comes to health benefits, I found my way to the work of Dr. Hayashi. I believe that the man is by far and away the leading authority on ionized water in the world. I found that his explanations were difficult for me to understand. I attributed my confusion to my extremely rusty chemistry skills rather than his “science”. After brushing up on the periodic table and electron layers/orbits, I found that his chemistry made a lot of sense.

The basis for Dr. Hayashi’s work is that oxygen, which is vital to our survival can also be very harmful to the body if it not all used up. It is believed that 98% of the oxygen we breath in is used up in the process of combustion within our cells in order to produce energy to sustain the cells. The remaining 2% of oxygen goes unused and becomes dangerous to our bodies because oxygen atoms are electron hungry (this relates to the periodic table and electron levels/orbits). We have all witnessed the oxidation of unprotected steel on our cars or on old bridges, or the oxidation of copper on a roof. Well, the same oxidation process happens in our bodies. Free oxygen atoms, commonly known as “free radicals” will attach to cells in order to stabilize their electron layer/orbit and in the process will start decay process in the cells.

Dr. Hayashi explains that the best way to rid the body of electron hungry free oxygen/free radicals it to introduce electron donating free hydrogen into the body to create water. Dr. Hayashi explains that free hydrogn can easily be created by running water across magnesium. The attraction of oxygen to magnesium is much stronger than the attraction of oxygen to hydrogen. Therefore, when water comes into contact with magnesium, the hydrogen bonds are broken and free hydrogen is released into the water. When we drink the water with the free hydrogen, we are providing our bodies with the ultimate antioxidant.

Understanding How Antioxidant Filters Ionize Water Without Electricity

Gabe Hunninghake contacted me on this blog about a year ago. He was selling Vollara products at the time and introduced me to their products. Gabe is a brilliant guy who is a real straight shooter. He has written an excellent article with easy to understand illustrattions about how the antioxidant technology works. Check out his explanation at the blog section of his website at: http://www.alkastream.us/antioxidant/how-does-the-alkastream-ionize/

Summary

My testing and personal experience tells me without a doubt that the technologies of both the antioxidant filters and the electric water ionizers work extremely well. There are thousands of testimonials available regarding the health benefits of electric water ionizers. Although the antioxidant filters are relatively new to North America, the technology and science behind the machines has been avalable for eleven years since Dr. Hayashi introduced the concept. Now we are seeing numerous testimonials pouring in about the effectiveness of antioxidant machines from industry experts who have been testing the machines themselves. It seems that the engineer in Korea was right about antioxidant filters being the “next” thing.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

Chill Out when it comes to testing pH and ORP

rob — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:55:47 +0000

After spending a few years in and around the water ionizer business, I have come to accept the fact that people are looking for the magic bullet when it comes to water machines.

Perfection isn’t ever going to happen because the bouncing ball never stops moving. The machines are not the problem…the water is. To be more specific, the water conditions are constantly changing, which makes it impossible for the machines to get it right every time. If there was such a thing as constant source water conditions, it would be easy to regulate the output from a water machine. The reality is that a constant supply of source water is never going to happen unless you distill the water. Even reverse osmosis systems, which take almost everything out of the water are subject to variation.

The never ending variation in test results drives some people crazy who are looking for the perfect solution. My reaction to the concerns of the “perfection seekers” is to “chill out”. I perosnally don’t think that it makes sense to strive for consistency, because the water supplied from natural sources is always changing.

My recent involvement in testing the Alkastream antioxidant filters on behalf of my friend Ian Hamilton has provided more confirmation of people’s insatiable need to “know the truth” through test results so they can “choose the best machine”. Ian sent out two dozen machines to prominent water dealers and experienced water people around the USA and Canada. The general feedback was very impressive other than some noted deficiencies associated with any beta testing program of a new product. I love the beta testing methodology, because it allows a company to get real feedback from experienced people under different conditions. The feedback allowed Ian to make modifications to his product that have made it a much better machine.

What really struck me about the feedback from Ian’s beta testing was the anguish that some testers expressed about varying results that they noted from time to time during their testing periods. I have become accustomed to the never ending changes because I have been testing all kinds of machines in my lab for the last three years. However, people that are suddenly thrust into “test mode” are often surprised by the lack of consistency of test results. My reaction to their “need” to have the perfect answer, in the words of my kids, is to “chill out”.

The concept of “perfect” natural water is considered to be fast moving water from a clean mountain stream that tumbles over over rocks. The idea is that the water in uncontaminated, it picks up natural minerals that will provide ionization, and it takes on a hexagonal configuration as it get bounced around during its journey. If you think about the “perfect” source water, you will come to realize that the content and hence the properties of the source water would be changing every moment.

When my wife and I visited a number of water ionizer factories in Korea last year, I learned from the “old pros” of the industry that they change the pre selected level of drinking water that they drink from their machines all the time. Taking my cue, I now drink strong alkaline water first thing in the morning and before going to the gym, and I drink weak alkaline water before bedtime.

I also learned that the real secret behind ionized water is hydrogen ions, as opposed to pH and ORP. That doesn’t mean that pH and ORP don’t count, but it does mean that our North American preoccupation with measuring those two variables and trying to reach higher highs and lower lows simply doesn’t make sense.

For those that are still “stuck” on ORP created by electrolysis, I suggest a quick test that is easy to do if you have a pH/ORP meter. Fill a glass of strong alkaline water, which should have an ORP reading of -200 to -600 depending upon the source water and the power setting. Place the meter in the water and take a reading. Once you have taken the reading, remove the meter and place the palm of your hand over the top of the glass and shake the glass vigourously for ten seconds. When you take another reading with the meter, you will notice that the ORP level will be very close to zero.

What does the test mean??? Are all the health benefits disappeared??? The answer is that the temporary or unstable ORP created by electrolysis has disappeared due to the vigour movement, but there will still be health inducing hydrogen ions in the water. As the kids would say, “It’s all good”. The lesson to be taken from this test is that it is not the huge negative ORP level that makes you healthy. Therefore, ignore the silly claims of the marketing companies that tell you that their plates are bigger or they have more power etc. etc. etc. Bigger is not better!

I have learned that it is best to drink the water produced by an electric water ionizer in the first ten seconds after the water has been created. The bubbles that the machine creates in the drinking water are hydrogen gas. You will notice that the bubbles quickly rise to the surface of the water and disappear. One the bubbles rise to the surface, they combine with air and their healing power is lost. That means that you should drink the bubbles if you want to maximize the effectiveness of the machine.

So, my advice would be to drink pure ionized water, either from an electric water ionizer or an antioxidant filter as they are both good for you. In addition, chill out about the pH and ORP discussions, as they are simply a way for the water ionizer sales people to show you that “something” is happening.

As always, the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

Doctors are Over Prescribing Drugs and Testing Procedures

Alkaline Foods Vs. Alkaline Water

rob — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:09:39 +0000

Public recognition of the importance of eating an alkaline diet is growing quickly, but it still has a long way to go. The professionals in the nutrition industry understand the importance of eating a healthy diet because they are faced with the consequences of poor dietary choices of their patients every day. Even the public knows that eating your fruits and veggies is something we should all do, but many of us continue to ignore the warnings.

Maybe the government should start to regulate the fast food industry in the same way that they have forced tobacco companies to put warnings on their packaging, and stopped them from advertising. Can you imagine Ronald McDonald with a sign around his neck informing us that eating a Big Mac and fries increases the risk of getting arthritis or diabetes or cancer?

Why is eating a healthy diet important?

Food and beverages provide fuel for our bodies. Humans are omnivores, which means that our digestive systems can break down and absorb the nutrients from both plants and animals, and eliminate the waste products. Despite the fact that we are omnivores, our bodies work far more efficiently when we consume plant materials. The reason for this is that our bodies are meant to be slightly alkaline (a pH of about 7.3 to 7.4) and raw fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds are alkaline. Meats and dairy products and the myriad of fast foods that we consume are all acidic in varying degrees. The nutrients found in meats and dairy are also important to our nutritional uptake, but we can survive and in fact thrive on far less of the acidic foods and drinks than most of us consume.

It is generally accepted in the health industry that the ideal diet should be 80% alkaline. In Canada and the USA, the average person consumes a diet of 97% acidic foods and beverages. That means our bodies are being fed the wrong fuel. While our bodies have an amazing capacity to process and eliminate excess acid, over time, our bodies become acidic and nasty health issues start happening. For many, the side effects begin with acid reflux and then proceed to diabetes. If left unchecked, the acidic state of our bodies becomes the breeding ground for cancer. It is well documented that cancer and other diseases can not survive in an alkaline environment. If you don’t believe me, or virtually every professional in the nutrition industry and you can afford ten minutes of your time, watch the video of a segment of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, who interviews Bill Clinton and the medical doctors who helped change or perhaps even saved his life. Mr. Clinton’s doctors say that a proper diet can prevent and even reverse major diseases such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. You can watch the video here:

Why does neglecting a proper diet increase our chances of getting sick?

We eat and drink because our bodies need fuel… or at least we should. Our society has created tasty treats which are advertised endlessly in an effort to convince us that we should eat the tasty products. Unfortunately, eating those tasty foods and drinks makes your body acidic. When you are acidic, your body has less ability to “reduce” the potentially damaging free oxygen in your body. Here is where it gets kind of tricky. Let me explain.

Your body obviously needs oxygen to survive. However, up to 2% of the oxygen in your body can and does become free oxygen. That means that the oxygen atoms are unstable and are in search of electrons (negative charges) to make the oxygen stable. If your body doesn’t have negatively charged hydrogen available to provide the electron hungry oxygen atoms with electrons, the free oxygen atoms will scavenge healthy cells in your body. According to the world famous work of Dr. Hayashi, when negatively charged hydrogen is available in your body, it will combine with the free oxygen and convert it to harmless water.

Others scholars such as Sang Whang and Dr. Robert Young claim that alkaline foods or beverages cause the cells in the stomach to produce acid (HCl or hydrochloric acid) and the bi-products of producing the acid are alkaline (negatively charged) buffers that enter the blood stream.

Now matter which theory is correct, it is well known that creating negative charges in the body by consuming alkaline foods or beverages helps reduce the harmful effects of free oxygen, thereby preventing or reversing disease.

Do alkaline foods and alkaline drinks do the same thing? Yes and No

Yes, both alkaline foods and alkaline beverages produce the negative charges that act as powerful and effective antioxidants that can counteract the harmful effects of free oxygen in your body. The food people use ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) as a measurement of the antioxidant capacity of a specif food. The water people use ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) to measure the antioxidant capability of water. I have done some preliminary research, but once again, I honestly don’t know how the two measures correlate. I hope to put more research into the comparison of ORAC and ORP in the future… just not today.

No, food provides nutrients that water doesn’t provide, so you can’t live without food. On the other hand, water makes up 70% of your body and acts as your internal transportation system, so you can’t live without water. Survival is not possible without both food and water.

Is either alkaline food or alkaline water better for you than the other?

I don’t think anyone can provide a definitive answer to the question. Both work and both contribute to maximizing your health. I think the right answer is a matter of personal choice. Some people like my wife love their “greens” and don’t care for most forms of processed or junk food. Other people like myself love their junk food and find the taste of many “greens” unpleasant. People like my wife that eat properly don’t require alkaline water as much as people like myself who “cheat” more than we should. Therefore, I believe alkaline water is more important to me than to my wife. The fact that the water produced much faster and dramatic results for me than for Mary confirms my belief. Even though it took longer for the positive effects to show up in Mary’s body than mine, her health responded very positively over the period of a few months despite the fact that she still drinks her “must have” coffee every morning.

Can your body survive without alkaline food or water?

Of course it can, as we see evidence of that every time we look at the people around us. However, we also see that as the world has moved away from wholesome nutritious food and water, people are getting sick. Whether we as individuals choose to do something about it up to each and every one of us.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not intended as medical advice.

Ten Things You Should Know About Water Ionizers

rob — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:29:22 +0000

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.

Marketing hype in the water ionizer industry

Lymphoma cancer patient receives ionized water from an “angel”

rob — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:18:12 +0000

I wish I had more time to dedicate to this blog, because it continues to be a never-ending source of amazement for me. Just when you think the world has gone crazy and nobody cares, along comes another example of human kindness.

I had a call a couple of weeks ago from a woman that desperately wanted a water ionizer to help combat her husband’s lymphoma. Lymphoma is a cancer that starts in the lymphocytes of the immune system. Lymphoma is categorized as either Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). The outlook for cancer patients who have lymphoma can vary greatly as there are many different varieties of NHL. A significant factor in dealing successfully with lymphoma, as with most forms of cancer, is early detection.

The husband in this story is very sick and unable to work. She stays at home looking after her two small children. Despite the fact that they wanted a water ionizer badly, they simply didn’t have the funds to purchase a unit. A good friend that owned a water ionizer had been supplying them with ionized water. Unfortunately, the friend lived in another city and could only make it by the house once a week. For those that don’t know, ionized water is most effective when it is fresh out of the tap. In fact, the negative ORP (oxidation reduction potential) begins regressing immediately, and in fact, loses about 80% of its impact within 24 hours. The lady in this story made the call to me when she discovered that the ORP deteriorated rapidly over time, as she realized that there was something more that she could be doing to help her family.

Her husband didn’t want her to call, as he is a proud man and didn’t want to ask for help. Fortunately for the family, the lady swallowed her pride and reached out. When she called, she apologized for asking for help, but I quickly suggested that I would do exactly the same thing if I were in her situation, as would anyone else who wants to protect their family.

She was hoping that I could lead her to someone that could provide her with a free unit in an effort to help her husband recover from the chemo. I informed her that I didn’t know anyone that offered such a service, but that I would call around. She was polite, but it was obvious that she was very disappointed.

How the heck do you find a free water ionizer for someone? I called some companies and they expressed sympathy, but indicated that they couldn’t just start giving away units, or they would be inundated with requests. So, it the companies won’t help, who would? I thought that perhaps I could find an individual or a group that might help.

I decided to make a list of people that I knew, who might be in a position to consider such a generous gift for a complete stranger. Then I thought of who I had been in contact with that had experienced life changing effects from the water. One obvious name popped up so I though why not try and call. I have to admit that it felt strange to be calling someone and asking for such a big favour, even if it wasn’t for me. Five minutes later, the unit was paid for anonymously, and the unit was on its way within the hour.

I called the lady that evening to let her know that a unit was on the way. She said that she didn’t understand how this could happen, as nobody helps a stranger with such a generous gift. When I explained that there are extraordinary people in the world, and that this was just another example, she started to cry. And cry. And cry. Between sobs, she said that there are no words for gratitude that she felt towards her benefactor. She asked me for her “angel’s” name. I told her that the person demanded anonymity. She said that wasn’t fair, as she had to say thank you. I told her I would pass on a message if she wanted, and I would ask the benefactor if would be ok to forward the message. The next day, I received an incredible message from her that expressed her gratitude to the stranger, and that the gift had already started working because it had given her family hope.

I was so moved by the message that I sent a copy of the message to the benefactor despite being informed previously that there was to be no contact. I didn’t want to call first, as I thought there was a good chance that the benefactor wouldn’t let me send the message. The next day, I received an email from the benefactor, and I braced myself for an electronic tongue lashing. However, the message from the lady was so powerful that the benefactor actually replied to the person anonymously. This is where a great story gets even better. The benefactor sent me a message, to pass on anonymously to the lady, thanking her for the gift of being able to help.

The way I keep score, there ended up being three gifts. The first gift is the actual material gift of a water ionizer. The second gift is the gift of hope to the family. The third gift is the incredible gift of giving. I don’t know about you, but this one really touched my heart.