The use and knowledge of clustered, ionized, alkaline water (it is all of these things) has been growing for 30 years. In some countries, the medical uses of this water are well documented in peer-reviewed papers. Topics studied have included normalizing blood sugar levels, normalizing blood pressure, helping with colon and urinary function, reducing general acidity and chronic pain, flushing stored toxins, and many more.
Are these kinds of benefits possible? Why haven’t Americans heard about this before now?
Let’s begin with Dr. Otto Warburg (German) 1931 Nobel Prize. It was for his studies about cancerous tissue environments that allow or prohibit the growth of cancers. He discovered that cancer will not bro in alkaline environments of pH 7.0 or higher. “Cancerous tissues are acidic,” Warburg stated, “whereas healthy tissues are alkaline.
Water can be split into H+ and OH- ions, if there is an excess of H+, it is acidic; if there is an excess of OH- ions, it is alkaline.”
There cannot be a cancer researcher or physician who does not know of this turning point in the scientific understanding of cancer. But there are many approaches to cancer research, and American experts have not honed in on water. However, this field has been expanded enormously in many parts of the world and is growing rapidly in the U.S..
Oxygen is essential for human life, but too much oxygen in the body is not good. That is why free radicals are problematic. Alkaline, ionized water provides hydroxyl ions (OH-), whose extra electrons neutralize free radicals throughout the body. This antioxidant power travels inside the very structure of water. It can reach all parts of the body via our bodily fluids.
An ionizer splits the water into two parts: alkaline for drinking and acidic water for other purposes. Inside the body, the alkaline portion allows itself to be oxidized. This reduces the free radicals (i.e. takes away their potential to do damage). The measurable property that allows this to happen is called ORP, which stands for oxidation-reduction potential. So ionized water complements the taking of antioxidant supplements and of eating antioxidant-rich foods, especially fruits and colorful vegetables.
It should be noted that the body makes its own antioxidant compounds to resolve free radical problems; however, the modern lifestyle has introduced new stresses (from modern diets; from environmental chemicals) that the human body is not prepared to deal with.
Acid neutralization is as vital as antioxidant protection. As a body becomes acidic, systemic inflammation sets in, and a whole array of unwanted symptoms may result: fatigue, malaise, pains associated with age, stiffness, and dozens of conditions that are directly associated with inflammation, susceptibility to allergies and upper respiratory problems, and more. Acidity contributes to auto-immune disorders, cancer, the various faces of heart disease, and diabetes.
The body has mechanisms for neutralizing the acidic waste products of metabolism, but modern diets, which in many cases include a high consumption of soft drinks, have thrown the balance far out of kilter. Alkaline water gradually helps to bring the body’s acidity under control…and the operative word in this statement is gradually. Exciting, healthy results have been reported by thousands of alkaline water users, but whatever results might be hoped for cannot be expected after just one glassful or even one week. The cleansing that is needed is a process, not a one-time event. The use of alkaline, ionized water is, in fact, a very significant lifestyle change. It is the breaking of a bad water habit by substituting good water.
Understanding dehydration and the effect that it has on our health is critical for a healthy lifestyle. Under normal conditions, we lose water daily through sweat, tears, urine, and stool. In a healthy person, this water is replaced by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. In conditions where person fails to take in an adequate supply of replacement water for what is being lost, dehydration is experienced. The majority of Americans are chronically dehydrated as result of failing to replace the fluid that is being lost daily. A good rule of thumb for daily water intake is consuming ½ your body weight in ounces per day. For example a 200 lb. person should consume 100 oz. of water daily. When a person becomes sick with fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, or if an individual is overexposed to the sun, dehydration occurs. The body loses in two ways: water content and essential body salts such as sodium, potassium, calcium bicarbonate, and phosphate. Occasionally, dehydration is caused by drugs, such as diuretics, which deplete body fluids and electrolytes. Whatever the cause, dehydration should be treated as soon as possible.
The beauty of adopting the habit of drinking ionized, alkaline, micro-clustered water is that you get all of the benefits discussed in this summary. You get the antioxidant benefits, the neutralization of acids, and good hydration all in one. If the cancer protection theory is true, you get that as well. Nothing we take into our bodies is more important than the water we drink. Only now, we are becoming aware that a simple home appliance can enhance the benefits we get from water.
History of the Technology
Commercial alkaline ionic water units for hospitals were introduced in Japan in the fifties. A research institute was formed in 1960 for the purpose of studying ionized water. 1966 brought confirmation of the alkaline ionic water process for health improvement and medical use by the Japanese Health and Rehabilitation Ministry.
In the seventies, South Korea’s national government also accepted ionized alkaline water for medical applications. A Korean company built a home unit for the US market. US scientists, under FDA standards of testing, did their own study on ionic water and subsequently gave water ionizers the FDA stamp of approval. Water ionizers are highly popular in Japan, with 30 million Japanese citizens having access to ionized water either via home units or simple free access. Dr. Barbara Starfield heralds Japan as having the “number one health care system in the world,” as written in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The United States ranked as number 13 in health and healthcare quality.
The use of water ionizers is becoming more popular in North America. With time, alkaline ionic water may become, to some, a higher road to health and wellness.