Overview
This page represents a consolidation or aggregation of some overviews
on alkaline ionized water and acid oxidized ionized water, and the mythology
surrounding them, which I have offered at other times and places
on the Live-foods list and in various pages on the Raw
Paleo Diet website and the Negative
Hydrogen Ion (also H-Minus Ion
) website(s). Despite these earlier, and more scatter-shot, presentations
and de-bunking efforts, I have discovered that a number of myths seem to
persist in the world, and especially, on the Web, regarding so-called alkaline
ionized water and acid oxidized ionized water. This page is an effort
to offer a focused examination of the myths surrounding ionized water and
a debunking of those myths.
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The questions which are often asked seem to be:
Why Does So-Called Alkaline Ionized Water Seem to Improve Health?
and
Why Does So-Called Acidic Ionized Water Act As a Disinfectant?
Unfortunately, these questions have often been answered with mythology,
or at best, a mixture of mythology and half-truth. The manufacturers
and vendors of most brands of water ionizers sold for home use, commerical
nursery use and for clinical lab use, claim that the so-called alkaline
ionized water, or "alkaline water" from their water ionizers improves health
in a number of ways, and most of them attribute this benefit rather vaguely
to the alkalinity of the water and it's supposed effects in "alkalininzing"
the body. Some vendors go even further and claim that the alkaline
water will provide abundant quantities of calcium and other "alkalininzing"
minerals for the body.
Likewise, many of the same vendors claim that the acid water from
the ionizers has powerful disinfectant properties when used on skin, on
plants and on surfaces to be cleaned, and most of them claim that this
property is somehow due to the acidity of the water. What is the
reality? Do alkaline water and acid water from ionizers really do
what is claimed? If so, how do they achieve those effets? Read
on to learn more!
Close-up: Alkaline Ionized Water, or Electrolyzed Reduced Water
Many vendors of commercial and household water ionizers call the
water from the reducing, or negative pole, side of the ionizers "alkaline
water" or "alkaline ionized water". However, this name is somewhat
misleading, since it could imply that the positive bio-effects of the water
are due to its alkalinity. Indeed, most vendors and manufacturers
of water ionizers who claim beneficial effects upon human and animal health
from the "alkaline water" do attribute the beneficial effects rather vaguely
to the "alkalinity" of the water. Many also claim that it somehow
alkalinizes the body, or improves its mineral balance toward the alkaline
region. Indeed, some vendors of health products now offer bottles
of "alkalinizing" tablets or drops, which they claim that when added to
water, turn it into something with the health benefits of "alkaline ionized
water" from the water ionizers. Incidentally, these drops and tablets
usually contain nothing more than a bit of sodium hydroxide and potassium
hydroxide, which do indeed make water more alkaline, but has never been
proven to have any health benefits. Sodium hyroxide is also known
as "lye", and is used as a drain cleaner. Incidentally, while there
is indeed some calcium and magnesium present in most alkaline ionized water,
the amount present is negligible.
Whenever articles have appeared in the peer-reviewed scientific literature
about so-called alkaline ionized water, the water has, more appropriately,
usually been referred to as "electrolyzed reduced water", or ERW, and more
rarely, sometimes as "electrolyzed alkaline water". The word "reduced"
comes from the fact that the water has been chemically "reduced" by electrolysis,
where reduction is a chemical process which is the opposite of oxidation.
The research in the scientific literature and in dozens of labs around
the world has shown that ERW often does exhibit markedly strong health-enhancing
benefits, among which perhaps the most primary effect is an antioxidant
effect. The health-enhancing benefits of ERW to humans and animals
when consumed internally does not seem to be due at all to is alkalinity,
which is a pretty much accidental corrolary, but rather due to the presence
in the water of a powerful and primitive antioxidant known as the negative
hydrogen ion. This ion, which usually is very short-lived in nature
due to its powerful properties, is actually present in the water
in a protected or clustered form, wherein each negative hydrogen ion is
protected by a cage (or cluster) of water molecules. The scientific
research shows that it is the presence of this H-minus ion which gives
so-called "alkaline ionized water" its powerful antioxidant effects.
Due to the presence of the H-minus ion, the water also exhibits a clustering
effect different from normal water or tap water, and usually shows a reduced
cluster size and reduced surface tension. These two latter properties
(reduced cluster size and reduced surface tension), which are also created
by the presence of the H-minus ion, are also believed to have some beneficial
effect upon the health of humans and animals.
In summary, it appears that any beneficial health effects of alkaline
ionized water, or more properly, ERW, are due not to its alkalinity or
alkaline mineral (calcium, magnesium) content, but rather due primarily
to the presence of a simple, primal, primitive and primeval antioxidant
called the negative hydrogen ion, which has been called the orginal primoridal
antoxidant which was present for use by life on earth when it first evolved.
There may be some secondary beneficial bio-effects due to the reduced cluster
size of the water and its reduced surface tension. To learn more
about the H-minus ion and its bioeffects, please refer to other pages on
this website.
Lastly, it is important to understand that the alkalinity of ERW,
even when in the pH 11 to pH 12 range, is what is known as "weakly buffered",
and thus will usually not damage tissue, as it is almost immediately netrualized
by other substances. However, for this same reason, this alkalinity
is not enough strong or well-buffered enough to significantly shift the
acid-alkaline balance of the body.
Close-up: Acid Ionized Water, or Electrolyzed Oxidized Water
Many vendors of commercial and household water ionizers call the
water from the oxidizing, or positive pole, side of the ionizers "acid
water" or "acid ionized water". However, this name is somewhat misleading,
since it could imply that the antimicrobial and antiseptic effects of the
water are due to its acidity. Indeed, many vendors and manufacturers
of water ionizers who claim beneficial effects upon human and animal skin
health and upon plants from the "acid water" do attribute the beneficial
effects rather vaguely to the "acidity" of the water.
Whenever articles have appeared in the peer-reviewed scientific literature
about so-called "acid ionized water", the water has, more appropriately,
usually been referred to as "electrolyzed oxidized water", or EAW, and
more rarely, sometimes as "electrolyzed acidic water", or EAW. The
word "oxidized" comes from the fact that the water has been chemically
"oxidized" by electolysis, where oxidation (as in rust) is a chemical process
which is the opposite of reduction. The research in the scientific
literature and in dozens of labs around the world has shown that EAW often
does exhibit markedly strong antiseptic and anti-microbial effects, often
with no damage to skin of humans or animals, and with little or no damage
to the exterior surfaces of plants. The antiseptic effects of EAW,
in the lab, and on the external skin of humans, animals and plants, does
not seem to be due at all to is acidity, which is a pretty much accidental
corrolary, but rather due to the presence in the water of a wide variety
of powerful and primitive oxidizing agents, collectively known as peroxides
and superoxide ions, as well as a variety of other highly reactive forms
of oxygen ions. The scientific research shows that it is the presence
of these strong and primitive oxidizing ions which gives so-called "acid
ionized water" its powerful antioxidant effects.
In summary, it appears that any antiseptic effects of acid ionized
water, or more properly, EAW, are due not to its acidity or acid mineral
content, but rather due primarily to the presence of several simple species
of primal, primitive and primeval oxidizers, some of which are superoxide
ions and peroxide ions. It is important to understand that the acidity
of EAW, even when in the pH 2 to pH 3 range, is what is known as "weakly
buffered", and this explains why it will will usually not damage human,
plant or animal tissue, as it is almost immediately neutralized by other
substances. Indeed, many commerical over-the-counter cola drinks
show a pH in the range of 2 to 3! However, for this same reason,
this acidity is not enough strong or well-buffered enough to significantly
shift the acid-alkaline balance in the environment and thereby damage micro-organisms
in that way. Rather, any antiseptic effects of EAW (and they are
often pronounced) are due to the oxidizing effects.