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Molecular Hydrogen Water

Alkaline Ionized Water and Diatomic Hydrogen Water

Alkaline ionized water is most efficiently produced by using an electric water ionizer. Alkaline ionized water (or molecular hydrogen water) is marketed by many names. Until recently this water was commonly referred to scientifically as Electrolyzed Reduced Water (ERW).

Now, scientists are often referring to it as Hydrogen Water. This is because research (especially in the past 10 years) has shown that the dissolved molecular hydrogen gas (H₂), present in water created by water ionizers, is what is mainly responsible for its many benefits. Perhaps the most accurate name is electrolytically-produced, hydrogen-enriched, alkaline water.

The Benefits

Due to the large amount of research, over the past ten years, on the effects of H₂ in water, we now know that the hydroxide ion (OH-) is NOT responsible for most of the positive effects observed when drinking alkaline ionized water. The active antioxidant in ionized water is dissolved molecular hydrogen (H₂).

In 2010, a review article, published in "Free Radical Research" stated; "It is not an overestimate to say that hydrogen's impact on therapeutic and preventative medicine could be enormous in the future". Since that article was published there have been over 200 peer-reviewed articles published, that focus on about 80 different diseases models, and that conclude that hydrogen appears to have a beneficial effect.

Great news for AlkaViva ionizer customers:

We have tested (using Reno city water as our source) ionized alkaline water from our top two models, the Vesta and Athena. Both consistently on demand produced H₂ concentrations of around .6 ppm at a 9.5 pH. Higher levels can be also achieved by slowing down the water flow etc. This is higher than test results obtained from any other water ionizer.

Water containing dissolved molecular hydrogen H₂ neutralizes only the free radicals that are directly toxic to cells and do not have a biologically important cell signaling role. Therefore alkaline, ionized water, with a good saturation of hydrogen molecules. appears to be the ideal choice of antioxidant.

The reason why the right brand of electric ionizer is the most efficient way of producing H₂ (hydrogen water) is because it produces, every time, consistent amounts of hydrogen in the water. Non-electric units rely on magnesium in their filters to make the hydrogen water and the filters need to remain immersed in water for a good while to get the levels of H₂they advertise. They are therefore more like batch units that will give no H₂ if used for more than a liter or two at once.

Taking the benefits one step further, AlkaViva ionizers are the only ionizers to give more than basic filtration of the input water. AlkaViva filters are the only ones that are USA made with results certified by an independent EPA laboratory. Failure to clean input water from contaminants means that certain heavy metals, pharmaceuticals etc present in your water can also be made more bio-available.

Background on Water Ionizers

In 1965 the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (JMHLW) approved water ionizers as a medical substance generator which could help with gastrointestinal symptoms under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. Currently Japanese companies still get certified through the JMHLW. In Korea, the Korean FDA certifies water ionizers sold or manufactured in that country.

There have been numerous peer reviewed article published in the past 15 years on the wide-ranging benefits from drinking alkaline, ionized water from a water ionizer. In that time there has been no reports of any negative effects.

Water ionizers have been sold in Asia for about 35 years and it is estimated that about 1 in 8 households in Japan and 1 in 12 households in South Korea use an electric ionizer. Electric ionizers have proven over this period to be safe and efficient devices for delivering enhanced water.

AlkaViva is the exclusive non-Asian agent for various ionizer brands. Our manufacturers are the largest in Asia supplies models to companies such as Samsung, Toyo, LG and Hyundai.

How Hydrogen Water is Created - using a Water Ionizer

Only water ionizers are capable of consistently producing alkaline water on demand that contains significant amounts of dissolved molecular hydrogen.(H₂) enriched water.

Each water ionizer contains a cell with plates. A small electrical current is applied to these plates. Membranes are placed between the electrodes to keep the acid and alkaline waters from mixing.

Electrolysis in an ionizer requires conductive minerals to be present. In theory you can produce hydrogen molecules (H₂ water) using pure water but that would require a lot more wattage per area of plate than the small amount needed in an electric ionizer. That is why AlkaViva sells a remineralizing filter for use with almost pure water, such as that produced using a reverse osmosis unit. It Is also beneficial to drink mineral rich water.

Four basic types of water are produced by a water ionizer (different brands produce variations on each type):
" Mildly alkaline water for drinking
" Mildly acidic water for topical use
" Strong alkaline water for cleaning
" Strong acidic water for cleaning

Alkaline drinking water (from an ionizer) typically has a pH of 8 - 10 and a Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) of -50 to -750 mV and a molecular hydrogen (H₂) level of about .5 ppm. The higher the -ORP the higher the H₂ but there is a level above which the water may taste unpleasant and is not recommended - or necessary.

Acidic ionized water typically has a pH of 4 - 6 and a ORP of +350 - +750 mV. There is no H₂ produced in the acidic water and this water is not used for drinking but has many other purposes (refer elsewhere on site). It is possible to create a sterilizing 2.5 - 3 pH acidic solution but this is not recommended as it can, over time, degrade the surface of the ionizing plates.

At the anode, (acidic water side) the H+ ions, or more accurately H₃0+ (hydronium) ions, are produced. At the cathode, an equal concentration of base (hydroxide ions or OH-) is produced. If the two are combined, there is no change in the pH of the water. The OH- ion is attracted to the positive electrode (anode) where they are oxidized to form oxygen gas (O₂) and hydrogen ions (H+). The OH- ion (hydroxide) is neither an antioxidant or an oxidizing agent. The hydroxide ion is not a reactive molecule - it contains stable paired electrons. The hydroxide ion is a BASE, but it is not a biological antioxidant.

The H+ ion is then attracted to the negative electrode (cathode) and is reduced to a hydrogen atom which immediately reacts with another H+ to form H₂ - molecular hydrogen gas.

The decrease in H+ ions results in a more alkaline pH. Since there are more H+ ions (as hydronium ions) at the anode, the pH is acidic. In other words, as you increase the pH, the H3O concentration decreases by the same amount that the OH- concentration increases. A 1-fold pH increase or decrease is a 10-fold change in the H3O+ concentration; changing the pH by 3 results in a 1,000-fold change in the H₃0+ concentration.

The actual diatomic molecular hydrogen produced and the pH and ORP vary due to the water ionizer used and the mineral content of the source water. The ability to produce high concentrations of molecular hydrogen at a pH of around 9.5 is probably the most important thing to consider when choosing a water ionizer.

ORP

In ionized water ORP reflects the difference between the presence of dissolved molecular hydrogen H₂and the concentration of H+. It measures the capacity of a solution to either release or accept electrons from chemical reactions. Oxidation is the loss of electrons. Reduction is GAINING electrons.

You can create a negative ORP by decreasing H+ (raising the pH) and/or increasing the dissolved molecular hydrogen concentration. You can make the ORP positive by increasing the H+ concentration (lowering the pH) and/or decreasing the dissolved molecular hydrogen concentration. Ideally it is best not to drink water with a positive ORP because it causes the body to reduce it at the expense of consuming electrical energy from the cell membrane. Tap water and most bottled waters have a positive ORP.

Having a negative ORP does not make ionized water an antioxidant. The concentration of H₂ is the determining factor of antioxidant power. Negative ORP is a general indicator of the presence of dissolved molecular hydrogen H₂ but it does not accurately measure the concentration. Because pH plays a large role in ORP, you can have one glass of ionized water with an ORP of -800 mV and another with an ORP of -400 mV but because of the differences in pH the second glass can have more molecular hydrogen than the first. Also once the pH is above 9.5, ORP is an invalid measurement of H₂.

The ability to produce high concentrations of molecular hydrogen at a pH of 9.5 is the most important thing to consider when choosing a water ionizer. A negative Oxidation-Reduction Potential (-ORP) is indicative of the presence of molecular hydrogen, but it is not a measurement of the concentration.

The Importance of ORP

• A high positive ORP (+ORP) kills pathogens by stealing electrons from the bacteria's DNA, cell membranes and proteins.
• The high ORP (+ORP) of electrolyzed oxidizing water makes it an effective way to kill bacteria and viruses.
• Oxygen has a high ORP and can damage DNA and proteins.
• Molecular hydrogen (H₂) has a very low ORP (-ORP) and is thus a reducing agent or antioxidant.
• Chlorine is added to tap water to kill bacteria because it has a high positive ORP.
• The ORP of the internal environment of a healthy person is always on the reductive side (negative). Human saliva and mother's milk has an ORP of -70 mv, with some redox couples below -350 mV.
• Drinking water with a positive ORP causes the body to reduce it at the expense of consuming electrical energy from cell membranes. Tap water, bottled water, rain water, RO water, have a positive ORP; most between 200-400 mV and as high as 500-600 mV.
• Optimal drinking water has a negative ORP. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the ORP of drinking water not exceed 60 mV.
• Freshly made fruit and vegetable juice have an ORP of around -50 mV.

Other Ways of Creating Diatomic Hydrogen Enriched Water

You can breathe H₂ gas, you can inject H₂ rich saline or use it as eye drops, you can bathe in it, you can put it on your skin, you can increase the production of H₂ by intestinal bacteria ... OR you can create H₂-rich water created by a water ionizer or from hydrogen-producing tablets. Which method is best? Early research suggests that the most effective - and easiest approach is to drink H₂-rich water. Hydrogen (H₂) water can be produced using electrolysis, dissolving tablets or dissolving H₂ gas into water

Tablets that dissolve in water are a convenient way to produce H₂ rich water. Using the right form of magnesium mixed with other ingredients, a reaction takes place with water to produce dissolved hydrogen gas.[Mg + 2 H₂0 >>> H₂ + 2OH-]. This is the most common method used by scientific researchers for human and animal studies. This method can achieve high concentrations of molecular hydrogen that is further enhanced when electrically ionized water is also used. This method produces by far the highest concentration of H₂ and is a great way to supplement the usage of clean, alkaline, ionizer water taken during the rest of the day.
For the best Hydrogen Tablets available we recommend H₂Viva. Find out more Here

Magnesium tablets that are taken internally without being dissolved in water may also be effective (one published study) but these tablets are hard to dissolve, even in a buffered acid solution. It may take several hours to release all the hydrogen gas, and this is similar to hydrogen gas produced by gut bacteria.

There is on the market a non-electric unit that claims to be capable of creating high levels of hydrogen water using flow through (like an electric ionizer) but in reality after about a liter of water flows through the production of H₂ drops dramatically because the magnesium does not have enough time to soak and react with the water.

Follow-up

To discover more about AlkaViva's hydrogen generating, alkaline water ionizers please click on following links:

Vesta H₂ Water Ionizer
Athena H₂ Water Ionizer
Delphi H₂ Undersink Water Ionizer