FAQ
There a number of questions that can come up while researching alkaline water. Everyone who attempts to answer them has a bias based on what they are trying to sell, what they heard from an "upline" or what they read on some guru's blog. We have a bias as well; we think simplicity and natural processes are best. With that said, here are our answers to what we've seen as the most common questions.
How do you create the alkalinity?
Alkaline water can be created 2 ways. It can be done synthetically with electricity (like Enagic) or naturally (like our system) through dissolved minerals... emulating what has happened during the water cycle since the dawn of time.
What about Micro-clustering?
We're not sure where the relationship of cluster size and hydration first came together, but we do know this explanation doesn't do the true hydration process justice.
There is plenty of evidence, including Magnetic Resonance Analysis, showing alkaline, ionized water has smaller cluster sizes and therefore reduced surface tension. It confirms what we feel when we drink and the response so many have had by saying the water "seems wetter" and is easier going down. But cluster size seems to have more to do with extracellular water and building a better lattice work of molecules throughout our body than completely responsible for hydration.
In 2003, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Peter Agre for his discovery of Aquaporins. Aquaporins are water canals that transport substances in and out of our cells. His research indicated that water travels through the cell 1 molecule at a time and the 2 components responsible for how effective this process was were electrical charge and mineral content.
Inside of each aquaporin is a positive charge. Water with a slight negative charge was therefore pulled in while positive charges were pushed away. Additionally, it's very important to have the right balance of minerals.
When red blood cells are immersed in distilled water, they swell and burst because of the internal pressure created by the minerals inside. If the mineral concentration is too high, they become compacted and deformed. Like squeezing a balloon. However, when they are in an isotonic (mineral balanced) solution, they are soft, plump and well-functioning. Which is why if you ever need an IV for rehydration, the doc uses a saline solution, not distilled water.
So...while micro-clustering is a crucial component of healthy water, it needs to be in unison with electrical charge and mineral concentration. Our filters provide all 3.
Should I start at a low pH and work up?
This is a very common recommendation from ionizer reps and companies because a high percentage of new drinkers have detox symptoms. One way to mitigate that possibility is to start low and slow before working up.
However, as of this writing, we've had thousands of people begin using natural alkaline systems and less than .01% experience the detox. Because of the way our units are designed, they actually work in the opposite direction. A brand new filter will be most potent right out of the box and create the highest pH water of its life cycle early on.
It wasn't until several months into this company that we started noticing the lack of negative effects from our customers and started asking questions. The best answers we could come up with came from a couple of our distributors who specialize in the energy and biofeedback health care fields. Their testing led them to believe that our water was resonating and integrating/balancing into the body better than others they had tested. The only explanation we can come up with is that because we don't have a gap between our mineral content and pH level, the body accepts the transition easier.
Which means you don't have to worry about starting low and slow. Obviously you shouldn't drown yourself the first day, just replace your current water intake with water. You'll notice you're enjoying drinking this water and are able to drink more within a few days. From there just listen to your body.
Should I drink alkaline water with meals?
The idea that drinking mineral water will somehow mess up digestion is like saying eating greens will do the same thing and we should wash down our salad with a soda. How can a big green smoothie be good and mineral water not be?
We also recommend drinking a glass 20-30 mins before eating. This not only prepares the digestive tract for your meal, but it acts as a appetite suppressant as well.
Should I use alkaline water when I take pharmaceuticals?
This is the only time we recommend using something else. Pharma companies don't calculate delivery dosages or time-release formulas based on the absorption capabilities of alkaline ionized water. So choose another fluid to wash down the medication and give yourself a window of at least 30 minutes before and after with no alkaline water.
Doesn't stomach acid cancel the effects of alkaline water?
The best explanation we've found on this topic is from one of the pioneers in alkaline water who passed away in 2011, Sang Whang. Here's his answer in its entirety.
In order to digest food and kill the kinds of bacteria and viruses that come with the food, the inside of our stomach is acidic. The stomach pH value is maintained at around 4. When we eat food and drink water, especially alkaline water, the pH value inside the stomach goes up. When this happens, there is a feedback mechanism in our stomach to detect this and to command the stomach wall to secrete more hydrochloric acid into the stomach to bring the pH value back to 4. So the stomach becomes acidic again. When we drink more alkaline water, more hydrochloric acid is secreted to maintain the stomach pH value. It seems like a losing battle. However, when you understand how the stomach wall makes hydrochloric acid, your concerns will disappear. A pathologist friend of mine gave me the following explanation. There is no hydrochloric acid pouch in our body. If there were, it would burn a hole in our body. The cells in our stomach wall must produce it on an instantly-as-needed basis. The ingredients in the stomach cell that make hydrochloric acid (HCl) are carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and sodium chloride (NaCl) or potassium chloride (KCl). NaCl + H2O + CO2 = HCl + NaHCO3, or KCl + H2O + CO2 = HCl + KHCO3
As we can see, the byproduct of making hydrochloric acid is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3), which goes into blood stream. These bicarbonates are the alkaline buffers that neutralize excess acids in the blood; they dissolve solid acid wastes into liquid form. As they neutralize the solid acidic wastes, extra carbon dioxide is released, which is discharged through the lungs. As our body gets old, these alkaline buffers get low; this phenomenon is called acidosis. This is a natural occurrence as our body accumulates more acidic waste products. There is, therefore, a relationship between the aging process and the accumulation of acids.
By looking at the pH value of the stomach alone, it seems that alkaline water never reaches the body. But when you look at the whole body, there is a net gain of alkalinity as we drink alkaline water. Our body cells are slightly alkaline. In order for them to produce acid, they must also produce alkaline, and vice versa; just as a water ionizer cannot produce alkaline water without producing acid water, since tap water is almost neutral. (if he could only see us now!!)
How can you ionize the water without electricity?
How we increase alkalinity is pretty easy to understand. It's as simple as dissolving minerals into water. How the negative ionization is created is a little more complicated.
It comes down to physics versus chemistry. All electric ionizers utilize physics to send electrical current through the water (from one mineral particle to another) and violently rip the water apart.
Natural products like ours use chemistry instead. Which is easiest to explain using a relationship analogy.
The water molecule is held together by a weak bond between 2 Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen atoms. Think of Oxygen as a good looking, rich bachelor walking into the room with a pretty twin on each arm.
As the night goes on, Oxygen notices Magnesium sitting across the room. He can't take his eyes off her. She's magnetic and nothing like the 2 shallow, but attractive, girls he brought with him. He keeps trying to get closer to her. The twins notice his wayward glances and tug a bit on his arms to keep him close. They don't want to be stuck looking for another partner again.
After a while though it becomes futile. The attraction becomes too strong and he breaks away to ask Magnesium to dance. They connect immediately and there is no getting them apart.
He leaves with her and the twins are stuck looking for a new dance partner and a ride home.
Alkaline water is full of those lonely twins (hydrogen) who then find their perfect match in our bodies after we drink. Because of their lonely electron (negative charge), they immediately latch on to the positively charged free radicals to provide antioxidant protection.
If that works for you, stop reading now, because it's going to get more complicated. Some people like a more technical illustration.
How do you create the alkalinity?
Alkaline water can be created 2 ways. It can be done synthetically with electricity (like Enagic) or naturally (like our system) through dissolved minerals... emulating what has happened during the water cycle since the dawn of time.
What about Micro-clustering?
We're not sure where the relationship of cluster size and hydration first came together, but we do know this explanation doesn't do the true hydration process justice.
There is plenty of evidence, including Magnetic Resonance Analysis, showing alkaline, ionized water has smaller cluster sizes and therefore reduced surface tension. It confirms what we feel when we drink and the response so many have had by saying the water "seems wetter" and is easier going down. But cluster size seems to have more to do with extracellular water and building a better lattice work of molecules throughout our body than completely responsible for hydration.
In 2003, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Peter Agre for his discovery of Aquaporins. Aquaporins are water canals that transport substances in and out of our cells. His research indicated that water travels through the cell 1 molecule at a time and the 2 components responsible for how effective this process was were electrical charge and mineral content.
Inside of each aquaporin is a positive charge. Water with a slight negative charge was therefore pulled in while positive charges were pushed away. Additionally, it's very important to have the right balance of minerals.
When red blood cells are immersed in distilled water, they swell and burst because of the internal pressure created by the minerals inside. If the mineral concentration is too high, they become compacted and deformed. Like squeezing a balloon. However, when they are in an isotonic (mineral balanced) solution, they are soft, plump and well-functioning. Which is why if you ever need an IV for rehydration, the doc uses a saline solution, not distilled water.
So...while micro-clustering is a crucial component of healthy water, it needs to be in unison with electrical charge and mineral concentration. Our filters provide all 3.
Should I start at a low pH and work up?
This is a very common recommendation from ionizer reps and companies because a high percentage of new drinkers have detox symptoms. One way to mitigate that possibility is to start low and slow before working up.
However, as of this writing, we've had thousands of people begin using natural alkaline systems and less than .01% experience the detox. Because of the way our units are designed, they actually work in the opposite direction. A brand new filter will be most potent right out of the box and create the highest pH water of its life cycle early on.
It wasn't until several months into this company that we started noticing the lack of negative effects from our customers and started asking questions. The best answers we could come up with came from a couple of our distributors who specialize in the energy and biofeedback health care fields. Their testing led them to believe that our water was resonating and integrating/balancing into the body better than others they had tested. The only explanation we can come up with is that because we don't have a gap between our mineral content and pH level, the body accepts the transition easier.
Which means you don't have to worry about starting low and slow. Obviously you shouldn't drown yourself the first day, just replace your current water intake with water. You'll notice you're enjoying drinking this water and are able to drink more within a few days. From there just listen to your body.
Should I drink alkaline water with meals?
The idea that drinking mineral water will somehow mess up digestion is like saying eating greens will do the same thing and we should wash down our salad with a soda. How can a big green smoothie be good and mineral water not be?
We also recommend drinking a glass 20-30 mins before eating. This not only prepares the digestive tract for your meal, but it acts as a appetite suppressant as well.
Should I use alkaline water when I take pharmaceuticals?
This is the only time we recommend using something else. Pharma companies don't calculate delivery dosages or time-release formulas based on the absorption capabilities of alkaline ionized water. So choose another fluid to wash down the medication and give yourself a window of at least 30 minutes before and after with no alkaline water.
Doesn't stomach acid cancel the effects of alkaline water?
The best explanation we've found on this topic is from one of the pioneers in alkaline water who passed away in 2011, Sang Whang. Here's his answer in its entirety.
In order to digest food and kill the kinds of bacteria and viruses that come with the food, the inside of our stomach is acidic. The stomach pH value is maintained at around 4. When we eat food and drink water, especially alkaline water, the pH value inside the stomach goes up. When this happens, there is a feedback mechanism in our stomach to detect this and to command the stomach wall to secrete more hydrochloric acid into the stomach to bring the pH value back to 4. So the stomach becomes acidic again. When we drink more alkaline water, more hydrochloric acid is secreted to maintain the stomach pH value. It seems like a losing battle. However, when you understand how the stomach wall makes hydrochloric acid, your concerns will disappear. A pathologist friend of mine gave me the following explanation. There is no hydrochloric acid pouch in our body. If there were, it would burn a hole in our body. The cells in our stomach wall must produce it on an instantly-as-needed basis. The ingredients in the stomach cell that make hydrochloric acid (HCl) are carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and sodium chloride (NaCl) or potassium chloride (KCl). NaCl + H2O + CO2 = HCl + NaHCO3, or KCl + H2O + CO2 = HCl + KHCO3
As we can see, the byproduct of making hydrochloric acid is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3), which goes into blood stream. These bicarbonates are the alkaline buffers that neutralize excess acids in the blood; they dissolve solid acid wastes into liquid form. As they neutralize the solid acidic wastes, extra carbon dioxide is released, which is discharged through the lungs. As our body gets old, these alkaline buffers get low; this phenomenon is called acidosis. This is a natural occurrence as our body accumulates more acidic waste products. There is, therefore, a relationship between the aging process and the accumulation of acids.
By looking at the pH value of the stomach alone, it seems that alkaline water never reaches the body. But when you look at the whole body, there is a net gain of alkalinity as we drink alkaline water. Our body cells are slightly alkaline. In order for them to produce acid, they must also produce alkaline, and vice versa; just as a water ionizer cannot produce alkaline water without producing acid water, since tap water is almost neutral. (if he could only see us now!!)
How can you ionize the water without electricity?
How we increase alkalinity is pretty easy to understand. It's as simple as dissolving minerals into water. How the negative ionization is created is a little more complicated.
It comes down to physics versus chemistry. All electric ionizers utilize physics to send electrical current through the water (from one mineral particle to another) and violently rip the water apart.
Natural products like ours use chemistry instead. Which is easiest to explain using a relationship analogy.
The water molecule is held together by a weak bond between 2 Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen atoms. Think of Oxygen as a good looking, rich bachelor walking into the room with a pretty twin on each arm.
As the night goes on, Oxygen notices Magnesium sitting across the room. He can't take his eyes off her. She's magnetic and nothing like the 2 shallow, but attractive, girls he brought with him. He keeps trying to get closer to her. The twins notice his wayward glances and tug a bit on his arms to keep him close. They don't want to be stuck looking for another partner again.
After a while though it becomes futile. The attraction becomes too strong and he breaks away to ask Magnesium to dance. They connect immediately and there is no getting them apart.
He leaves with her and the twins are stuck looking for a new dance partner and a ride home.
Alkaline water is full of those lonely twins (hydrogen) who then find their perfect match in our bodies after we drink. Because of their lonely electron (negative charge), they immediately latch on to the positively charged free radicals to provide antioxidant protection.
If that works for you, stop reading now, because it's going to get more complicated. Some people like a more technical illustration.
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Oxygen is the 8th element on the periodic table. Which means it has 1 pair of electrons (2) in it's inner shell and 3 pair (6) in the outer. Oxygen needs 4 pair (8) of electrons in the outer for stability, so it's constantly looking for a way to fill the shortage.
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Hydrogen is the 1st element and has 1 electron. 2 Hydrogens can therefore connect with 1 Oxygen to make a stable, yet weakly connected, water molecule.
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Magnesium is the 12th element. 1 pair in the inner shell, 4 pair in the middle and 1 pair in the outer. It looks like this.
From Oxygen's perspective, Magnesium is much more attractive because it has a pair of electrons itself to donate offering a more stable and strong connection. |
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When Water and Magnesium get together, it looks like this. This reaction occurs millions of times in our products.
The 2 free Hydrogens then get together creating molecular Hydrogen. This molecular Hydrogen is then consumed by the glass and broken down by our hydrogenase enzymes.
The result is a negatively charged water rich in the universe's most powerful antioxidant. Hydrogen.
If you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of Hydrogen, then I suggest Vinny Pinto's site. Just Google him and set aside a few hours to read and comprehend.
If you have questions or thoughts, please let us know. We will be happy to assist you.
The 2 free Hydrogens then get together creating molecular Hydrogen. This molecular Hydrogen is then consumed by the glass and broken down by our hydrogenase enzymes.
The result is a negatively charged water rich in the universe's most powerful antioxidant. Hydrogen.
If you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of Hydrogen, then I suggest Vinny Pinto's site. Just Google him and set aside a few hours to read and comprehend.
If you have questions or thoughts, please let us know. We will be happy to assist you.
