As it relates to drinking water and health, pH is the most misunderstood concept I know of. So, let's shine a little light on this subject.
We will discuss in this article that an alkaline pH reading, when measured in drinking water, can be the result of either a natural or unnatural cause. I will also detail why it is only the naturally alkaline pH that benefits health, while the unnatural causes problems; even though a testing device will measure both as 9.5, for example.
pH stands for the 'power or potential' of hydrogen. It is a dimensionless figure that represents the theoretical ratio of free H+ (hydrogen cations) and thus OH- (hydroxide anions). More H+ we have an acid and more OH- we have a base. The scale runs 0 to 14 and a pH of 7 is considered neutral, under 7 acid, and over 7 a base. Anything over 7 is also called alkaline. pH is a logarithmic scale. Each point higher or lower is 10 times more acidic or alkaline than the previous point.
Pure water is the basis of the pH scale and has a neutral pH of 7. Are you wondering why pure water, H2O, has any H+ or OH- at all, if it is indeed pure water? The answer to this question is a chemical phenomenon known as dissociation. Even in pure water some H2O molecules are always dissociating or breaking up into H+ and OH- ions. Generally they are also recombining into H2O at about the same rate. I call this the Dissociation Dance.
It is important to note that the context of this article is drinking water only. Healthy, natural drinking water includes the water itself and minerals, void of any toxins or poisons. It would overly confuse matters to include in this discussion all the various things we could add to water and how they effect pH.
The Dissociation Dance is always occurring in water. Some minerals added to water can effect this dissociation and recombining by 'mingling' with the H2O and ions. In the case of alkali earth metals such as calcium and magnesium, they influence the Dissociation Dance to fall out of balance and the water becomes more alkaline.
Water that is alkaline (a pH over 7) is more healthful as it provides mineral assets to the body. While not all of these minerals are nutritionally available, they do indeed buffer acids. Many health crusaders sacrificed their own health, albeit unintentionally, to give us this information- allow me to elaborate.
At one time, health fanatics raved about the benefits of demineralized water, generally distilled water. The underlying principle being that this is the purest water you can get. 'Pure' of course meaning nothing but water itself. It aided detoxification while not adding toxins when consumed. Great. However, astute physicians became aware of a growing trend. People consuming demineralized water (distilled or reverse osmosis) almost always became afflicted with a severe loss of bone density. This loss of bone density directly linked to drinking demineralized water stems from a few causes.
People living in 'modern' times generally live a life that is far removed from what is natural. Both increased stress and poor diets of overly processed and unnatural foods cause an excess of acidic conditions in the body. The body, which is perfectly capable of maintaining its own pH balance, uses minerals to buffer acid. When it is not getting enough of those minerals from the food or water ingested, it robs calcium from its own bones to neutralize the acid. This is further aggravated by the fact that demineralized water has a strong affinity to bond with minerals. Many of the food supplied minerals these individuals were consuming ended up expelled in urine without the body ever having an opportunity to utilize them. Drinking demineralized water is not a good thing. Maybe this is why it is so rarely found in nature?
At about the same time these facts were being discussed in the medical community, a machine from Japan called a water ionizer was beginning to gain popularity. These machines use a process called electrolysis, the splitting of water molecules with electricity, to artificially create a new type of alkaline water. Quite a few clinical studies, particularly in Japan, were performed using this water, which is scientifically referred to as ERW or Electrolyzed Reduced Water (also erroneously called alkaline, ionized water). Like all good studies, physical characteristics of the test water were noted such as pH, ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential), etc. A few of these studies sited a number of benefits observed from drinking this water. This is where capitalism stepped in.
Overnight it seemed the number of companies building and marketing these machines skyrocketed. Multi-level marketing programs were also built around them. Most notably is Enagic Inc., manufacturer of the Kangen water machines. Other manufacturers include Jupiter, KYK, and the list goes on. In a flurry of marketing and 'less than scientific' assessments, the health benefits derived from drinking ERW were erroneously bestowed upon the alkaline pH.
This all brings up an interesting question. If it is the minerals from alkaline water that the body needs, what is it possibly getting from an artificially created pH? That is, a pH not derived from the mineral content of the water, but rather electrolysis, merely creating an abundance of OH- and less H+. Can the body utilize these ions as if they were minerals? The answer is no. Does any water found in nature have a pH that does not perfectly match its mineral content? Again, no. The truth is, outside of the first 30 or so days of consumption, all ionizer benefits are a result of the negatively charged ion of hydrogen, H-. The H- is also responsible for the negative ORP measurement commonly referred to by the sellers of these machines.
While a pH test device may indicate two waters each have a pH of 9.5, this reading is merely an indicator of an effect and does not relay any cause. For this reason, I have coined two terms relative to pH. Stable and unstable. A stable pH is a pH that perfectly corresponds to the mineral content of the water. It is stable because the minerals in the water continually influence the Dissociation Dance and hold the pH relatively steady. An unstable pH is a pH where the H+ and OH- concentrations were artificially altered. An unstable pH does not correspond to the mineral content in the water. It is unstable because the water will more quickly revert back to a pH that is in harmony with its actual mineral content.
If you only take one thing away from this article it should be this: An alkaline pH is only beneficial to the body if it is natural, i.e. due to minerals in the water. All water coming from nature has a pH that perfectly corresponds to its mineral content.
The most common side effects of consuming water with an unstable pH is nervous tension, over-alkalization in the upper bowel, and compromised immune function. However, much more severe side effects were revealed in a clinical study involving mice. The study revealed injury to cardiac tissues (heart muscle) resulted from drinking ERW (Electrolyzed Reduced Water). In a time when cardiac disease is a leading killer, ERW is not an appropriate choice for drinking water.
From a natural standpoint, Electrolyzed Reduced Water is the GMO food (Genetically Modified Organism) of the water world. It is incredibly artificial and unnatural, never to be found in nature. If history has shown us anything, it is the further we remove ourselves from what is natural, the more our bodies fall out of balance and become susceptible to disease.
All ionizer machines (like Kangen) provide hydrogen derived benefits. They also provide unstable pH side-effects. It is not possible for an ionizer machine to separate the two. Fortunately, it is possible to get the hydrogen benefits without side-effects by using a small device known as a Hydrogen Water Stick; specifically Dr. Hayashi's Hydrogen-Rich Water Stick. This small stick, when placed in a water bottle, creates hydrogen-rich water for up to six months. Not surprisingly, it was Dr. Hayashi who performed many of the ionizer machine (Kangen, etc.) clinical studies cited earlier. Again, the Hydrogen Water Stick provides all the benefits of hydrogen without the harmful side effects of an unstable pH. The Hydrogen Water Stick is available here at InClean Health and at Hydrogen Friends. Hydrogen Friends also has the most information available online about the Hydrogen Water Stick.
In summary, an unstable pH harms the body and should be avoided. Ionizer machines like Kangen do not provide any benefits as a result of their unstable pH. All the benefits of such machines are a result of hydrogen (H-). You want to consume H2 or H- for hydrogen health benefits, not OH-. In the case of ERW, H- is responsible for the negative ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) measurement.
When it comes to alkaline water, only a stable pH provides the body with lasting benefits. A stable alkaline water combats osteoporosis while providing the body ample acid-buffering reserves. If you live a less than perfect lifestyle, a stable alkaline water is a necessity.
