May I Please Have a Glass of Antioxidants?
by Robynne Smith and Brian Merkosky

Water is essential to plants, animals, and all living organisms. Without it, we perish. Adequate hydration is paramount to good health. But most of us are unaware that we are constantly living in a state of dehydration. Many beverages we consume are dehydrating, such as coffee, tea, sodas, and carbonated drinks. Symptoms of dehydration may be mistaken for illnesses such as asthma, digestive disorders, hypertension, increased cholesterol, weight gain, and arthritic joint problems. Our bodies are crying out for water but the quantity and quality of the water is more important than most people realize.

There are several remarkable locations in the world, including Lourdes, France; Nordenau, Germany; and Tlacote, Mexico where water has been shown to have healing and perhaps even miraculous properties. After WWII, scientists found that these waters contained antioxidants as measured by Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) and had an elevated pH (alkalinity). A discovery in 2007, showed dissolved hydrogen gas to be the source of these antioxidants. Initially thought to be an inert gas, it is now emerging as a revolutionary therapeutic antioxidant. There are over 400 peer-reviewed studies on hydrogen-enriched water, with results showing benefits in more than 150 medical conditions, some of which can be found at www.molecularhydrogenstudies.com.

Free radicals are highly reactive, unstable, and electron deficient. They steal electrons from healthy tissues (oxidation), which accelerates the rates of inflammation, disease processes, and even cancer. Antioxidants supply electrons to neutralize free-radicals, relieving this oxidative stress. Compared to other antioxidants, hydrogen gas is so small it can easily enter all cells, making it a very powerful antioxidant. It has also been shown to boost the body’s own antioxidation systems, thereby further reducing cellular damage and inflammation.

pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity, and human blood remains within a small range of 7.36 to 7.44, which is slightly alkaline. The pH of other tissues and organ systems will vary from acidic to alkaline with optimum ranges for each area. Stress, pollution, negative thoughts/emotions, and food we eat create acidic waste in the body leading to acidosis. Our bodies have mineral buffers (calcium, magnesium, potassium, or sodium), found in connective tissues and bones and work by neutralizing acidic wastes. Eating highly acidic diets will cause these minerals to become depleted, leading to joint problems, brittle bones, or other degenerative disorders. Unfortunately, the average North American lifestyle is primarily acid forming and the prevalence of these conditions is on the rise.

Today, we have many choices of water to drink: tap, bottled, reverse osmosis, distilled, spring, carbonated, alkaline, or alkalized waters. Since not all water is the same, how do we discern the best quality? Tap water is most readily available and the least expensive. Municipal water treatment plants process water through physical or chemical methods to make it safe for consumption. Tap water may contain chlorine, fluoride, lye, as well as traces of pesticides and pharmaceuticals.

Bottled water, a favourite choice of many, has a few concerns such as chemicals (BPA) from the plastic leeching into the water, ecological issues for disposal of the bottles, and the process to purify tap water using reverse osmosis (RO). The RO process pushes water through a membrane to remove salts, minerals, and many impurities. Distilled water, similar to RO water, is produced by boiling the water. If minerals are re-added, they can be in a form that cannot properly be utilized by the body, thereby causing further depletion of the body’s own minerals. Exposure of these waters to air will result in absorption of carbon dioxide, making them acidic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued recommendations that RO water can cause health concerns if used for extended periods.

Natural springs may be a great source of water but in recent years, pollution is making them scarce. Even from a clean source, water will become oxidized during transport and the use of plastic bottles reduces the health benefits. Carbonated waters and sodas contain carbon dioxide which is acid forming and are highly oxidizing. They may also contain additives such as sugar, aspartame, or sucralose which can adversely affect our health.

Alkaline water can be produced by a chemical process, such as adding baking soda or other alkaline minerals. This may cause digestive issues by neutralizing our stomach acid. Alkalized water, however, is produced by a water ionizer using electricity to split the H2O molecule into electron rich hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions. The pH levels for both chemical and electrical methods will be alkaline, but their effects on the body will be drastically different.

In 1965, the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare approved ionizers to be known as “medical substance generators.” Japan was the first country to use large ionizers in hospitals with great healing results. Smaller medical grade ionizers were later developed for home use to meet the demand from recently discharged patients. WHO statistics show that Japan has ranked #1 in longevity for several years.

There are many water ionizers available on the market, one of which is Enagic®, which offers the only currently available certified medical grade ionizer that can turn ordinary tap water into hydrogen-rich Kangen Water®, while maintaining the minerals our bodies need.  An Enagic ionizer has a three-layer filter to remove chlorine, rust, sediment, yet it does not eliminate important minerals.  It also produces water for skin and hair care, pet care, plants, eco-friendly disinfecting, and household cleaning products. 

The company’s philosophy is that true health comes with a healthy body, healthy mind, and financial health. Enagic is a member of the Direct Sales Association and the patented compensation plan combines the direct sales approach with a multi-level marketing model combining the best of both models. For further information on the products, business opportunities, presentations, or for free water trials, please contact Robynne or Brian.

Robynne Smith is a physical therapist with an interest in balance and dizziness. She is a former contributing writer to the Neighbourhood Express and can be contacted at www.BalancedLifeHydration.com. Also, see the colour display ad on page 12 of the 21.3 September/October issue of the WHOLifE Journal.

Brian Merkosky has a passion for science and has studied chemistry at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Institute. He now teaches people how to live a healthy lifestyle through foods, herbs, and water. He can be contacted at brian@hydrogenwater.ca or visit www.hydrogenwater.ca.