Understanding
Alkaline Antioxidant Water - Ionized Water
By
Hidemitsu Hayashi, M.D., Heart Surgeon and Director of the Water
Institute of Japan
The
bodies of all living organisms are composed largely of water. About
70 to 90 percent of all organic matter is water.
The chemical
reactions in all plants and animals that support life take place in a
water medium. Water not only provides the medium to make these life sustaining
reactions possible, but water Itself is often an important reactant or
product of these reactions. In short, the chemistry of life is water chemistry.
Water - The Universal
Solvent
Water is
a universal solvent due to the marked molecule and its tendency to form
hydrogen bonds with other molecules. One water molecule, expressed with
the chemical symbol H20, consists of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.
Water molecule
Standing
alone, the hydrogen atom contains one positive proton at its core with
one negative electron revolving around it in a three dimensional shell.
Oxygen, on the other hand, contains 8 protons in its nucleus with 8 electrons
revolving around it. This is often shown in chemical notation as the letter
"0" surrounded by eight dots representing 4 sets of paired electrons.
Oxygen atom and its electrons
The single
hydrogen electron and the 8 electrons of oxygen are the key to the chemistry
of life because this is where hydrogen and oxygen atoms combine to form
a water molecule, or split to form ions.
Polar attraction between water molecules
Hydrogen
tends to ionize by losing Its electron and form single H+ ions which are
simply isolated protons since the hydrogen atom contains no neutrons.
A hydrogen bond occurs when the electron of a single hydrogen atom is
shared with another electronegative atom such as oxygen that lacks an
electron.
In a water
molecule, two hydrogen atoms are covalently bonded to the oxygen atom.
But because the oxygen atom is larger than the hydrogen's, its attraction
for the hydrogen's electrons is correspondingly greater so the electrons
are drawn closer into the shell of the larger oxygen atom and away from
the hydrogen shells. This means that although the water molecule as a
whole Is stable, the greater mass of the oxygen nucleus tends to draw
in all the electrons in the molecule including the shared hydrogen electrons
giving the oxygen portions of the molecule a slight electronegative charge.
The shells
of the hydrogen atoms, because their electrons are closer to the oxygen,
take on a small electropositive charge. This means water molecules have
a tendency to form weak bonds with other water molecules because the oxygen
end of the molecule is negative and the hydrogen ends are positive.
A hydrogen
atom, while remaining covalently bonded to the oxygen of its own molecule,
can form a weak bond with the oxygen of another molecule. Similarly, the
oxygen end of a molecule can form a weak attachment with the hydrogen
ends of other molecules. Because water molecules have this polarity, water
is a continuous chemical entity. These weak bonds play a crucial role
in stabilizing the shape of many of the large molecules found in living
matter. Because these bonds are weak, they are readily broken and reformed
during normal physiological reactions. The disassembly and rearrangement
of such weak bonds is in essence the chemistry of life.
 |
 |
To illustrate
water's ability to break down other substances, consider the simple example
of putting a small amount of salt in a glass of tap water. With dry salt
(NaCI) the attraction between the electropositive sodium (Na+) and electronegative
chlorine (Cl- ) atoms of salt is very strong until it is placed in water.
After salt is placed in water, the attraction of the electronegative oxygen
of the water molecule for the positively charged chloride Ions, and the
similar attraction of the electropositive hydrogen ends of the water molecule
for the negatively charged chloride ions, are greater than the mutual
attraction between the outnumbered NA+ and CL ions. In water the ionic
bonds of the sodium chloride molecule are broken easily because of the
competitive action of the numerous water molecules.
As we can
see from this simple example, even the delicate configuration of individual
water molecules enables them to break relatively stronger bonds by conveying
on them. This is why we call water the universal solvent. It is a natural
solution that breaks down the bonds of larger, more complex molecules.
This is the chemistry of life on earth in water and on land.
Oxidation - Reduction
Reactions
Basically, reduction
means the addition of an electron (e-), and its converse, oxidation means
the removal of an electron. The addition of an electron, reduction, stores
energy in the reduced compound. The removal of an electron, oxidation, liberates
energy form the oxidized compound. Whenever one substance is reduced, another
is oxidized. To clarify these terms, consider any two molecules, A and 9,
for example:
Ae-
Electron
Donor |
+ |
B
Electron
Receptor
|
- |
A
Oxidized Reduced
(lost an electron) |
+ |
Be–
Reduced
(Gained an electron) |
When molecules
A and B come into contact, here is what happens:
- B grabs
an electron from molecule A.
- Molecule
A has been oxidized because it has lost an electron.
- The net
charge of 8 has been reduced because it has gained a negative electron
(e-).
In biological
systems, removal or addition of an electron constitutes the most frequent
mechanism of oxidation-reduction reactions. These oxidation-reduction reactions
are frequently called redox reactions.
Acid & Bases
An acid is a
substance that increases the concentration of hydrogen ions(H+) in water.
A base is a substance that decreases the concentration of hydrogen ions,
in other words, increasing the concentration of hydroxide ions OH-. The
degree of acidity or alkalinity of a solution is measured in terms of a
value known as pH, which is the negative logarithm of the concentration
of hydrogen ions:
pH=1/log[H+] =-Iog[H+]
What is pH?
On the pH scale,
which ranges from 0 on the acidic end to 14 on the alkaline end, a solution
is neutral if its pH is 7. At pH 7, water donations equal concentrations
of H+ and OH- ions. Substances with a pH less than 7 are acidic because
they contain a higher concentration of H+ ions. Substances with a pH higher
than 7 are alkaline because they contain a higher concentration of OH- that
H+. The pH scale is a log scale so a change of one pH unit means a tenfold
change in the concentration of hydrogen ions.
Importance Of Balancing pH
Living things
are extremely sensitive to pH and function best (with certain exceptions,
such as certain portions of the digestive tract) when solutions are nearly
neutral. Most interior living matter (excluding the cell nucleus) has a
pH of about 6.8. Blood plasma and other fluids that surround the cells in
the body have a pH of 7.2 to 7.3. Numerous special mechanisms aid in stabilizing
these fluids so that cells will not be subject to appreciable fluctuations
in pH. Substances which serve as mechanisms to stabilize pH are called buffers.
Buffers have the capacity to bond ions and remove them from solution whenever
their concentration begins to rise. Conversely, buffers can release ions
whenever their concentration begins to fall. Buffers thus help to minimize
the fluctuations in pH. This is an important function because many biochemical
reactions normally occurring in living organisms either release or use up
ions.
MICROWATER
THEORY
Why do we get sick?
Oxygen - Too much of a good thing?
Oxygen is essential
to survival. It is relatively stable in the air, but when too much is absorbed
into the body R can become active and unstable and has a tendency to attach
itself to any biological molecule, includingmolecules of healthy cells.
The chemical activity of these free radicals is due to one or more pairs
of unpaired electrons. About 2% of oxygen we normally breathe becomes active
oxygen, and this amount increases to approximately 20% with aerobic exercise.
Superoxide an ion radical
Such free radicals
with unpaired electrons are unstable and have a high oxidation potential,
which means they are capable of stealing electrons from other cells. This
chemical mechanism is very useful in disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide
and ozone which can be used to sterilize wounds or medical instruments.
Inside the body these free radicals are of great benefit due to their ability
to attack and eliminate bacteria, virus and other waste products.
Active Oxygen
In The Body
Problems arise,
however, when too many of these free radicals are turned loose in the body
where they can also damage normal tissue. Putrefaction sets in when microbes
in the air invade the proteins,peptide, and amino acids of eggs, fish and
meat. The result is an array of unpleasant substances such as:
- Hydrogen
sulfide
- Ammonia
- Histamines
- Indoles
- Phenols
- Scatoles
These substances
are also produced naturally in the digestive tract when we digest food,
resulting in the unpleasant odor evidenced in feces. Putrefaction of spoiled
food is caused by microbes in the air, this natural process is duplicated
in the digestive tract by intestinal microbes. All these waste products
of digestion are pathogenic, that is, they can cause disease in the body.
Hydrogen
sulfide and ammonia are tissues toxins that can damage the liver. Histamines,
contribute to allergic disorders such as a topic dermatitis, urticaria
(hives) and asthma. Indoles and phenols are considered carcinogenic.
Because waste
products such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia,histamines, phenols and indoles
are toxic, the body's defense mechanisms try to eliminate them by releasing
neutrophils a (type ofleukocyte, or white corpuscle). These neutrophils
produce active oxygen, oddball oxygen molecules that are capable of scavenging
out and disintegrating tissues by gathering electrons from the molecules
of toxic cells.
Problems
arise, however, when too many of these active oxygen molecules, or free
radicals, are produced in the body. They are extremely reactive and can
also attach themselves to normal, healthy cells and damage them genetically.
These active oxygen radicals steal electron from normal, health biological
molecules. This electron theft by active oxygen oxidizes tissue and can
cause disease.
| Effects
of Oxidation on Vital Organs |
| Oxidized
Tissue |
Leads
to: |
| Liver |
Hepatitis,
cirrhosis, cancer |
| Pancreas |
Pancreatitis,
diabetes, cancer |
| Kidney |
Nephritis,
nephrosis, cancer |
Because active
oxygen can damage normal tissue, it is essential to scavenge this active
oxygen from the body before it can cause disintegration of healthy tissue.
If we can find an effective method to block the oxidation of healthy tissue
by active oxygen, then we can attempt to prevent disease.
|
Hydrogen
sulfide, ammonia, histamines, indoles, phenols, and scatoles present
in the digestive tract of the human body.
|
|
In
order to protect the body from damage by hydrogen sulfide, ammonia,
histamines, indoles, phenols and scatoles, neutrophils (leukocytes)
produce active oxygen to oxidize these waste products.
|
| Excess
production of active oxygen occurs. |
|
Excess
active oxygen can damage normal, healthy biological cell molecules
and alter their genetic codes.
|
Antioxidants Block
Dangerous Oxidation
One way to
protect healthy tissue from the ravages of oxidation caused by active
oxygen is to provide free electrons to active oxygen radicals,thus neutralizing
their high oxidation potential and preventing them from reacting with
healthy tissue.
Research
on the link between diet and cancer is far from complete, but some evidence
indicates that what we eat may affect our susceptibility to cancer. Some
foods seem to help defend against cancer, others appear to promote it.
Much of the
damage caused by carcinogenic substances in food may come about because
of an oxidation reaction in the cell. In this process,an oddball oxygen
molecule may damage the cell's genetic code. Some researchers believe
that substances that prevent oxidation - called ANTIOXIDANTS - can block
the damage. This leads naturally to the theory that the intake of natural
antioxidants could be an important aspect of the body's defense against
cancer. Substances that some believe inhibit cancer include vitamin C,
vitamin E, beta-caroteneselenium, and glutathione (an amino acid). These
substances are reducing agents. They supply electrons to fee radicals
and block the interaction of free radical with normal tissue.
How we can avoid
illness?
As we mentioned
earlier, the presence of toxic waste products such as hydrogen sulfide.
ammonia, histamines, indoles, phenols and scatoles impart an offensive
odor to human feces. In the medical profession, it is well known that
patients suffering from hepatitis and cirrhosis pass particularly odoriferous
stools.
Excessively
offensive stools caused by the presence of toxins are indicators of certain
diseases, and the body responds to the presence of these toxins by producing
neutrophil Ieukocytes to release active oxygen in an attempt to neutralize
the damage to organs that can be caused by such waste products. But when
an excess amount of such active oxygen is produced, it can damage healthy
cells as well as neutralize toxins. This leads us to the conclusion that
we can minimize the harmful effect of these active oxygen radicals by
reducing them with an ample supply of electrons.
Water - The Natural
Solution
There is
no substitute for a healthy balanced diet, especially rich in antioxidant
materials such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and other foods
that are good for us. However, these substances are not the best source
of free electrons that can block the oxidation of healthy tissue by active
oxygen.
Water treated
by electrolysis to increase its reduction potential is the best solution
to the problem of providing a safe source of free electrons to block the
oxidation of normal tissue by free oxygen radicals. We believe that reduced
water, water with an excess of free electrons to donate to active oxygen,
is the best solution because:
- The reduction
potential of water can be dramatically increased over other antioxidants
in food or vitamin supplements.
- The molecule
weight of reduced water is low, making it fast acting and able to reach
all tissues of the body in a very short time.
Microwater
is the product of mild electrolysis which takes place in the Microwater
unit. The production of Microwater, its properties, and how it works in
the human body are described in the next section. Microwater is treated
tap water that has not only been filtered, but has also been reformed
in that it provides reduced water with a large mass of electrons that
can be donated to active oxygen in the body to block the oxidation of
normal cells.
THE MICRO WATER
UNIT
Tap Water - What
it is and isn't
Normal
tap water, for example, with a pH of 7 is approximately neutral on
the pH scale of 0 to 14. When measured with an ORP (oxidation potential)
meter its redox potential is approximately +400 to +500 mV. Because
it has a positive redox potential, it is apt to acquire electrons
and oxidize other molecules. Reduced microwater, on the other hand,has
a negative redox potential of approximately -250 to -350 mV. This
means it has a large mass of electrons ready to donate to electron
thieving active oxygen.
Before
discussing the properties of microwater further, let's take a look
at what happens inside the Microwater unit.
How The Microwater
Units Works
The Microwater
unit, slightly taller and thicker than a large dictionary on end, is an
electrical appliance connected to your kitchen water supply to perform
electrolysis on tap water before you drink it or use it in the kitchen
for cooking or cleaning.
A special
attachment redirects tap water out of the faucet through a plastic hose
into the Microwater unit. Inside the Microwater unit, the water is first
filtered through activated charcoal. Next, the filtered water passes into
an electrolysis chamber equipped with a platinum-coated titanium electrode
where electrolysis takes place.
Cations,
positive ions, gather at the negative electrodes to create cathodic water
(reduced water). Anions, negatively charged ions gather at the positive
electrode to make anodic water (oxidized water).
Through electrolysis,
reduced water not only gains an excess amount of electrons (e-), but the
cluster of H20 seem to be reduced in size form about 10 to 13 molecules
per cluster to 5 to 6 molecules per cluster.
The reduced
water comes out of the faucet, and the oxidized water comes out of a separate
hose leading into the sink. You can use the reduced water for drinking
or cooking. The oxidation potential of the oxidized water makes it a good
sterilizing agent, ideal for washing hands, cleaning food or kitchen utensils,
and treating minor wounds.
What The Microwater
Unit Produces - Redox Potential Comparison
After electrolysis
of the water inside the Microwater unit, reduced water comes out of the
cathodic side and oxidized water comes out of the anodic side. Compare
these measurements of these three types of water tap water before electrolysis,
the reduced water, and the oxidized water.
| Reduction-oxidation
(redox) potential |
| Water
Type |
Redox
Potential |
pH |
What
it Means |
| Tap
Water |
+400
to +500 mV |
7 |
Slight
oxidation potential |
| Reduced
Water |
-250
to -350 mV |
8 |
Strong
reduction potential, contains a mass of electrons that can be donated
to free radicals. |
| Oxidized
Water |
+700
to +800 mV |
4 |
Strong
oxidation potential, a shortage of electrons giving it the ability
to oxidize and sterilize |
Redox Potential NOT pH - The Crucial Factor
Traditionally
we have judged the properties of water from the standpoint of pH, in other
words whether water is acidic or alkaline. According to Dr.Yoshiaki Matsuo
Ph.D., the inventor of the Microwater unit, "in my opinion, redox
potential is more important than pH. The importance of pH is over emphasized.
For example, the average pH of blood is 7.4 and acidosis or alkalosis
are defined according to deviation within the range of 7.4 + -0.05. But
nothing has been discussed about ORP, or oxidation-reduction potential."
The pH of tap
water is about pH 7 or neutral. When tap water is electrolyzed into microwater,
its reduced water has a pH of about 9 and the oxidized water a pH of about
4. Even if you make alkaline water of pH 9 by adding sodium hydroxide or
make acidic water of pH 3 by adding hydrogen chloride, you will find very
little change in the ORP values of the two waters. On the other hand, when
you divide tap water with electrolysis you can see the ORP fluctuate by
as much as + -1,000mV. By electrolysis we can obtain reduced water with
negative potential that is good for the body.
USING
MICROWATER - What Microwater Does
The microwater
unit produces two kinds of water with different redox potentials, one
with a high reduction potential and the other with a high oxidation potential.
Reduced Water
When taken internally,
the reduced microwater with its redox potential of-250 to -350 mV readily
donates its electrons to oddball oxygen radicals and blocks the interaction
of the active oxygen with normal molecules.
A biological
molecule (BM) remains intact and undamaged.
BM-e
|| MW-e + AO —> MW + AO-e
Undamaged
biological molecules are less susceptible to infection and disease. The
microwater gives up an extra electron and reduces the active oxygen (AO),
thus rendering it harmless. The AO is reduced without damaging surrounding
biological molecules. Substances which have the ability to counteract
active oxygen by supplying electrons are called scavengers. Reduced water,
therefore, can be called scavenging water.
When taken
internally, the effects of reduced water are immediate. Microwater inhibits
excessive fermentation in the digestive tract by reducing indirectly metabolites
such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia,histamines, indoles, phenols and scatoles,
resulting in a cleaner stool within days after reduced water is taken
on a regular basis. In 1965 the Ministry of Welfare of Japan announced
that reduced water obtained from electrolysis can prevent abnormal fermentation
of intestinal microbes.
Oxidized Water
Oxidized
water with its redox potential of + 700 to + 800 mV is an oxidizing agent
that can withdraw electrons from bacteria and kill them. The oxidized
water from the Microwater unit can be used to clean hands,kitchen utensils,
fresh vegetables and fruits, and to sterilize cutting boards and minor
wounds. Tests have shown that oxidized water can be used effectively to
treat athlete's foot, minor burns, insect bites,scratches, and so on.
Dr. Yoshiaki
Matsuo, Vice Director of the Water Institute of Japan, has developed another
apparatus capable of producing hyper-oxidized water with a redox potential
of +1,050 mV or more and of pH lower than 2.7. Tests have shown that this
hyper-oxidized water can quickly destroy MRSA (Methecillin Resistant Staphylococcus
Aureus).
Although
hyper-oxidized water is a powerful sterilizing agent, it won't harm the
skin. In fact, it can be used to heal. Hyper-oxidized water has proven
effective in Japanese hospitals in the treatment of bedsores and operative
wounds with complicated infections.
But perhaps
the most exciting future application of hyper-oxidized water is in the
field of agriculture where it is has been used effectively on plants to
kill fungi and other plant diseases. Hyper-oxidized water is non-toxic,
so agricultural workers can apply it without wearing special protective
equipment because there is no danger of skin or respiratory damage. An
added benefit of using hyper-oxidized water to spray plants is that there
is no danger to the environment caused by the accumulation of toxic chemicals
in the ground.
Microwater Superior
To Antioxidant Diet
Today we
read much about correct dieting principles and paying attention to what
we eat in order to stay healthy. This is a sensible practice, but it is
surprising that many of us don't realize that the bulk of what we eat
is composed of water. Vegetables and fruits are 90% water; fish and meat
are about 70% water as well.
Even advocates
of the importance of vitamin C in diet staples have to admit that its
potency, namely, the redox potential of this important vitamin, rapidly
diminishes with age and preparation for the dining table. Carbohydrates,
the main consistent of vegetables and fruit, has molecular weight of 180
whereas water has a much lower molecular weight of 18.
| Molecular
Weight Compared |
| Substances |
Molecular
Weight |
| Microwater |
18 |
| Beta-carotene |
150 |
| Vitamin
E |
153 |
| Vitamin
C |
176 |
Microwater,
with its low molecular weight and high reduction potential,makes it a
superior scavenging agent of active oxygen. But electrolysis inside the
Microwater unit not only charges the reduced water with electrons, it
also reduces the size of reduced water molecule clusters.
NMR (nuclear
magnetic resonance) analysis reveals that tap water and well water consists
of clusters of 10 to 13 H20 molecules. Electrolysis of water in the Microwater
unit reduces these clusters to about half their normal size - 5 to 6 water
molecules per cluster.
As the graph
shows, the NMR signal that measures cluster size by line width at half-amplitude
shows 65 Hz for reduced water and 133 Hz for tap water, revealing that
the reduced water clusters are approximately half the size of tap water
clusters.
This is why
microwater is more readily absorbed by the body than untreated tap water.
Microwater quickly permeates the body and blocks the oxidation of biological
molecules by donating its abundant electrons to active oxygen, enabling
biological molecules to replace themselves naturally without damage caused
by oxidation that can cause diseases.
Summary
and Conclusions
Upstream
& Downstream Theory - Prevent Disease At The Source
According
to Dr. Hidemitsu Hayashi, Director of the water Institute of Japan, "To
eliminate the pollutants in a large stream that is contaminated as its
source, we must work on the problem upstream at the headwaters - the source
of the pollution - not downstream where we can only try to treat the evidence
of damage caused by the pollution. Microwater's contribution to preventative
medicine is essentially upstream treatment."
We consider
the digestive tract upstream where we intake water and food. Although many
people today in developed countries are growing more skeptical about what
they eat, they tend to concentrate more on what the food contains rather
than the metabolized products of foods in the digestive tract.
Upstream
|
Reduced
water Indirectly reduces hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, histamines,
indoles,phenols, and scatoles and changes them into harmless substances.
|
| Defecation
of cleaner stools. |
For example,
consider the typical balanced diet of meat and vegetables. Meat protein
is metabolized into amines while nitrates form fertilizers used to grow
vegetables metabolize into nitrites in the digestive tract. These amines
and nitrites combine to form nitrosamine, a recognized carcinogen.
Vegetables
Meat
Nitrates
Protein
Nitrites
Amines
Nitrosamine
(carcinogen)
We've already
discussed that odoriferous feces are evidence of excessive fermentation
in the digestive tract, so reduced water performs a very important function
upstream in the digestive tract by reducing this excessive fermentation
as evidence by cleaner stools within days of starting a steady regimen of
reduced water.
Downstream
|
Reduced
water supplies electrons to excess, active oxygen free radicals
produced as a result of aerobic metabolism and reduces them,rendering
them harmless.
|
|
The
oxidation of normal, healthy cell molecules by active oxygen is
blocked. The biological molecules remain intact.
|
|
Diseases
linked to excessive oxidation of normal biological molecules are
prevented.
|
Downstream
from the digestive tract, starting at the liver, reduced water quickly
enters the liver and other organs due to, first, its lower molecular weight,
and, secondly, the size of its clusters. At tissue sites throughout the
body, reduced water with its safe, yet potent reduction potential readily
donates its passenger electrons freely to active oxygen and neutralizes
them so they cannot damage the molecules of healthy cells. Normal cells
are protected from the electron thievery of active oxygen and allowed
to grow, mature, function and regenerate without interference from rogue,
oddball oxygen radicals which tend to steal the electrons from he molecules
of normal, healthy biological molecules.
The Water Boom
We are now in
the midst of a water boom. In Japan and other countries consumers are buying
various kinds of bottled and canned water even though water is one of our
most abundant vital resources. Research data reveals that mineral waters
have an CRP of +200 mV, slightly lower than the +400 mV measured for ordinary
tap water. We can say that at least mineral water is marginally better than
tap water from the viewpoint of ORP. Compared to any processed water for
sale, however, microwater with its reduction potential of -250 to -300 mV
is beyond comparison due to its ability to scavenge active oxygen radicals.
