Johan K.: The more you look into “alkaline water” on the internet, the more unsure you become!
For example, here on the site they don't write positive things about it: www.bestwater.de/faq/147-was-ist-basisches-wasser What's really about it, who can you believe the most, or...?
For the sake of simplicity, I have taken the article from the website mentioned (2016.08.06) and commented on it in color in the text:
The alkaline water
“Recently, various suppliers have been selling devices for prices ranging from €800,00 to over €3.000,00 that break down tap water - usually after a low-performance activated carbon pre-filtering - into a basic and an acidic component.”
Answer: It is not for nothing that activated carbon is one of the standard components of almost all water filters. In many cases it is sufficient. However, activated carbon (without selective ion exchange resins) does not filter heavy metals, so it is good to detect them Use a water filter with additional components (selective ion exchange resins)., which are recommended in addition to activated carbon for some water ionizers.
“The minerals dissolved in the water are separated using electrolysis using two electrodes to which a direct voltage is applied. The metal ions are enriched in one component, while the non-metal ions collect in the other component. The water is also broken down into hydroxide ions ((OH- = basic) and hydrogen ions (H+ = acidic).”
Answer: This is correct, but not complete. Molecular hydrogen also collects in the cathode chamber where drinking water is produced. This is the main goal of a water ionizer. The basic hydroxide ions are just a desired byproduct. They contribute to deacidification.
“If the starting water contains e.g. B. table salt (NaCl), a base is formed on one side, i.e. caustic soda, chemically NaOH, and on the other side, hydrochloric acid (hydrochloric acid), chemically HCl. The caustic soda now has a basic pH value and is referred to as “alkaline water” by the device suppliers, while the hydrochloric acid has an acidic pH range and is therefore “acidic water”. By the way, anyone could make such “alkaline water” very cheaply, even without expensive electrolysis equipment, by adding a few crumbs of caustic soda or caustic potash to pure water.”
Answer: This is a misunderstanding of a water ionizer based on complete ignorance of electrolysis processes. A lye consists of hydroxide ions and an associated lye residue - in the example given, the lye residue would be the sodium ion, each of which is opposed by a single hydroxide ion. In alkaline water from a water ionizer, which is correctly called “active water” or “reduced water”. One of its most important characteristics is that it has no lye character, because only the negligible lye residues from drinking water are present in the milligram range per liter. But the basic activated water has excessive amounts of free hydroxide ions, which are not counteracted by any lye residue. An example: If you were to bathe in a sodium bicarbonate with a pH of 12, you would be burned and a case for the undertaker. If you bathe in alkaline active water pH 12, your skin is only gently degreased and you feel great because the dissolved hydrogen penetrates your body.
“Depending on the area, tap water naturally also contains other substances such as: B. Calcium sulfate (gypsum), which is then broken down by electrolysis into calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) and sulfuric acid.”
Answer: Here too, basic knowledge of electrochemical processes is missing. Firstly, there is no plaster in the tap water, otherwise the water pipes would have to be constantly replaced because they are covered with plaster. Calcium sulfate is a solid. But that is not the case here because Calcium sulfate is dissolved in water and through the water in Calcium ions and sulfate ions falls apart. Through electrolysis, the calcium ions and the sulfate ions are separated into the cathode and anode chambers of the electrolytic cell. The calcium ions initially form calcium mineral colloids with molecular and atomic properties Hydrogen, which occurs during electrolysis arises. Only when the hydrogen gradually outgasses after production do the calcium ions form compounds, usually with carbonic acid, which form in the water or when air comes into contact with the atmosphere calcium carbonate react, which then falls out as a white veil from the alkaline active water if you don't drink it immediately. However, calcium carbonate is not harmful. Many buy it as nutritional supplements. In the case of electroactivated water, calcium hydroxide can also be formed through the reaction with hydroxide ions. This is characterized by the fact that it does not precipitate out of the water, but rather floats on top. However, this does not happen with household ionizers; it can only be observed with pot ionizers, which produce a pH > 11 in a very slow process. However, electrolyte water with pH > 11 is not alkaline active water for drinking, but so-called catholyte water, which is used for cleaning purposes.
“A variety of healing effects are now attributed to “alkaline water” on the grounds that most people’s organisms are over-acidic and that alkaline water would remedy this over-acidification.”
Answer: The source information for these “seals” is missing here. The fact that most people's organisms are hyperacidic is not only the opinion of many doctors, but is also supported by the scientifically proven fact that the bicarbonate level in the blood begins to fall dramatically from the age of 45. However, bicarbonate is the most important buffer against any acid load, whether through diet, exercise or other stress. Since the majority of the population, at least in industrialized countries, is over 45 years old due to the age pyramid, the statement that most people's organisms are acidic is obvious. Of course, there are also other methods to counteract hyperacidity, for example through infusions of bicarbonate. However, this is a medical emergency measure. The purpose of drinking alkaline active water is to make a “perpetuum mobile of deacidification” (Dr. med. Walter Irlacher) your daily companion by continuously drinking mildly alkaline water, instead of just drinking neutral tap water or even acidic mineral water. which in any case cannot prevent hyperacidity problems so easily.
“A number of individual case reports are cited as “evidence” according to which numerous health problems have improved. However, there is no scientific evidence that alkaline water has a health-promoting effect.”
Answer: This unfounded claim can be falsified by simply using the search terms “alkaline water” “studies”. There is now far more scientific work on the topic that has been recognized as the main health factor in the effect of alkaline activated water: dissolved hydrogen. See for example: http://www.molecularhydrogenfoundation.org/studies/
“It is even argued that one liter of “alkaline water” prepared in this way has the antioxidant power of ten lemons, although lemon juice is not at all alkaline, but on the contrary is extremely acidic (pH value 2,4). Such a comparison is not convincing, but rather proves the opposite.”
Answer: This argument rather demonstrates the author's complete ignorance of the subject. The fact that alkaline active water is alkaline has nothing to do with its antioxidant effect. Otherwise lye would also be antioxidant. The antioxidant effect of alkaline activated water has been proven many times and is solely due to the amount of dissolved hydrogen that is produced during electrolysis in the cathode chamber. The dissolved hydrogen reduces the redox potential of the water in an extraordinary way. Whether it is 10 times stronger than lemons depends primarily on the quality of the lemons. Sometimes it can be more and sometimes less. The antioxidant power of lemon depends primarily on ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Vitamin C, which has been oxidized by the aging of the lemon, can be replenished very well by molecular hydrogen, like all other antioxidants in our body.
“Why not “alkaline water”. healthy is
An alkaline effect would not even extend beyond the stomach, as the stomach's digestive juice is highly acidic and would immediately neutralize the alkaline water. This would rather weaken the stomach acid and the body would have to counteract by producing more stomach acid.”
Answer: This is another argument that shows the author's lack of competence. The water flows via the so-called “Little Stomach Street” over the digestive sac of the stomach, in which the stomach acid and the chyme are located (which, by the way, is water-repellent and does not mix with it), directly via the gatekeeper into the intestine. In addition, it was experimentally clarified by Prilutsky and Bakhir that even if mixing occurred, the effect on the gastric juice pH value would only be 0,1 pH, because alkaline activated water is not lye, but alkaline activated water. More about stomach acid and alkaline water in this video.
“According to reports from Japan, gastrointestinal problems have already occurred in many cases, especially in older people, who are often no longer able to produce sufficient stomach acid.”
Answer: After 12 years of research, I have been unable to locate these alleged reports from Japan. There is nothing like this in the scientific literature. Therefore, a reference to the source would be desirable. It is true that older people often no longer produce enough stomach acid. However, there is, for example, the theory of the Korean Sang Whang (reverse aging) that drinking alkaline water stimulates gastric juice production again.
“However, stomach acid is extremely important for digestion because the protein-splitting enzymes in the stomach are only active in the acidic pH range. Since the proteins can no longer be sufficiently broken down into amino acids, the body's own proteins cannot be formed and the undigested waste products can lead to allergies. Certain vitamins and minerals can no longer be adequately absorbed.
Stomach acid that is too weak also does not form a sufficient barrier for parasites, which can then enter the organism and settle in the tissue.”
Answer: See above: It's experimental by Prilutsky and Bakhir It has been clearly proven that the pH value of the stomach cannot be changed in such a way that digestive enzymes are blocked, even by drinking alkaline active water pH 10. The stomach pH remains unchanged even when diluted 100 times with alkaline active water and all digestive functions function perfectly.
“Unstable redox potential
Some suppliers of water ionizers advertise that the water produced with these devices releases electrons and binds free radicals through the resulting redox potential.
However, the redox potential of “ionized water” is so strong that it disrupts cellular redox signaling molecules that are central to the cell’s immune function.”
Answer: Some previous water ionizer suppliers actually have from “free electrons” fabricates. That free radicals be neutralized by electron donors, which is why they are used antioxidants is generally known.
However, the electrons available in basic water are not free-floating, but rather stored in dissolved hydrogen. Now measure that Redox potential of hydrogen-rich water, a redox reaction occurs at the measuring electrode in which the easily oxidized hydrogen releases its electrons. This creates the extremely negative redox potential of alkaline activated water. It shows that water has an immense willingness to give up electrons, i.e. to have an antioxidant or reducing effect. The speech of “Redox signaling molecules” is pseudoscientific nonsense. This is based on that ASEA™ structural sales invented term that is completely unknown in science “Redox signaling molecules”. There is no such thing and that is why these fantasy structures cannot be disturbed.
“On the other hand, this redox potential of “ionized water” is unstable under an air atmosphere and is lost very quickly through storage or transport.”
Answer: The fact that the half-life of the negative redox potential is an average of 3 hours, depending on the water composition, when exposed to the atmosphere under normal pressure is due to the outgassing of molecular hydrogen (Henry's law). There is hardly any hydrogen in the atmosphere, so the hydrogen partial pressure between the water and the atmosphere is equalized. This is also called “—> Relaxation time”.
To counteract the premature loss of dissolved hydrogen, water bottles are filled and stored with hydrogen water without air pockets. More on this in a separate FAQ post: Storing alkaline water
“In order to achieve an optimal redox potential, no “basic water” is required. Many plant-based foods contain antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, which are much more effective at protecting our cells from free radicals.”
Answer: This is completely wrong. Among all those mentioned here antioxidants is molecular hydrogen the smallest and finest, which, in contrast to the previously mentioned molecularly larger antioxidants, can also penetrate into the cell nucleus and is there the most dangerous of all free radicals (Hydroxyl radical) can neutralize directly. Outside the cell, molecular hydrogen recharges used antioxidants of larger molecules, including the body's own Glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase and thus contributes to one higher antioxidant ability of the body at.
“Alkaline water” does not make you alkaline
Most foods that have an alkaline effect in the body do not have an alkaline pH value in the state in which they are consumed, just as acid-forming foods can be alkaline in their initial state.
Fruits, vegetables and leafy salads contain much more minerals than water, including ionized water.”
Answer: This is a milkmaid's calculation - scientifically speaking It was around 100 years old when it was still believed that metal ions were responsible for the pH value. In fact, it is the hydroxide ions that make up the metal ions that make up the lye residue. It is the “fairy tale of the alkaline lemon” and other so-called “alkaline foods”. A popular error does not become the truth even if it is repeated en masse. According to the biologist Dr. U. Warnke There is no food that is alkaline when measured directly. However, I have found at least one thing, namely breast milk, which is slightly alkaline. But this is the exception. In principle, you can eat whatever you want as long as you don't eat so much that your lungs can't get rid of the carbon dioxide. That's why athletes are generally healthier than lazy people who eat just as much.
So how does the claim come about, for example? a lemon has an alkaline effect?
This error is based on a flawed theory of... food researcher Ragnar Berg from 1913 and has been written off again and again since then like the fairy tale of many “Iron in spinach”. (Food and beverages, their composition and their influence on health, with special consideration of the ash components, Dresden, 1913.)
Mountain had burned the most common foods to ash, then dissolved the ash with the mineral residues in deionized water and determined the pH value of the ash solution. If there are many cationic minerals/metals left, the pH value rises above 7 and the result is a supposedly alkaline food. If more anions are present, the pH value drops below 7 and, according to Berg, the result is an acidic food. Apart from the incorrect concept of acid at the time, where cations instead of hydroxide ions were considered bases: Ragnar Berg simply omitted from his measurements the organic acids that were vaporizing to the sky as carbon dioxide in his laboratory chimney. As if we were eating the ashes of a lemon and not the lemon itself. However, our body also has to break down the organic acids and dispose of the carbon dioxide through the lungs.
That's not a problem, argue the supporters of the alleged alkaline diet: we breathe out all the time. That's true, because The lungs are a very efficient disposal organ for organic acidic waste materials. But our chimney is not in Mr. Berg's laboratory, our chimney is our blood. Although blood is well buffered against acids, it can only transport an acid load to the lungs that lowers the pH value by a maximum of 0,1 pH. And in this small transport window for acids, the acids that require the kidneys also have to find space!
Therefore, “organic” citric acid is just as damaging to the body as an inorganic acid. The lemon has absolutely no alkaline effect. Our pH table for drinks is correct. And when you If you are hyperacidic, drinking a liter of orange juice is of no use. Therefore it is of course correct to say “Alkaline active water makes you alkaline“. Simply because the body then does not have to dispose of the organic acids of other drinks through the bloodstream.
“So if you want to alkalize your body, you can do it much more easily with these foods. In addition, the minerals in these foods are organically bound in chelate complexes and can be utilized by the body much better than those dissolved in water.”
Answer: Chelation is a method to make non-water-soluble heavy metals water-soluble. Alkaline and alkaline earth minerals are, however, usually completely water soluble and are therefore in ionized form in the water. They do not need to be chelated at all. They are already maximally bioavailablebecause they are in ionized form!
“Our bodies are actually often hyperacidic. But this is primarily due to a permanently poor diet and a lack of water supply. In addition to the acid-buffering foods, we also need water as a transport medium for the waste products.”
Answer: It's nice that the author now admits that acidification is a problem. It would then be good if he named some of these acid-buffering foods - apart from breast milk. I have already explained Ragnar Berg's humbug before.
“The whole thing cannot simply be neutralized by drinking “alkaline water” made with a water ionizer. A balanced diet combined with pure water helps much more in neutralizing free radicals.”
Answer: No. It does help to avoid higher acid loads, but not in the same way as alkaline activated water.
“Improvement of well-being through “alkaline water”?
Why do device providers advertise numerous healing claims and cases of improvements in health and well-being?
Because “alkaline water” helps in the end. On the one hand, water is a weak buffer and can have a relatively strong influence on the pH value, both towards acidic and towards alkaline, even with a small change in the ion concentration, without any significant physiological influence being expected. And because you believe in the effect, you will automatically drink more. Ultimately, “bad” water is better than no water at all, as at least the overall water shortage is permanently compensated for.”
Answer: That's not entirely wrong. However, the author forgets to mention that alkaline activated water with a usual drinking pH of 9,5 has about twice as strong deacidification ability as tap water with the usual pH of 7,4.
“What’s true about the claim that soft water is bad for the heart?
Proponents of alkaline water sometimes argue, based on a study from Finland, that people who live in areas where the tap water has a low level of hardness are more likely to suffer illnesses and deaths from heart attacks than in areas with hard water.
However, in this study, apart from water hardness, all other influencing factors such as diet, lifestyle, environmental impact and type of components in the water are not taken into account, which is even mentioned in the summary of the study. What was also not taken into account was how many people had other causes such as: B. Cancer (possibly even earlier). Every life comes to an end and the most natural death is through heart failure.”
Answer: Given the large number of participants in the Finnish study, the other mortality factors cannot be classified as significant. This 30-year statistical study of almost 19.000 Finnish men from 2004 showed that each additional level of hardness dH in drinking water reduced their risk of heart attack by 1%. The fact that proponents of alkaline water often cite this study is primarily due to the fact that The hardness of the alkaline active water from a water ionizer is approximately 30% higher than that of the service water fed to the water ionizer. A 10-year German study in the Wernigerode district shows the opposite relationship: “With the very soft and soft water, infarctions can be almost twice as common. In older patients, on average, they occur approximately one and a half times as often." (Source: Teitge, J., Heart attack incidence and mineral content of drinking water. http://www.mgwater.com/teitge.shtml)
“WHO: Minerals in water have no positive effect
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water guidelines, there is a widespread belief in Europe that natural mineral waters have medicinal properties or other health benefits due to their mineral content.
Many beverage providers exploit these traditional prejudices for their misleading advertising.
However, the WHO does not specify minimum amounts of essential nutrients in its drinking water guidelines and further points out that if drinking water with very low mineral contents were used in many countries around the world, no adverse health effects would have been reported (WHO guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, 6.5.2 Potential health benefits of bottled drinking-water p. 114).”
Answer: The WHO report “Calcium and Magnesium in Drinking Water – Public Health Significance” presents an overwhelming body of evidence suggesting that the Consuming harder water has significant survival benefits. How does the author come to his conclusion? (“Alkaline water” can lead to digestive and heart problems as well as complaints due to limescale deposits if consumed over a long period of time and is therefore not recommended.) This is unsubstantiated and may be interest-driven misinformation.
"Source: www.worldtimes-online.com Author: Hans-Peter Bartos”
Answer: Of course we have something to say about the original article Hans Peter Bartos was written, from which this Bestwater dissenting article was created, also a whole FAQ article was created:
www.aquacentrum.de/faqs/ist-basisches-wasser-ungesund/
For more information, please read the following links under the FAQ “Oppositions against alkaline water”: https://www.aquacentrum.de/faq/
Or you Download the latest PDF (currently over 400 pages) here free of charge.
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