Why do you not recommend a mineral water ionizer that works without electricity?
Hans-Christian L.: Why do you not recommend any water ionizers that do not work without electricity? They are much cheaper and reach, according to Dietmar Ferger’s book “Fountain of Youth Springwater” (page 66) values up to pH 10 and a Redox Potential of -400mV, so even higher than the pH 9,5 and the -350mV that you recommend. Besides, this water of a mineral water ionizer should taste to the connoisseur round, full and warm, whilst that of an electric water ionizer is described as “cool, clear and technical” (page 77).
- I don’t only not recommend the mineral water ionizer, I also dissuade people from it. They don’t create recommended alkaline activated water, but rather chemical lyes, alkaline solutions.
- Ferger reports in his book “Jungbrunnenwasser” (Fountain of Youth Spring Water, Weil am Rhein, 2011, page 65) very accurately the difference between chemical lyes and activated water: “Electrolytically produced alkali and acids have at the same pH level a respectively lower or higher Redox Potential”. This is the deciding factor: Without electric activation the Redox Potential corresponds to the ratio of pH levels of the Nernst equation. It can be calculated with a formula and it doesn’t need to be measured. Only with the electrolytic process does it reach the abnormal Redox Potential, first discovered by Vitold Bakhir. (Prilutzky, V. / Bakhir, V., Electochemically activated water: Anomalous properties, mechanism of biological action, Moscow 1997). The abnormal Redox Potentials are meta stable, that means, they disappear during a certain relaxation period. Only during this relaxation period do the extraordinary abilities of activated water show, which allow it to work as functional water.
- Ferger’s statement is more incomprehensible, when on page 72 he explains loud and clear: “Important for the biological effect, is that alkaline activated water and acidic oxide water are physically produced solutions. This means, that the pH value occurs on a physical level and not a chemical level with the addition of chemicals, more specifically, minerals. The OH- respectively, H+ ions are therefore “free”, they have no “corresponding” chemicals in the water. He illustrates this point also with a caustic soda lye (NaOH), which the stomach acid HCI neutralises when it comes into contact with it, in which a saline solution NaCI and water is made with the formula NaOH + HCI + <=>Na+ + Cl- + H2O. Whereas “with a free OH- ion the stomach acids remain intact, since the chlorine can’t make salt with an OH ion. OH- + HCl <=>OH- + H+ + Cl- <=> Cl- + H2O”. (Page 72). So on this chemical path with help from minerals can no organic goal be achieved. The mineral water ionizers are biologically pointless.


- Sadly the term water ionizer is not patentable and scientifically not clearly defined. Originally in Germany the term electrolysis device was used. Since 1979 in Japan the definition “Alkaline Ionized Water Apparatus” worked its way into society, which then from the marketing of different companies has been shortened to “water ionizer”. The definition is fundamentally not wrong, since by electrolysis the water molecule H2O is really divided into water ions OH and H+.
- Indeed, this degradation of water molecules in ions can lead to added minerals, also in the water. However, only when a corresponding chemical in the shape of an ion is available. Depending on what type of mineral it is and where it stands on the chemical Redox scale, does its pH value change because of the chemical and the corresponding Redox Value according to the Nernst equation.

- With naive observation the same occurs with both processes, for example with the alkaline water: The pH value rises, the Redox Potential sinks. The question is, by how much?
- Both can be named “water ionizers” correctly. An incredible abundance of such mineral mixes that come as powders, filters, “Alka-Streamers”, pots, sticks and rods fill the market with the promise of an “alkaline balance”, “anti-oxidative”, etc., without mentioning that only with electrolytical water ionizing does the Redox Potential in relation to the pH values change so extraordinarily, that a special period of use arises. The imprecision of the definition water ionizer has caused me to waiver the term “ionized water” and I now systematically use the term “active water” or “Activated water”, for activated is not the chemical variation of water ionizing.
- Mainly, these mineral ionizers are not adjustable. One has to remeasure the minerals each time because they are not indicated in the water in a controlled amount. The top results of the Redox Potential indicated by Ferger I was only able to measure with one of these mineral water ionizers and only in the first week of operating it. Afterwards the performance sank rapidly. I have tested most of these products. Most ensured after one week with Munich tap water (dH 15,5) only minimal, hardly measurable pH values and Redox Potential alterations. You must use measuring metres if you have bought one of these devices. At least the pH has to be constantly controlled since the manufacturer’s data is mostly very exaggerated.
- The taste verdict from Dietmar Ferger’s quoted connoisseurs is not sufficiently proven. Was the water compared with the same pH and Redox values? Hardly, because this is physically not possible with these different ionizing methods.
- The most varied offers of mineral mixes are swarming around the market which trick the consumer into believing that he or she is drinking alkaline activated water. Sometimes as a tea infuser, sometimes as a flow-through filter, as a water shaker or as a magic wand.

- The composition which mineral water ionizers use for admixtures and filter materials doesn’t appear to be subjected to any kind of control or regulation. Exact indication of quantities can hardly be found with the “devices” on the market. In bio-ceramic filters the materials used with tourmalin and acid reducer zeolite powder is an aluminosilicate to burn the ceramic pellets, of which potassium, calcium, magnesium, silver, iron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, manganese, lithium and other substances are added, frequently even the semi-conductive, poisonous, in Germany prohibited food supplement, germanium (Ge).
- Also metallic magnesium (Mg) is admixed, a material that is also used in fireworks. When dissolved in water it sinks the Redox Potential and raises the pH value.It is a simulated effect, which exclusively is based on the position of magnesium elements in the electrochemical series (Redox Potential) and has nothing to do with water activation. Hydrogen is released according to the formula Mg + 2H2O -> Mg (OH)2 + H2. Because the hydrogen (H2) during the long soaking time of the mineral cartridges evaporates and the metallic magnesium doesn’t work evenly, it is rendered useless. The most well known product of this kind is Hidemitsu Hayashi’s Hydrogen Rich Water Stick. Read the user comments on Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Original-Hayashi-Hydrogen-Rich-Water/dp/B002PIJ63C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429616581&sr=8-1&keywords=hydrogen+rich+water+stick)
- When opening one of these mineral cartridges, the awful view is something like in the picture. How safe the germ contamination is by lots of use remains to be seen.
- I hope I have illustrated clearly why I advise against mineral water ionizers. Their efficiency (for example with – 80 mV (CSE) by pH 8,07) is not only low but also biologically uninteresting. So what can be done when on holiday and you would like to drink alkaline activated water? I personally always have room in my suitcase for a small batch ionizer. I buy local still mineral water and ionize it.
- There are also electric mini-electrolysis devices on the market, which even fit inside a handbag. What you have to remember is: There is no alkaline activated water without the use of electricity and without draining the acid water. Just by adding small pellets you will not get activated water with an abnormal Redox Potential and a relaxation period, merely a normal, chemical lye like the one pictured below.
- With the small IonyTM, below left, the acid water gets sucked into the hollow space inside the rod and the activated alkaline water appears in the glass. On the silver wire used as a cathode you can see the hydrogen bubbles. Even if this handbag ionizer needs 3 hours for normal values (-222 mV (CSE)) in a glass of water and in the long run isn’t the most hygienic when operating it, the comparative values of the same output water show with the Redox Potential the clear differences: Here we didn’t ionize chemically and we see an abnormal Redox Potential in proportion to the desired pH values.
Excerpt from the book “Karl Heinz Asenbaum: Electrically activated water – An invention with extraordinary potential.”
Copyright 2016 www.euromultimedia.de