HOW DID THE MYTH OF MAN-MADE ALKALINE WATER START?
The myths of alkaline water was created in Japan many decades ago to promote and sell alkaline/ionizing machines into that marketplace, convincing some Japanese into thinking that alkaline water makes the body alkaline, thereby curing health problems and diseases, such as cancer. The machines cost anywhere from $2,000 – $6,000. Many people buy them, and some swear by them. The myth traveled with the machines to the USA and elsewhere over the years and is very popular in many well respected health-conscious stores and health-minded communities.
An alkaline water machine is known as an alkaline ionizer. It is a home device which raises the pH level of regular tap water using a process known as electrolysis to separate tap water into acidic and alkaline components. The alkaline stream is consumed as alkaline drinking water. The acidic stream that the machines produce is disposed of in the sink as waste water. The alkaline water that these machines produce is sometimes referred as Kagen water.
The alkaline water that these machines produce is not micro-filtered to reduce or eliminate dangerous contaminants found in tap water, including lead, Chlorine, Nitrate, PCBs, etc. The alkaline water that you consume from these ionizers could contain dangerous contaminants. The ionizers are not certified by the National Science Foundation, NSF, to ensure that the alkaline water that these machines produce reduce dangerous contaminants often found in tap water. Buyer beware!
ALKALINE WATER: FACTS VS. FICTION
The alkaline water myth started in Japan many decades ago and has taken on a life of its own. The myth is everywhere, especially on the Internet and on social media sites. The myth claims that a steady diet of alkaline water reverses the aging process, promotes health and provide a fountain of youth and beauty that is unmatched by other health approaches or products.
The myth also claims in some posts that alkaline water kills cancer cells and that cancer cells thrive in acidic environments, but die in an alkaline environment. However, this is not true, the opposite is most likely the case. Nevertheless, these myths persist in the face or medical and scientific evidence to the contrary and many educated, bright, intelligent and good people are persuaded to invest in these high cost machines.
DO ALKALINE WATER MACHINES REALLY WORK?
Don’t be fooled by the $2,000 – $6,000 price tag that alkaline water “ionizers” cost promising a path to the fountain of youth and a golden retirement by increasing alkalinity in the body. The claims are false. Your health will not improve significantly by spending more!
The reason is that the body automatically regulates itself to keep your blood and body fluids at their proper pH level no matter what you eat or drink! In other words, you cannot change the pH balance of your blood, organs or body fluids by drinking high pH water produced by water ionizers at 8 pH to 10 pH or higher!
DOES ALKALINE WATER FROM NATURE HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS ALKALINE WATER PRODUCED BY AN IONIZING MACHINE?
It important to note that if you drink high pH water sourced from a natural spring with a pH of 8 or above, the effect is not the same as drinking alkaline water produced by an ionizing machine. Alkaline water from a natural spring can have a healing effect on the body if taken in moderation and not over consumed, because it is natural and adapts well with the body. The body tends to work well with anything derived from nature as opposed to things that are man-made. However, it should be noted that over consumption of high pH alkaline water sourced from a natural spring, produced at an alkaline water bottling factory or from an ionizer can more readily induce stomach or digestive problems due to the fact that alkaline water, whether from a natural spring or man-made, acts as an anti-acid that raises the stomach’s pH level above its normal range of 1.5 pH to 3.5 pH. The stomach requires a very low pH level for digestion, usually less than 3.5 pH. Alkaline water at 8 pH to 10 pH raises the stomach pH above its natural level of 1.5 pH to 3.5 pH. It means that food may not get properly digested if the stomach pH level is raised above this range causing food to enter the smaller intestines undigested.
HOW DID ALKALINE WATER TAKE OFF?
Edgar Cayce (1877 – 1945) is world renowned figure who is the founder of the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. As a young man in the 1920s, he exhibited an unusual ability to diagnose illnesses in his sleep. He is known as the world’s best documented psychic and is considered to be the father of holistic medicine. Cayce did thousands of readings for people he never met and recommended cures for people who wrote to him from communities all across America. His popularity grew overnight and he was featured in a New York Times article on January 4, 1945, entitled: “EDGAR CAYCE; ‘Psychic Diagnostician,’ Said to Have Unusual Powers.”
Cayce is noted for his contributions to natural health diets, particularly the therapeutic use of foods and the acid/alkaline diet. His concept of an alkaline diet has been grossly misinterpreted and twisted by many practitioners in the health community to mean that alkaline water is the same as alkalinity in foods, which it is quite different.
Cayce advocated eating foods that induces the stomach to produce alkalinity over acidity. These foods include fruits, greens, vegetables, grains, nuts, food grown in the ground, etc., but he never advocated for drinking “alkaline water” from man-made alkaline machines to produce the same or similar effect that one would get from consuming natural foods and juices.
A steady diet of alkaline water has the opposite effect than eating foods from nature which induces alkalinity in the stomach producing a more natural digesting effect. Alkaline water induces the stomach to produce acidity, which goes against the Cayce principles on diet. Many who study Cayce’s work, which calls for an alkaline diet, meaning eating more fruits, greens, vegetables, salads, grains, nuts, colorful ground food like carrots, yams, red potatoes, etc., use the idea of sticking with a alkaline diet to promote the concept that drinking alkaline water would produce similar results.
It is easy to see how these two concepts can get confused. In fact, water ionizing machines that produce alkaline water were not around in Cayce’s days. Cayce’s point was to induce the stomach to act in a certain way, which is to produce alkalinity over acidity by consuming more natural foods and vegetables. Alkaline water advocates and manufacturers pick up on the idea of “alkalinity” found in colorful foods and green vegetables to claim that by drinking high pH alkaline water of 8 pH and above, you are actually making your entire body more alkaline, and that this alkalinity achieved in the body would lead to longevity and improved heath!
Three things can potentially happen when you drink high pH alkaline water on a daily or continuous basis:
1) You increase the stomach’s pH above its natural pH level of 1.5 to 3.5,
2) You induce the stomach to produce more acid in the stomach in order to return the stomach back to its natural lower pH level of 1.5 pH to 3.5 pH, and
3) You run the risk of developing a serious health condition known as alkalosis.
The reason is that when you drink a lot of alkaline water, you are flooding the stomach with high pH alkaline water at 8.0 pH to 10.0 pH, which induces the stomach to produce acid in order to bring the stomach back to its normal pH level of 1.5 pH to 3.5 pH. This activity, if repeated often enough, can lead to stomach and health problems that the alkaline water consumer never had before.
HOW DID THE CONFUSION START?
The fact that Edgar Cayce recommended an alkaline diet as far back as the 1920s, was later picked up by alkaline water machine manufacturers to promote alkaline water as the gateway to the fountain of youth, beauty, health and longevity! The concept stuck and people bought into the myth in a total and wholesale way.
Unlike foods that induces the stomach to produce alkalinity, such as fruits, vegetables, greens, salads, etc. alkaline water has the opposite effect inducing the stomach to produce acidity. Most people who consume large amounts of alkaline water for health benefits are unaware of this effect.
Why does alkaline water induce the stomach to produce acidity over alkalinity? The stomach’s natural pH is 1.5 pH to 3.5 pH. This is the same as level of acidity as you would find in a car battery. It is strong enough to burn a hole in cloth. This level of acidity in needed in the stomach to digest food and break down bacteria.
By drinking a lot of alkaline water, you keep the stomach out of its normal pH range of 1.5 pH to 3.5 pH, which if overdone, can lead to health problems.
Alkaline water is defined as any water with a pH of 7.1 or greater. Acidic water is any water with a pH of 6.9 pH or less. Water at 7.0 pH is neutral, neither alkaline nor acidic.
Acid breaks down foods for digestion, not alkalinity. Alkaline water does not break down food. It neutralizes any build-up of acid in the stomach. This means that when you drink a lot of alkaline water it naturally induces the stomach to produce acid to bring the stomach back to its natural pH balance of 1.5 to 3.5. Hence, alkaline water would be part of the “acidic foods” that Edgar Cayce recommends be part of the 20% acidic foods and 80% alkaline foods that should be maintain in our diets.
Because the myth in the marketplace is very strong and persuasive, most health conscious minded people miss this subtle point, which does not invalidate what Edgar Cayce says about sticking with an alkaline diet. It’s just that alkaline water does not induce the stomach to produce the alkalinity, it actually does the opposite, causing the stomach to produce acidity instead.
We must remember that alkalinity has more to do with the effect that foods and beverages will have on the stomach in inducing alkalinity or acidity, and not by the pH labeling of the foods and drinks we consume. This is an important point to keep in mind.
It is the stomach that produces alkalinity or acidity in the stomach, not the foods or drinks we consume. The stomach reacts to produce acidity or alkalinity for every food and beverage we consume based on the food and beverage’s intrinsic value and characteristics, not based on its pH level.
According to Edgar Cayce, foods that induces the stomach to produce alkalinity in the stomach, such as fruits, vegetables, greens, etc., are better for you than foods that induces the stomach to produce acidity, e.g., red meats, sugars, carbohydrates. Most people would agree with this statement, but gets it wrong when applying it to alkaline water.
The Cayce formula says that 80% of our foods should produce alkalinity in the stomach and 20% should produce acidity. The 80/20 formula that Edgar Cayce recommends work well and should be followed. Many health professionals are now adopting these dietary guidelines and suggestions.
WATER WITH NATURAL pH OF 7.3 TO 7.4 IS BEST
According to Naturopath and Nutritionist Barbara O’Neil, most water pH level should be neutral, neither too acidic nor too alkaline, which means plus or minus 7.0. In this regard, it should be noted that the pH level of water varies widely from house to house, town to town, county to county and state to state, even country to country just as it does from stream to steam, river to river and pond to lake.
This means that it is virtually impossible to bring the pH level of water to a uniform pH level, and there is no sound health or scientific reason for doing so. Medical science evidenced that the body will automatically adjust the blood, body fluids, tissues, muscles, bones and organs back to their proper pH level no matter how much alkalize or acidic water you drink.
If you feel that you need to increase alkalinity or acidity of the water you drink, consult with your doctor to suggest options. There are many ways in which you can increase the pH level of your drinking water to make it more alkaline or acidic without incurring the high cost of an expensive alkaline ionizing machine by using lemons, baking soda, cream of tartar or apple cider vinegar in your drinking water. Some alkaline water producing machines use electrolysis and chemicals to increase alkalinity in the water these machines produce.
According to Andrew Weil, MD, “the health claims for water ionizers and for alkaline water products such as Kangen water are bogus” (www.drweil.com). Furthermore, the water produced by these expensive machines is not certified by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to eliminated or reduce dangerous contaminants that may be found in the water that these alkalize machines produce.
In other words, ionizing machines that produce alkaline water do not purify the tap water at the source that is used to make the alkaline water you consume. It is important to reduce dangerous contaminants at the tap water source, including lead, mercury, chemical pollutants, arsenic V, heavy metals and pharmaceuticals. Not doing so can lead to brain tumor, cancer, stomach problems and other health concerns, which affect adults and growing children alike.
ALKALINE/IONIZER MACHINES NEED MULTIPURE’S AQUAPERFORM “POU” FILTER TO REMOVE DANERGOUS DRINKING WATER CONTAMINANTS
If you own or is considering purchasing an alkaline/ionizing machine to increase the pH level of your water to 8.0 or above, please note that these machines do not eliminate or reduce dangerous contaminants found in tap water, such as lead, chlorine, chloramine (secondary disinfection, pharmaceuticals, nitrate, mercury, cyst, chemical pollutants, heavy metals, VOC (volatile organic compounds), MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether), PCB (Polychlorinated Biphenyls), carcinogen perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), micro plastic fibers, etc. The water produced by these machines are not certified by the National Science Foundation, NSF, to meet standard 42 for health concerns and standard 53 to assure the quality of aesthetic effects.
Many users of alkaline water-producing machines attach Multipure Aquaperform Drinking Water System to their alkaline ionizer to eliminate or reduce dangerous contaminants from their drinking water source, ensuring that the water that enters their alkaline machine is for the most part contaminant free! You may want to do the same. The flow rate of Multipure Aquaperform works well with most alkaline machines on the market.
To learn more about Multipure Products, please visit: WaterMagi.com.
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Edward A. Shields, CPA, MBA
Senior Builder
Water Magi
MULTIPURE PROMO CODE: 430649
(646) 960-6830
info@watermagi.com
www.watermagi.com
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