Frequently Asked Questions

Water ionizers produce alkaline water containing dissolved molecular hydrogen at the cathode (the negative electrode) and acidic water at the anode (the positive electrode). Water ionizers are plugged into the AC outlet, the power is then transformed into direct current (DC) so that electrolysis can be performed. Electrolysis alone does not change the ph of the water, however, most of these devices contain a basic semi- permeable ion-exchange membrane, which prevents the catholyte (with the alkaline OH- ions) and anolyte (with the acidic H+ ions) compartments from mixing; thus producing alkaline (mild or strong) and acidic (mild or strong) water at the cathode and anode, respectively.

What is Hydrogen water?

Hydrogen water or hydrogen-rich water is nothing but normal water (H2O) with dissolved Hydrogen Gas (H2) in it. For example, how there are carbonated waters or beverages containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas (CO2) in it, or oxygen water, having dissolved oxygen gas (O2) in it. Similarly, you can have water with dissolved hydrogen gas in it. You can create Hydrogen water by pouring a hydrogen gas tank into your normal water just as you use a helium tank to fill balloons or oxygen tanks in hospitals.

There are several methods of making hydrogen water but this is the easiest way to understand the process and meaning of hydrogen water. It is nothing but simply a glass of water containing dissolved hydrogen gas in it.

When were Hydrogens' therapeutic benefits first discovered?

It is said that the medical properties of hydrogen gas were first discovered in 1798, but it became the talk of the town in 2007 when an article about the benefits of hydrogen was issued in a reputable journal of Nature Medicine by Dr Othas group.

Won't any dissolved Hydrogen gas escape out of water?

Yes, it immediately starts coming out once the cap of the water bottle is opened. But it just does not vanish immediately, it takes time the same as the carbon dioxide in any carbonated drink. The hydrogen gas of the water is most likely to stay for a few hours before dropping below its therapeutic level. Hence, it is advised to drink the water immediately before it goes flat.

Since Hydrogen gas doesn't dissolve very well in water, how can it be beneficial?

Being a neutral nonpolar molecule with a solubility of 1.6mg/L, hydrogen is not soluble in water. But considering it as the lightest molecule in the universe, we really need to check between the number of molecules as opposed to the number of grams. Let us assume that a single molecule of hydrogen weighs 2 mg, then having just one hydrogen molecule in one litre of water would give you 2 mg/L.

For example, vitamin C (176.2 g/mole) is 88 times more than hydrogen gas (2 g/mole) in weight. Therefore, the concentration of 1.6 mg/L hydrogen water will have extra “therapeutic” molecules than 100 mg of vitamin C. But apart from all these calculations above, there are so many studies showing and proving that the concentration of hydrogen is effective.

Isn't Hydrogen gas explosive?

Yes, it is EXPLOSIVE but not in water. It is the same as gunpowder mixed in water- 0% explosive. It is only flammable above a 4.6% concentration even in the air by volume. However, is not a concern when talking about hydrogen-rich water.

Is Hydrogen Safe?

Of Course. Hydrogen gas is shown safe at even 100 times higher concentrations than what is used in water. Here are some incidents proving the safety of Hydrogen:

• In the late 1800s, hydrogen gas was used to locate gunshot wounds of the intestine and as per the reports it was 0% toxic or irrational even on the most sensitive tissues of the body.
• Here is one more example proving how safe is hydrogen. It is being used at very high concentrations during deep sea dives to avoid decompression sickness since 1943. And according to the studies, it has never shown toxic effects even at very high levels and pressures of 98.87% H2 and 1.26% O2 at 19.1 atm.
• Moreover, hydrogen gas occurs naturally in our bodies after eating a fibre-rich meal, it is said that our gut bacteria can generate litres of hydrogen on a regular basis.

Overall, hydrogen is not an alien substance entering our bodies from some chemistry lab but is a very natural gas essential for our bodies.

Does adding Hydrogen to water make it Hydrogen Peroxide?

The chemical formula of water is H2O, whereas the chemical formula of hydrogen peroxide is Water has the chemical formula H2O2 which means H2O needs an extra oxygen molecule to convert into H2O2 and not the hydrogen molecule.

In fact, Hydrogen gas does not make a bond or react with water molecules nor does it create any novel molecule like H4O(which does not exist ideally). It just dissolves in water. Hence, hydrogen water and hydrogen peroxide are both different chemical solutions and have no connection with each other.

Is Hydrogen-rich water, Acidic in nature?

Nice question! Yes it is, if hydrogen water is rich with positive hydrogen ions then it is considered acidic. But here we are talking about the neutral hydrogen gas H2 that has two combined hydrogen atoms as a molecule.

Generally, the hydrogen ion is considered acidic because of its position in pH, where p stands for potential which is a mathematical exponent or logarithmic function and H stands for hydrogen ion. Hence, pH is counted as the logarithmic concentration of hydrogen ion.

But when we are talking about hydrogen water, we refer to the dihydrogen or molecular hydrogen. It is a neutral form of hydrogen that can be easily dissolved in water.

What amount of Hydrogen water intake will be beneficial for health?

Honestly, we do not have an answer for it as even the scientists are asking about the same. The topic is still under investigation. A general study says that an animal and human body needs around 0.5 to 1.6mg or more H2 per day. Hence, if your water has 1mg/L of concentration, then two litres of water will give you an effective concentration of hydrogen throughout the day. However, it may vary from person to person and from disease to disease.

Why Hydrogen water when normal water already has hydrogen in it?

Yes, we know that a water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms but it is chemically different from hydrogen gas in the same way that oxygen gas is different from water. The way we cannot replace H2O with O2 to breathe, similarly, we cannot get the benefits of H2 gas from H2O. Dihydrogen molecules are neutral in nature and that is why water is not explosive or flammable. In fact, water is used in extinguishing fire.

Moreover, we can say that every natural thing has a hydrogen atom attached chemically to it, in one or other form. Be it a water molecule(H2O) or a sugar molecule(C12H22O11), there is a hydrogen atom everywhere.

The therapeutic hydrogen dissolved in hydrogen water is nothing but the dihydrogen molecule that gives a soothing effect to the body.

How long has molecular hydrogen been used for therapeutic benefits?

The first reported therapeutic use of Hydrogen was in 1975. It was used in a skin squamous carcinoma mouse model.

Does hydrogen water taste different from normal water?

No, but it is smoother & feels good when drunk.

What are the potential benefits of drinking hydrogen-rich water?

• Protects brain - Hydrogen-rich water has properties to protect against neurological damages.
• Improves fat & glucose metabolism - Studies & research done on rats have revealed improvement in fat & glucose metabolism. Also, the research concluded helping people suffering from type 2 diabetes.
• Prevents bone loss & osteopenia
• Anti-inflammatory effect - A research conducted on mice revealed an anti-inflammatory effect on the bowel of mice. Hydrogen-rich water has a negative Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) value, which indicates it is Antioxidant in nature. Also, some studies have shown Hydrogen-rich water working as an anti-inflammatory for lung inflation.
• There are several more researches & benefits of Hydrogen-rich water, the above are few of the important ones.

What is Alkaline water?

The ‘alkaline’ in alkaline water refers to its pH level. The pH level is a number that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is on a scale of 0 to 14. For example, something with a pH of 1 would be very acidic and something with a pH of 13 would be very alkaline

Alkaline water has a higher pH level than regular drinking water. Because of this, specifically for Indians, it's helpful as we know the consumption of acidic food, and polluted environment has increased like never before.

Normal drinking water generally has a neutral pH of 7. Alkaline water typically has a pH of 8 or 9. However, pH alone isn't enough to implant substantial alkalinity into water.

Alkaline water must also contain alkaline minerals and negative oxidation reduction potential (ORP). ORP is the ability of water to act as a pro- or antioxidant. The more negative the ORP value, the more antioxidizing it is.

Health benefits of Alkaline water

Drinking Alkaline water has benefits like:

• Help fight acid reflux (acidity)
• Boost immunity
• Help fight gastric problems
• Reduce stomach inflammation
• Better hydration
• Better skin
• Help reduce side effects of Cancer radiation treatment

What is the "Cluster Theory" of deoxidized water?

Approximately 15 years ago, with the help of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) appliance, the theory that water does not exist in single unit molecules was confirmed. Water molecules form molecular clusters of approximately 13 water molecules. These clusters constantly repeat an aggregation/disaggregation process. The quality of water and its ability to hydrate directly depends on the size of its clusters.

For example, small clusters have active molecules that increase the capacity of water to dissolve elements (solubility), let elements pass through (permeability), and let heat and electric charge pass through (conduction). Electrolysis gives the water molecules a similar charge, which causes them to repel each other and break apart.

Ionized alkaline water has clusters made up of five to six water molecules resulting in a lower molecular weight, better solubility, permeability, and conduction. Standard tap water contains about 12-15 water molecules per cluster.

Can alkaline water be used to take medication?

You should not take medication with alkaline water unless directed to do so by your doctor. Alkaline water may cause medications to be absorbed too quickly!

Not for use with time-release medications

Time-release medications are designed to be absorbed by the body over a period of time. Taking time-release medications with alkaline water may cause the medication to be absorbed too quickly. Time-release medication can be either prescription or non-prescription, so read the label carefully and if in doubt; take it with purified water.

Medication Tip: Other names for time-release medication include; extended release, controlled release, and sustained release.

Prescription drugs: Ask your doctor

How long does alkaline water stay ionized?

Normally say approx. 3~7 days (with cap, no sunshine conditions).

Antioxidants are substances found in multiple natural ingredients that contain negatively charged ions.

The human body repeatedly follows a process of oxidation where we take oxygen in through our lungs and the positively charged ions (or free radicals) during that time oxygen takes an electron from a cell membrane.

You can see this same action when you cut a piece of fruit and leave it aside for a while, it will turn brown because of the antioxidants present in it. The metals also get rust because of the same oxidation process.

This process is very natural and necessary, but when the balance between the positively charged and negatively charged ions gets disturbed, oxidation is increased and the degradation of cells occurs rapidly. This internal damage can cause some serious diseases to our body along with body ageing.

So, in order to stabilize this process of oxidation, it is very important to consume antioxidants to reduce the power of free radicals causing a breakdown in the structure of our cells.

The level of oxidizing agents in water are measured by the Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) of the water. The positive ORP of drinking water helps in increasing the deterioration process while the Negative ORP increases the antioxidant potential.

Mostly tap and bottled water possesses a positive ORP but BioPlus products create antioxidant water by significantly decreasing the ORP.

Strong Acidic Water

Strong acidic water, also known as electrolyzed oxidizing water(EOW) is a byproduct created via electrolysis of NaCl Solution at the anode side. With a pH level of less than 2.7 and positive ORP between +1000mV and 1600mV, it is the solution of hypochlorous acid(HOCl).

This anodic water has oxidative characteristics because of multiple chemical species in it like HOCl, O2-, O2 and much more. The bactericidal effects of EOW are because of its excessive oxidation-reduction potential. The intoxicating germicidal activity of EOW comes from Hypochlorous acid and some free radical species. These elements make it one of the most effective antimicrobials even with 20 to 60ppm of chlorine in it which is very low as compared to other antimicrobials containing over 200ppm of chlorine.

EOW is not a surfactant like other cleaners and is generally used in sterilization, disinfection and sanitization of products. As we know, Hypochlorous acid is an essential ingredient of bleach even though its pH is about 12, which favours its hypochlorite species.

Differences In Ph

Though EOW is considered acidic in nature because of its pH less than 2.7, it is not always the case. As pH is not as important as the concentration of HOCl and other oxidising species of EOW. Also, the studies have proved that the neutral electrolyzed oxidized water is equally effective and can also be stored for a longer time.

Eow History And Medical Approval

EOW was invented as a disinfectant water in Japan in the late 1980s. Later in 1996, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare declared the EOW generating machines as medical devices and used the liquid for hand-washing after surgery. And the next year, EOW was approved as an antiseptic and disinfection washing liquid for endoscopes.

Effectiveness And Benefits

EOW is highly effective as an antiseptic liquid. It is used for multiple purposes such as

• Killing pathogens, bacteria, viruses, spores and many other microorganisms.
• Reducing Pesticides from Vegetables

EOW is highly effective even at low HOCl concentrations but at the same time is not irrational on skin or other mucous membranes.

Epa Registration

Multiple companies have already approached the EPA Registration, but it is difficult for everyone to get it because of the design limitations of the machines. A machine should reliably produce the solutions in a consistent and repeatable manner in order to receive the certification which depends on the source of water, flow rate, scale buildup, etc.

Caution Regarding Use

If you are thinking of using EOW instead of other conventional chemicals, you must verify that your machine is meeting the EPA standards, such as maintaining a certain HOCl concentration. Different machines use different tactics to generate the HOCl such as using a simple salt port or a saline solution. These methods are generally effective, but in the end, the effectiveness of these methods depends on certain factors like flow rate, source water, cleanliness of electrodes, calcium sulfite content in the filter and the changes in elevations of acid and alkaline hoses.

All these variables sometimes underscore the importance of verifying the specific procedure to be used to produce effective EOW. It is not always the case that the EOW generated from these machines will always be effective which may result in negative health effects. The lower the pH the stronger the chlorine content, but with the least effective killing power. Thus it can never be assumed that a strong “chlorine” smell is a sign of an effective EOW solution.

Acidic water uses

The acidic water at the pH levels 3 and 4 is considered perfect for neutralizing skin and hair. The neutralizing level of skin and hair is around 5.5 pH, but because of the alkaline soaps and shampoos that you use, your skin and hair are usually found to be far from balanced pH. The acid mantle(outermost layer) of your skin is the first line of defence against bacterial, fungal or viral infections on your body. And it is very important to maintain this acid mantle at 5.5 pH. But, because of soaps that are typically alkaline in nature, the acid mantle of your body is left with too high of a pH after bathing or showering. This results in the breakdown of the acid mantle, drying of the skin, and roughness caused by the alkaline layer left on the skin. Rinsing your skin with acid water will help you remove the residual of alkaline minerals and restore your skin to its perfect ph-level that is 5.5.

Generally, the hair rinse shampoos are highly alkaline and can open the hair cuticles to make them dry and damaged after use. So it is always advised to rinse the hair with water at 3.0 to 4.0 ph level, as a result when the low pH water combines with high pH shampoo, it restores to the ideal pH of 5.5

Beauty Secret: Hair with tightly closed cuticles has a smooth, shiny, and silky look with no split ends.

Natural, Healthy coolant

The acidic water can also be used as a mist spray for giving a cooling effect to the body. You can take the spray bottle anywhere with you whether in sports, outdoor events or in hot surroundings to give an air-conditioning effect to your body. It is healthier to use acid water with 5.5 pH as your mist rather than regular tap water. It helps you maintain the pH of your skin to 5.5 along with a soothing coolant effect.

Plants

Acid water with 5 - 7 pH level is great for watering plants. Plants grow efficiently with purified microclustered water.