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How To Know Whether Alkaline Water Drops Make A Wise Choice

By Carolyn Hansen


Pictures of Earth seen from space reveal a planet that is mostly covered in liquid. Although the salty oceans teem with life, humans rely on fresh supplies for survival. Increasing populations and climate change are causing some sources to wither, and areas with adequate rainfall often face pollution and other quality issues. People who want to avoid health problems treat their own supplies by adding alkaline water drops.

Unlike chlorine or fluoride, these additions are not mean to kill bacteria or eliminate tooth decay. They have no effect on parasites or dangerous microorganisms, and they cannot significantly improve on the inherent taste. They do attempt to transform mainly acidic H2O into a more alkaline form, emulating a natural process that is constantly occurring in the atmosphere.

In an era of instant communications, health fads come and go with breathtaking speed. Skeptical consumers may question the need for this type of treatment, especially those living in regions fortunate enough to enjoy ample and reasonably pure supplies. The argument for adding drops is based on the ionization process, how it directly affects personal health, and how home supplies can be made less acidic and more beneficial.

All water has both acid and alkaline characteristics that can be accurately measured during a pH test, a process well known to high school science students. In general, a level higher than seven indicates greater alkalinity, and a lower reading displays greater acidic properties. Both readings commonly occur in nature, causing skeptics to question whether the levels have any health significance for humans.

Others insist the opposite is true based on human physiological reactions. The absorption of beneficial minerals is rendered inefficient when acid levels are high, digestion slows down, and cellular damage through oxidation increases. In contrast, higher alkaline readings bolster antioxidant properties, strengthen the hydration process, and improve overall levels of free radicals, important in fighting common illnesses like diabetes.

The physical process of boosting those properties requires altering the numbers of electrons associated with individual water molecules. Called ionization, it can be accomplished by using the same principles that make electroplating possible. The H2O designation means that there are two oxygen atoms for each hydrogen, and running a small current through the liquid temporarily alters that balance by adding an extra electron.

In the natural world this occurs during a thunderstorm, and is also duplicated inside home ionizing machines. Drinking an ionized product exclusively is believed to strengthen the immune system, while reducing the occurrence of inflammation, as well as counteracting some effects of the aging process. There have been few studies undertaken to prove these claims, but they are strongly backed by anecdotal evidence.

Due to the high initial cost of buying and installing a home unit, adding liquid mineral drops to simulate ionization has become increasingly popular. They not only make an internal home installation unnecessary, but are generally recommended for use with bottled water, or supplies that are intended for storage in other containers. Detractors argue that creating true alkalinity requires more than adding a few extra minerals.

Regardless of the scientific merits, there are practical economic reasons to question whether mineral drops are an efficient way to improve supplies. An individual bottle may not last long in active households, and the cost of buying a new one every two weeks quickly adds up. The drops do nothing to filter out impurities and microorganisms, and scientific comparisons with true ionizers are nearly nonexistent.

Some people may consider turning to distilled water for drinking, but that is not a recommended practice. Distillation removes most minerals, and that also includes any with antioxidant properties. It creates a product that makes an excellent cleaning media, but long term ingestion may lead to a loss of needed trace minerals, as well as an electrolyte imbalance. Contact with air generally produces an increase in acids, and subsequently greater oxidation.

Those who are serious about controlling the alkaline and acid balance may consider the benefits of an electronic ionizer for home installation. Although there are still many disagreements regarding health claims, it is possible to accurately and scientifically measure the real output of these machines. A reputable device is able to alter the electrolytic balance in a way that simply adding mineral drops cannot.




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