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Water ionizer

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A water ionizer (also known as an alkaline ionizer) is a home appliance which claims to raise the pH of drinking water by using electrolysis to separate the incoming water stream into acidic and alkaline components.[1][2][3] The treated water is called alkaline water. Proponents claim that consumption of alkaline water results in a variety of health benefits, making it similar to the alternative health practice of alkaline diets. Such claims violate basic principles of chemistry and physiology.[4] There is no medical evidence for any health benefits of alkaline water. Extensive scientific evidence has completely debunked these claims,[5][6][4] leaving such claims in the pseudoscientific realm.[4]

The machines originally became popular in Japan and other East Asian countries before becoming available in the U.S. and Europe.

Health claims

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Water ionizers are marketed on the basis of health claims which are focused on their ability to make water more alkaline. A wide variety of benefits have been claimed, including the ability to slow aging,[7] prevent disease, give the body more energy, and offset alleged effects of acidic foods.[3][8] Some claims include it being twice as hydrating after exercise.[9]

There is no empirical evidence to support these claims, nor the claims that drinking ionized water will have a noticeable effect on the body.[10] Drinking ionized water or alkaline water does not alter the body's pH due to acid-base homeostasis.[7] Additionally, marketers have inaccurately claimed that the process of electrolysis changes the structure of water from large non-bioavailable water clusters to small bioavailable water clusters, called "micro clusters".[11]

Some proponents of alkaline water and the alkaline diet as a whole claim a link between alkaline intake and cancer prevention;[6] no scientific evidence exists for such a connection,[6][12][13] and as such, several cancer societies have denounced this claim.[14][15][16][17]

Operation

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Despite being described as 'water ionizers', the machines are designed to work as water electrolyzers.[3] This is an electrochemical process in which water is split to form hydrogen and oxygen by an electric current.[1][18] In some machines, the process produces calcium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid through the use of an ion-exchange membrane.[19]

The effectiveness of the process is debatable because electrolysis requires significant amounts of time and power; hence, the amount of hydroxide that could be generated in a fast-moving stream of water such as a running tap would be minimal at best.[20] Additionally, the process of reversing the reaction requires much less energy, so if the area between the alkaline and acidic water is at least semi-permeable, the water will undergo another reaction that just leaves neutral water.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Aoki H, Nakamori M, Aoto N, Ikawa E (October 1994). "Wafer treatment using electrolysis-ionized water". Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 33 (10R): 5686–5689. Bibcode:1994JaJAP..33.5686A. doi:10.1143/JJAP.33.5686. S2CID 96980727.
  2. ^ Henry M, Chambron J (December 2013). "Physico-Chemical, Biological and Therapeutic Characteristics of Electrolyzed Reduced Alkaline Water (ERAW)". Water. 5 (4): 2094–115. doi:10.3390/w5042094.
  3. ^ a b c Johannes, Laura (2012-04-09). "The Positives and Negatives of Ionized Water". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2017-05-27. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
  4. ^ a b c "Alkaline Water Nonsense". Office for Science and Society. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  5. ^ Heaney RP, Layman DK (May 2008). "Amount and type of protein influences bone health". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 87 (5): 1567S–1570S. doi:10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1567s. PMID 18469289.
  6. ^ a b c Fenton, Tanis R.; Huang, Tian (June 2016). "Systematic review of the association between dietary acid load, alkaline water and cancer". BMJ Open. 6 (6): e010438. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010438. PMC 4916623. PMID 27297008.
  7. ^ a b Woolston C (2007-01-22). "The Healthy Skeptic; It'll quench your thirst, of course; But whether ionized water can slow aging and fight disease is another matter". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  8. ^ Torrens, Kerry. "What is the alkaline diet?". BBC Good Food. Archived from the original on 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  9. ^ "Alkaline Water: Miracle or Marketing? | Arthritis Foundation". www.arthritis.org. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  10. ^ Dunning B (February 3, 2009). "Skeptoid #139: Alkaline Water Systems: Change Your Water, Change Your Bank Balance". Skeptoid. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  11. ^ Ceponkus, Justinas; Engdahl, Anders; Uvdal, Per; Nelander, Bengt (August 2013). "Structure and dynamics of small water clusters, trapped in inert matrices". Chemical Physics Letters. 581: 1–9. Bibcode:2013CPL...581....1C. doi:10.1016/j.cplett.2013.06.046.
  12. ^ Zick, Suzanna Maria; Snyder, Detrick; Abrams, Donald I. (November 2018). "Pros and Cons of Dietary Strategies Popular Among Cancer Patients". Oncology. 32 (11): 542–547. PMID 30474102.
  13. ^ "Cancer Diets: Myths and More". British Dietetic Association. 2021-09-29. Archived from the original on 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  14. ^ "Is an alkaline diet better for me?". Canadian Cancer Society. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  15. ^ "The Alkaline Diet: Another Cancer and Diet Claim". American Institute for Cancer Research. 2010-07-08. Archived from the original on 2022-04-24. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  16. ^ Axelrod, Alexandra (2018-01-26). "Friday Fix: The Alkaline Diet". Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  17. ^ "Alternative cancer diets". Cancer Research UK. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  18. ^ Shermer M (2002-01-01). The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience. Vol. One. ABC-CLIO. p. 130. ISBN 9781576076538.
  19. ^ "Association of Alkaline Ionized Water Apparatus｜Structure and types of alkaline ionized water apparatus". www.3aaa.gr.jp. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  20. ^ Campbell, Alison (2018-05-14). "Bold claims of water machine examined". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
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