Nutrition

Possible side effects & health controversy

Water Alkalizers/Ionizers

Copyright © 2014 Healing Cancer Naturally

While Enagic’s water alkalizer/ioniser has provided health benefits even (and possibly particularly) for some who don’t wish to implement "healthful" changes in their diet and lifestyle, there are also contrary reports — although relating to unspecified water ionisers — from people experiencing unwanted side effects, at least after long-term ingestion of alkaline / ionised water (as well as specific Kangen Water negative testimonials by individuals who failed to experience benefits from drinking Enagic's alkalizers/ionizers water).

Apparently when alkaline water is consumed on a daily basis such effects can include

  • the upper bowel becoming too alkaline and side effects such as erratic heart behaviour, hypertension, acid reflux[1], nervousness/anxiety, urinary tract and bladder infections starting to appear. Reportedly, many persons were hospitalized for heart conditions that disappeared when they stopped drinking alkaline or ionized water made by an ioniser (compare the results of rat experiments mentioned further below).
  • Generally, alkaline water must not be drunk close to mealtimes since an acid stomach is an essential prerequisite for good digestion.
  • Tap water can and likely often will contain, in addition to the commonly encountered chlorine and fluoride, residual contaminants such as neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors, and pharmaceutically active compounds — from birth control pills, steroids or growth hormones, beta-blockers, painkillers, antibiotics, antidepressants, cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products (e.g. triclosan, sodium lauryl sulphate, methyl paraben) etc.

    Unless filtered out efficiently, the ionisation process will potentially convert any of these compounds into unknown substances or toxins with equally uncertain health effects. This should also imply that alkaline ionized water should not be consumed with any medicines, chemical compounds or other additives since due to its reactivity the mix might result in potentially dangerous by-products.

    In fact, Dr. True Ott goes so far as to maintain that such "machines strip electrons from the contaminants themselves, and this creates hydroxyl ions which are harmful free radicals. The OH ions attack cells and stimulate adrenaline, which is why there is a short term buzz, but in the long run it creates a condition that breeds cancer. It can also cause arthritis." (which latter thing had happened to the couple that enquired with him).
  • While animal experiments are frequently not transferable to humans[2], for what it is worth, the following experiments have shown pathological changes of necrosis in the heart muscle of rats from alkaline ionized water consumption:

    "Histopathological influence of alkaline ionized water on myocardial muscle of mother rats"

    "Degradation of myocardiac myosin and creatine kinase in rats given alkaline ionized water"

    "Influence of alkaline ionized water on rat erythrocyte hexokinase activity and myocardium"

    Also see Effect of alkaline ionized water on reproduction in gestational and lactational rats.

More details on the controversy

While Healing Cancer Naturally does not claim to have any definite answers on the extremely complex subject of water, you may wish to study the very thorough site addressing the claim that water alkalinizers or ionizers are based on junk science created by independent researcher Randy Johnson at www.cyber-nook.com/water/alkaline.htm.

That said, I do not agree with Mr. Johnson's belief that at the end of the day, "real medical treatment" will be superior to "alternatives"[3]. Sadly, this is not true to fact, so-called real medical treatment is one of the primary causes of death and injury in our day and age. For extensive details and numbers, compare

Additionally, there are (likely many) competitor sites to Enagic such as www.ionizers.org/kangen which seem to provide some independently verifiable information not obtainable from pro-Enagic sites. Any "seller" site of course is better taken with a big grain — or even better a pound of salt.

Footnotes

1 According to www.growyouthful.com/tips/alkaline-water.php, the ph-sensitive entry and exit valves of the stomach will start to malfunction if subjected to ongoing alkalinity.

2 Healing Cancer Naturally strongly opposes animal experimentation.

3 So-called "alternative cancer treatment" indeed can be tainted as much by unethical behaviour as conventional treatment.


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