Ionized vs. Alkalized

So-called ionizers or alkalizers have been popular with some US physicians for the past few years. These machines don’t purify the water as much as they physically modify it by producing high levels of negative ions via electrolysis. Developed in the late 1960’s, the ionizer produces two different streams of water (i.e., one positively charged with a low pH and one negatively charged with a high pH).

The negatively charged water is recommended for drinking and the acidic water is either thrown away or used to wash dishes or for irrigating plants. The focus of the alkalizer is to produce a constant source of negative ions in the water that can act as an antioxidant. Although originally approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health in the 1960’s, long-term health studies recently prompted the Ministry to publish a health warning to Japanese citizens about the potential adverse effects of routine consumption of this water.  This warning as well as a rebuke of the product’s health claims was also reported in Science Scramble, a Japanese consumer-oriented science journal in 2000.

Toxic chemicals can be released into the environment during the manufacture and disposal of the bottles. Furthermore, a quarter of the 89 billion liters of water bottled worldwide annually are consumed outside their country of origin. Emissions of the green house gas carbon dioxide, caused by transporting bottled water within and between countries, contribute to the global problem of climate change.