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Water, The
chemistry of life |
Whenever we attempt to determine whether there is
life as we know it on Mars or other planets, scientists first seek to establish
whether or not water is present. Why? Because life on earth totally depends on
water. A High percentage of living things, both plant and animal, are found in
water. All life on earth is thought to have arisen from water. The bodies of
all living organisms are composed largely of water. About 70 to 90 percent of
all organic matter is water.
The chemical reactions in all plants and
animals that support life take place in a water medium. Water not only provides
the medium to make these life sustaining reactions possible, but water itself
is often an important reactant or product of these reactions. In short, the
chemistry of life is water chemistry.
Water, the universal
solvent
Water is a universal, superb solvent due to the marked
polarity of the water molecule and its tendency to form hydrogen bonds with
other molecules. One water molecule expressed with the chemical symbol H2O,
consists of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.
Standing alone, the
hydrogen atom contains one positive proton at its core with one negative
electron revolving around it in a three-dimensional shell. Oxygen, on the other
hand, contains 8 protons in its nucleus with 8 electrons revolving around it.
This is often shown in chemical notation as the letter O surrounded by eight
dots representing 4 sets of paired electrons.
The single hydrogen
electron and the 8 electrons of oxygen are the key to the chemistry of life
because this is where hydrogen and oxygen atoms combine to form a water
molecule or split to form ions. Hydrogen tends to ionize by losing its single
electron and form single H+ ions which are simply isolated protons since the
hydrogen atom contains no neutrons. A hydrogen bond occurs when the electron of
a single hydrogen atom is shared with another electronegative atom such as
oxygen that lacks an electron.
Polarity of water molecules
In a water molecule, two hydrogen atoms are covalently bonded to the
oxygen atom. But because the oxygen atom is larger than the hydrogen's, its
attraction for the hydrogen's electrons is correspondingly greater so the
electrons are drawn closer into the shell of the larger oxygen atom and away
from the hydrogen shells. This means that although the water molecule as a
whole is stable, the greater mass of the oxygen nucleus tends to draw in all
the electrons in the molecule including the shared hydrogen electrons giving
the oxygen portion of the molecule a slight electronegative charge.
The
shells of the hydrogen atoms, because their electrons are closer to the oxygen,
take on a small electropositive charge. This means water molecules have a
tendency to form weak bonds with water molecules because the oxygen end of the
molecule is negative and the hydrogen ends are positive.
A hydrogen
atom, while remaining covalently bonded to the oxygen of its own molecule, can
form a weak bond with the oxygen of another molecule. Similarly, the oxygen end
of a molecule can form a weak attachment with the hydrogen ends of other
molecules. Because water molecules have this polarity, water is a continuous
chemical entity.
These weak bonds play a crucial role in stabilizing
the shape of many of the large molecules found in living matter. Because these
bonds are weak, they are readily broken and re-formed during normal
physiological reactions. The disassembly and re-arrangement of such weak bonds
is in essence the chemistry of life.
To illustrate water's ability to
break down other substances, consider the simple example of putting a small
amount of table salt in a glass of tap water. With dry salt (NaCl) the
attraction between the electropositive sodium (Na+) and electronegative
chlorine (Cl-) atoms of salt is very strong until it is placed in water. After
salt is placed in water, the attraction of the electronegative oxygen of the
water molecule for the positively charged sodium ions and the similar
attraction of the electropositive hydrogen ends of the water molecule for the
negatively charged chloride ions are greater than the mutual attraction between
the outnumbered Na+ and Cl- ions. In water, the ionic bonds of the sodium
chloride molecule are broken easily because of the competitive action of the
numerous water molecules.
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As we
can see from this simple example, even the delicate configuration of individual
water molecules enables them to break relatively stronger bonds by converging
on them. This is why we call water the universal solvent. It is a natural
solution that breaks the bonds of larger, more complex molecules. This is the
chemistry of life on earth, in water and on land. |
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Oxidation-reduction reactions
Basically, reduction
means the addition of an electron (e-), and its converse, oxidation means the
removal of an electron. The addition of an electron, called reducttion, stores
energy in the reduced compound. The removal of an electron, called oxidation,
liberates energy from the oxidized compound. Whenever one substance is reduced,
another is oxidized.
To clarify these terms, consider any two
molecules, A and B, for example.
When molecules A and B come into
contact, here is what happens:
B grabs an electron from molecule A.
Molecule A has been oxidized because it has lost an electron.
The net
charge of B has been reduced because it has gained a negative electron (e-).
In biological systems, removal or addition of an electron constitutes
the most frequent mechanism of oxidation-reduction reactions. These
oxidation-reduction reactions are frequently called redox
reactions.
Acids and Bases
An acid is a substance that
increases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in water. A base is a
substance that decreases the concentration of hydrogen ions, in other words,
increasing the concentration of hydroxide ions OH-.
The degree of
acidity or alkalinity of a solution is measured in terms of a value known as
pH, which is the negative logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions: pH =
1/log[H+] = -log[H+]
What is pH?
On the pH scale, which
ranges from 0 on the acidic end to 14 on the alkaline end, a solution is
neutral if its pH is 7. At pH 7, water contains equal concentrations of H+ and
OH- ions. Substances with a pH less than 7 are acidic because they contain a
higher concentration of H+ ions. Substances with a pH higher than 7 are
alkaline because they contain a higher concentration of OH- than H+. The pH
scale is a log scale so a change of one pH unit means a tenfold change in the
concentration of hydrogen ions.
Importance of balancing pH
Living things are extremely sensitive to pH and function best (with
certain exceptions, such as certain portions of the digestive tract) when
solutions are nearly neutral. Most interior living matter (excluding the cell
nucleus) has a pH of about 6.8.
Blood plasma and other fluids that
surround the cells in the body have a pH of 7.2 to 7.3. Numerous special
mechanisms aid in stabilizing these fluids so that cells will not be subject to
appreciable fluctuations in pH. Substances that serve as mechanisms to
stabilize pH are called buffers. Buffers have the capacity to bond ions and
remove them from solution(s) whenever their concentration begins to rise.
Conversely, buffers can release ions whenever their concentration begins to
fall. Buffers thus help to minimize the fluctuations in pH. This is an
important function because many biochemical reactions normally occurring in
living organisms either release or use up ions.
Oxygen: Too much of a
good thing?
Oxygen is essential to survival. It is relatively
stable in the air, but when too much is absorbed into the body it can become
active and unstable and has a tendency to attach itself to any biological
molecule, including molecules of healthy cells. The chemical activity of these
free radicals is due to one or more pairs of unpaired electrons. About 2% of
the oxygen we normally breathe becomes active oxygen, and this amount increases
to approximately 20% with aerobic exercise.
Such free radicals with
unpaired electrons are unstable and have a high oxidation potential, which
means they are capable of stealing electrons from other cells. This chemical
mechanism is very useful in disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide and ozone
which can be used to sterilize wounds or medical instruments. Inside the body
these free radicals are of great benefit due to their ability to attack and
eliminate bacteria, viruses and other waste products.
Active Oxygen
in the body
Problems arise, however, when too many of these free
radicals are turned loose in the body where they can also damage normal tissue.
Putrefaction sets in when microbes in the air invade the proteins,
peptides, and amino acids of eggs, fish and meat. The result is an array of
unpleasant substances such as:
Hydrogen sulfide
Ammonia
Histamines
Indoles
Phenols
Scatoles
These substances are
also produced naturally in the digestive tract when we digest food which
results in the unpleasant odor evidenced in feces. Putrefaction of spoiled food
is caused by microbes in the air; this natural process is duplicated in the
digestive tract by intestinal microbes. All these waste products of digestion
are pathogenic, that is, they can cause disease in the body.
Hydrogen
sulfide and ammonia are tissue toxins that can damage the liver. Histamines
contribute to allergic disorders such as atopic dermatitis, urticaria (hives)
and asthma. Indoles and phenols are considered carcinogenic. Because waste
products such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, histamines, phenols and indoles are
toxic, the body's defense mechanisms try to eliminate them by releasing
neutrophils (a type of leukocyte, or white corpuscle). These neutrophils
produce active oxygen, oddball oxygen molecules that are capable of scavenging
disintegrating tissues by gathering electrons from the molecules of toxic
cells.
Problems arise, however, when too many of these active oxygen
molecules or free radicals are produced in the body. They are extremely
reactive and can also attach themselves to normal, healthy cells and damage
them genetically. These active oxygen radicals steal electrons from normal,
healthy biological molecules. This electron theft by active oxygen oxidizes
tissue and can cause disease.
Because active oxygen can damage normal tissue, it is
essential to scavenge this active oxygen from the body before it can cause
disintegration of healthy tissue. If we can find an effective method to block
the oxidation of healthy tissue by active oxygen, then we can attempt to
prevent disease.
Antioxidants block dangerous
oxidation
One way to protect healthy tissue from the ravages of
oxidation caused by active oxygen is to provide free electrons to active oxygen
radicals, thus neutralizing their high oxidation potential and preventing them
from reacting with healthy tissue.
Research on the link between diet
and cancer is far from complete, but some evidence indicates that what we eat
may affect our susceptibility to cancer. Some foods seem to help defend against
cancer, others appear to promote it. Much of the damage caused by carcinogenic
substances in food may come about because of an oxidation reaction in the cell.
In this process, an oddball oxygen molecule may damage the genetic code of the
cell. Some researchers believe that substances that prevent oxidation -- called
ANTIOXIDANTS -- can block the damage. This leads naturally to the theory that
the intake of natural antioxidants could be an important aspect of the body's
defense against cancer. Substances that some believe inhibit cancer include
vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, and gluthione (an amino acid).
These substances are reducing agents. They supply electrons to free radicals
and block the interaction of the free radical with normal tissue.
How we can avoid illness
As we mentioned earlier, the
presence of toxic waste products such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, histamines,
indoles, phenols and scatoles impart an offensive odor to human feces. In the
medical profession, it is well known that patients suffering from hepatitis and
cirrhosis pass particularly odoriferous stools. Excessively offensive stools
caused by the presence of toxins are indicators of certain diseases, and the
body responds to the presence of these toxins by producing neutrophil
leukocytes to release active oxygen in an attempt to neutralize the damage to
organs that can be caused by such waste products. But when an excess amount of
such active oxygen is produced, it can damage healthy cells as well as
neutralize toxins. This leads us to the conclusion that we can minimize the
harmful effect of these active oxygen radicals by reducing them with an ample
supply of electrons.
Water, the natural solution
There
is no substitute for a healthy balanced diet, especially rich in antioxidant
materials such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and other foods that are
good for us. However, these substances are not the best source of free
electrons that can block the oxidation of healthy tissue by active oxygen.
Water treated by electrolysis to increase its reduction potential is
the best solution to the problem of providing a safe source of free electrons
to block the oxidation of normal tissue by free oxygen radicals. We believe
that reduced water, water with an excess of free electrons to donate to active
oxygen, is the best solution because:
The reduction potential of water
can be dramatically increased over other antioxidants in food or vitamin
supplements. The molecule weight of reduced water is low, making it fast acting
and able to reach all tissues of the body in a very short time.
What
is IONIZED WATER?
Ionized water is the product of mild
electrolysis which takes place in the ionized water unit. The production of
ionized water, its properties, and how it works in the human body are described
in the next section. Ionized water is treated tap water that has not only been
filtered, but has also been reformed in that it provides reduced water with a
large mass of electrons that can be donated to active oxygen in the body to
block the oxidation of normal cells.
THE pH Miracle IONIZED WATER
UNIT
Tap water: What it is and isn't
Normal tap
water, for example, with a pH of 7 is approximately neutral on the pH scale of
0 to 14. When measured with an ORP (oxidation potential) meter, its redox
potential is approximately +400 to +500 mV. Because it has a positive redox
potential, it is apt to acquire electrons and oxidize other molecules. Reduced
Ionized Water, on the other hand, has a negative redox potential of
approximately -250 to -350 mV. This means it has a large mass of electrons
ready to donate to electron-thieving active oxygen.
Before discussing
the properties of Ionized Water further, let's take a look at what happens
inside an Ionized Water producing unit.
How an IONIZED WATER Unit
works
The Ionized Water unit, slightly taller and thicker than a
large dictionary on end, is an electrical appliance connected to your kitchen
water supply to perform electrolysis on tap water before you drink it or use it
in the kitchen for cooking or cleaning.
A
special attachment re-directs tap water out of the faucet through a plastic
hose into the Ionized Water unit. Inside the Ionized Water unit, the water is
first filtered through activated charcoal. Next, the filtered water passes into
an electrolysis chamber equipped with a platinum-coated titanium electrode
where electrolysis takes place.
Cations, positive ions, gather at the
negative electrodes to create cathodic water (reduced water). Anions,
negatively charged ions, gather at the positive electrode to make anodic water
(oxidized water).
 
Through electrolysis, reduced water not only
gains an excess amount of electrons (e-), but the cluster of H 2O seem to be
reduced in size from about 10 to 13 molecules per cluster to 5 to 6 molecules
per cluster.
The reduced water comes out of the faucet, and the
oxidized water comes out of a separate hose leading into the sink. You can use
the reduced water for drinking or cooking. The oxidation potential of the
oxidized water makes it a good sterilizing agent, ideal for washing hands,
cleaning food or kitchen utensils, and treating minor wounds.
What
the IONIZED WATER Unit Produces
Redox potential comparison
After electrolysis of the water inside the Ionized Water unit, reduced
water comes out of the cathodic side and oxidized water comes out of the anodic
side. Compare these measurements of these three types of water: tap water
before electrolysis, the reduced water, and the oxidized water.
Redox potential, not pH, is the
crucial factor
Traditionally we have judged the properties of water
from the standpoint of pH, in other words, whether water is acidic or alkaline.
According to Dr. Yoshiaki Matsuo PhD., the inventor of the Ionized Water unit,
"In my opinion, redox potential is more important than pH. The importance of pH
is over emphasized. For example, the average pH of blood is 7.4 and acidosis or
alkalosis are defined according to deviation within the range of 7.4 +- 0.005.
But nothing has been discussed about ORP, or oxidation-reduction potential."
The pH of tap water is about pH 7, or neutral. When tap water is
electrolyzed into Ionized Water, its reduced water has a pH of about 9 and the
oxidized water a pH of about 4. Even if you make alkaline water of pH 9 by
adding sodium hydroxide or make acidic water of pH 3 by adding hydrogen
chloride, you will find very little change in the ORP values of the two waters.
On the other hand, when you divide tap water with electrolysis you can see the
ORP fluctuate by as much as +- 1,000 mV. By electrolysis we can obtain reduced
water with negative potential that is good for the body.
USING pH
Miracle IONIZED WATER
What IONIZED WATER Does
The Ionized
Water unit produces two kinds of water with different redox potentials, one
with a high reduction potential and the other with a high oxidation potential.
Reduced Water
When taken internally, the
reduced Ionized Water with its redox potential of -250 to -350 mV readily
donates its electrons to oddball oxygen radicals and blocks the interaction of
the active oxygen with normal molecules.
A
biological molecule (BM) remains intact and undamaged.
Undamaged
biological molecules are less susceptible to infection and disease. Ionized
Water gives up an extra electron and reduces the active oxygen (AO), thus
rendering it harmless. The AO is reduced without damaging surrounding
biological molecules. Substances which have the ability to counteract active
oxygen by supplying electrons are called scavengers. Reduced water, therefore,
can be called scavenging water.
When taken internally, the effects of
reduced water are immediate. Ionized Water inhibits excessive fermentation in
the digestive tract by reducing indirectly metabolites such as hydrogen
sulfide, ammonia, histamines, indoles, phenols and scatoles, resulting in a
cleaner stool within days after reduced water is taken on a regular basis. In
1965, the Ministry of Welfare of Japan announced that reduced water obtained
from electrolysis can prevent abnormal fermentation of intestinal
microbes.
Oxidized Water
Oxidized water with its redox
potential of +700 to +800 mV is an oxidizing agent that can withdraw electrons
from bacteria and kill them. The oxidized water from the Ionized Water unit can
be used to clean hands, kitchen utensils, fresh vegetables and fruits, and to
sterilize cutting boards and minor wounds. Tests have shown that oxidized water
can be used effectively to treat athlete's foot, minor burns, insect bites,
scratches, and so on.
Dr. Yoshiaki Matsuo, Vice Director of the Water
Institute of Japan, has developed another apparatus capable of producing
hyperoxidized water with a redox potential of +1,050 mV or more, and a pH lower
than 2.7. Tests have shown that this hyper oxidized water can quickly destroy
MRSA (Methecillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus).
Although
hyperoxidized water is a powerful sterilizing agent, it won't harm the skin. In
fact, it can be used to heal. Hyperoxidized water has proven effective in
Japanese hospitals in the treatment of bedsores and operative wounds with
complicated infections. But perhaps the most exciting future application of
hyperoxidized water is in the field of agriculture where it has been used
effectively on plants to kill fungi and other plant diseases. Hyperoxidized
water is non-toxic, so agricultural workers can apply it without wearing
special protective equipment because there is no danger of skin or respiratory
damage. An added benefit of using hyperoxidized water to spray plants is that
there is no danger to the environment caused by the accumulation of toxic
chemicals in the ground.
The pH Miracle Ionized Water Superior to
Antioxidant Diet
Today we read much about correct dieting
principles and paying attention to what we eat in order to stay healthy. This
is a sensible practice, but it is surprising that many of us don't realize that
the bulk of what eat is composed of water. Vegetables and fruits are 90% water;
fish and meat are about 70% water as well. Even advocates of the importance of
vitamin C in diet staples have to admit that its potency, namely, the redox
potential of this important vitamin, rapidly diminishes with age and
preparation for the dining table. Carbohydrates, the main constituent of
vegetables and fruit, has a molecular weight of 180 whereas water has a much
lower molecular weight of 18.
The pH Miracle Ionized Water with its low molecular weight
and high reduction potential makes it a superior scavenging agent of active
oxygen. But electrolysis inside the Ionized Water unit not only charges the
reduced water with electrons, but it also reduces the size of reduced water
molecule clusters.
NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) analysis reveals
that tap water and well water consists of clusters of 10 to 13 H2 0 molecules.
Electrolysis of water in the Ionized Water unit reduces these clusters to about
half their normal size -- 5 to 6 water molecules per cluster.
 
As the graph shows, the NMR signal that measures cluster
size by line width at half-amplitude shows 65 Hz for reduced water and 133 Hz
for tap water, revealing that the reduced water clusters are approximately half
the size of tap water clusters.
This is why Ionized Water is more
readily absorbed by the body than untreated tap water. Ionized Water quickly
permeates the body and blocks the oxidation of biological molecules by donating
its abundant electrons to active oxygen, enabling biological molecules to
replace themselves naturally without damage caused by oxidation that can cause
diseases.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Upstream and Downstream
Theory
Prevent disease at the source
According to Dr.
Hidemitsu Hayashi, Director of the Water Institute of Japan, "To eliminate the
pollutants in a large stream that is contaminated at its source, we must work
on the problems upstream at the headwaters -- the source of the pollution --
not downstream where we can only try to treat the evidence of damage caused by
the pollution. Ionized Water's contribution to preventive medicine is
essentially upstream treatment."
Upstream
According
to our model, we consider the digestive tract upstream where we intake water
and food. Although many people today in developed countries are growing more
skeptical about what they eat, they tend to concentrate more on what the food
contains rather than the metabolized products of foods in the digestive tract.
Upstream
For example, consider the typical
balanced diet of meat and vegetables. Meat protein is metabolized into amines
while nitrates from fertilizers used to grow vegetables metabolize into
nitrites in the digestive tract. These amines and nitrites combine to form
nitrosamine, a recognized carcinogen.
We've already discussed that
odoriferous feces are evidence of excessive fermentation in the digestive
tract, and thus reduced water performs a very important function upstream in
the digestive tract by reducing this excessive fermentation as evidenced by
cleaner stools within days of starting a steady regimen of reduced water.
Downstream
Downstream
Downstream
from the digestive tract, starting at the liver, reduced water quickly enters
the liver and other organs due to, first, its lower molecular weight, and,
secondly, the size of its clusters. At tissue sites throughout the body,
reduced water with its safe, yet potent reduction potential readily donates its
passenger electrons freely to active oxygen and neutralizes them so they cannot
damage the molecules of healthy cells. Normal cells are protected from the
electron thievery of active oxygen and allowed to grow, mature, function and
regenerate without interference from rogue, oddball oxygen or acid radicals
which tend to steal the electrons from the molecules of normal, healthy
biological molecules.
The water boom
We are now in the
midst of a water boom. In Japan and other countries, consumers are buying
various kinds of bottled and canned water even though water is one of our most
abundant vital resources. Research data reveals that mineral waters have an ORP
of +200 mV, slightly lower than the +400 mV measured for ordinary tap water. We
can say that mineral water is at least marginally better than tap water from
the viewpoint of ORP. Compared to any processed water for sale, however,
Ionized Water that has been structured, like The pH Miracle Water(TM) with its
reduction potential of -250 to -300 mV is beyond comparison due to its ability
to scavenge active oxygen or acid radicals.
To order pH Miracle
Water, go here >>
To order The Most Powerful and Advanced Ionizers,
go here >>
The statements enclosed herein have not been evaluated
by the Food and Drug Administration. The products mentioned on this site are
not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information and
statements made are for educational purposes and are not intended to replace
the advice of your family doctor.
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