Tag: water

Ionizing or High pH Water, Good or Bad?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment
Mother Natures Provides Living Water
Mother Nature Provides Living Water

A few times each month I will get questions about using ionizing or alkaline water.  Is it better for me, will it help heal or repair my illness, will it improve my health?

Many of you may disagree with me and that is fine, just be sure to take the sales blinders off when making a decision about this subject. Look at real facts, not just reports from the manufactures of various equipment.

There are many people who claim they feel better after consuming high pH water for a while and that is most likely true but not because of the alkaline effect of the water.  My belief is that because they are experiencing something new, they are now drinking more water. You know how we are. We get turned on to a new piece of equipment or a new product and we are diligent about using or taking it everyday.  Drinking more water is going to re-hydrate your body and naturally begin a detoxing effect. This will give you more energy, improve health and detox your body.

So, lets take a real look at alkaline water.

There are many theories and opinions about the benefits of drinking high alkaline water, in particular 9.5 pH water. Water is so important to our health I could write a book about the functions and health benefits of just water. So I am only going to discuss two claims about high pH water.

The high alkaline water community promotes their devices through two basic health claims.  They claim high pH alkaline water improves your health by increasing your alkaline state and by increasing your body’s cellular oxygen level through water/oxygen clustering.

With out getting into a very long lecture in water and metabolic science, this is my opinion based on scientific facts.  Just remember, every second your body is adjusting its pH to keep you alive.

What Influences Our Bodies Alkaline State

Everything we consume, even water is broken down to the very smallest molecule possible. This allows the body to repackage these molecules into other things. For example, when you eat protein from an animal or a vegetative food, the source doesn’t matter–the body through its incredible digestive system breaks the protein down to amino acids. These join the body’s amino acid pool, which consist of amino acids from our diet and recycled proteins the bodies disassembles into amino acids again to be reused. It’s not this simple–there are many steps in between, but I think you get the picture. Our body is in a constant state of building and breaking down compounds. In our metabolism they are referred to as catabolism, which is, when matter is broken down to create energy and anabolism, which is when the body uses energy to build materials such as building proteins from amino acids and additional compounds. It is during the catabolic process when the acid or alkaline ash is produced. During every step of the metabolic pathway the body is constantly adjusting its pH.
When you drink or eat any substance, it has a natural pH value that may be acidic, neutral, or alkaline. As soon as the food or liquid enters our stomach it empties into a pool of gastric juice, primarily hydrochloric acid and some enzymes etc. At this point the highly acidic environment now changes the pH of what was ingested into an acidic pH. Our stomach lining contains cells that monitor the pH. If it begins to become more alkaline, parietal cells, or oxyntic cells pump acid into the stomach to bring the stomachs environment to the correct pH necessary for proper digestion, so high alkaline water is totally changed by the stomach acid. Once the broken down food is ready to leave the stomach, it is squirted a little at a time into our small intestine where the small intestines sensory cells sense a very dangerous acid substance and signal the pancreas to squirt bicarbonate into the intestine to neutralize the pH once again. Alkaline water does not make our bodies more alkaline or more acidic.

Water naturally contains components some of which are good for us such as micronutrients in mineral form and other healthy microorganisms. Water may also contain heavy metals, pesticides, residues from drugs dumped into the water supply, other water-soluble harmful chemical compounds and pathogens such as unhealthy bacteria, fungi and viruses.

So now we know that it is during catabolism (the burning of foods for energy) that our body’s pH is affected by the ash that is left over.  Each food based on its molecular content (compounds) leaves an acidic or alkaline ash. Depending on the totality of the pH effect of our diet our body adjusts our blood pH to a range between 7.35 and 7.45. This is highly critical and the body will do everything possible by mineral insertion to maintain it. If our diet is highly acidic, our bodies leach calcium from our bones to neutralize the effects of the acid ash. Colas are highly acidic and it is not the acidic value of the soda that causes the acid effect–it is the molecules in the compounds it is made from. Lemons and apple cider vinegar are both very acidic yet they make our bodies more alkaline. Our bodies get rid of excess acid through cellular respiration where the acid is converted into CO2 (carbon dioxide). The principal buffer is bicarbonate which is continually generated as glucose, which is the body’s immediate cellular energy source and calcium which is balanced in our body by magnesium and parathyroid hormone (PTH).  This is the primary route of elimination of acids from the body, although the kidneys play a secondary role.

The body has a phenomenal filtration system but it is okay to give it some help through simple filters like Brita and Pur. They filter out contaminants, but leave other healthy compounds. Eat often from Mother Nature’s Garden of Life. Plant foods when consumed in variety provide a diet that is about 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. It is considered by many health experts to be the perfect alkaline to acid ratio for optimal health.

The best way to alkaline your body is to eat a diet rich in plant foods, drink plenty of free, filtered natural water, remove animal foods and refined and processed foods from your diet.  And make happiness, exercise and relaxation a priority in your lifestyle.

What Increases Our Cellular Oxygen Levels

High alkaline water is also promoted as a way to increase oxygen into our cells. Very simply the only ways to increase oxygen in our cells is through our lungs and our skin. Red blood cells carry oxygen to each cell. When we are fit, we increase our body’s oxygen-carrying ability by making more red blood cells and by improving their oxygen-carrying capability.  The layers of our skin are permeable thus allowing oxygen to penetrate and oxygenate the cells in the upper skin layers. The oxygen content in intercellular (outside of the cell) fluid or intracellular (inside the cell) fluid is regulated by the body’s hormones, enzymes, vitamins and mineral status–not the water.

Your best bet is to drink purified water that has no contaminates but retains its healthy benefits. Spring water is the best of Mother Nature and its pH will normally range from 6.5 to 8.5. If you do use the alkaline/acid water machines I would not drink any water with a pH higher than 7.5. Drinking water at a pH of higher than 7.5 on a continual basis as your everyday drinking water can be unhealthy.  It causes your stomach acid pH to become to high which can cause reflux and can also disrupt your gut flora. Raising your stomach acid pH on a consistent basis can also interfere with digestion causing poor nutrient absorption.  We are now beginning to see people with long-term high pH water consumption suffering from nutritional deficiency.

If you want to help keep your body’s pH in balance, eat lots of living foods like vegetables particularly green foods and drink their juice.  If you want optimal hydration I think coconut water is the best.

In short I don’t recommend high pH waters from a machine. Save your money and buy more living foods.

Many Blessings
Wally Bishop C.N.C.
WebND

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Water Anyone?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment
Water, Refreshing and Revitalizing!

From Guest Writer Kim Stark

Water is by far the nutrient most needed by the body.  Water is in the make up of every cell, tissue, and organ in the body.  Water is responsible for about 60% of body weight.  Even the bones and teeth are a percentage of water.  The majority of our muscles (about 75%) are made up of water. 

Okay, so we now know our body is mostly water what’s the big deal.  The big deal is that every task our body performs requires water.  Water is a transporter of nutrients, helps remove waste and toxins, carries messages to our brain, hormones throughout our body, water also helps our body regulate body temperature and it also acts as a cushion around our spinal cord and joints.   Some other research also shows that drinking plenty of water may protect against some cancers in men and women.  It may also help prevent kidney stones by keeping the kidneys flushed and functioning properly.

  So just maybe water is an extremely vital part of our bodily functions right.  You say well I don’t think I drink enough, does that mean you’re going to fall over and shrivel up?  No, not necessarily shrivel up and wilt away, but on the serious side you can become dehydrated if you do not drink enough water.

How do you get enough water? What is dehydration and why so dangerous? You say you don’t like water it’s too plain.  Good questions and I will get to that in just a moment. 

You now know it’s important to stay hydrated so your body can function properly and do its job efficiently, which is to keep you alive!  Okay, so you need water to function and live, but you say if you drink so much water you’ll live in the bathroom.    Not 100% true.  Your body loses water everyday just by normal processes that occur within (also known as metabolic activities).   Some of these activities are, breathing, sweating, and some are also lost in the feces.  This doesn’t include if you are physically active and like to work out, or you live in a humid area.  Your body has to adjust its internal thermostat, which causes a loss of water too.   So, needless to say the intake of fluids needs to balance the output of fluids.  

Did your mom ever tell you as a child, if you borrow something you need to put it back when you’re finished?  Or maybe, if you use up the last of something you need to replace it? That’s an easy way to look at balancing what you lose in water.   It needs to be replaced.  

The input vs. output of water requires functioning kidneys and an adequate intake of fluids.  Functioning kidneys? What’s that have to do with anything?  Well, simply put, kidneys remove waste pass it on down to the bladder.  Then when it’s time for the waste to exit the body your kidneys send a message to your bladder (through a process that involves water) and it exits by a well-known process called urinating, also known as going pee.

 An easy way to tell that you get enough fluids is by the color of your urine.   If it’s very light in color almost clear, that means you’re getting an adequate intake of fluids, however if it is dark yellow, has a mild odor, try drinking more.  If it has an extremely dark color almost brown or it is brown, and a strong odor, you just might want to go see a doctor, pretty quickly like as of yesterday. That may be an indication dehydration has set in, which can cause your kidneys to come to a halt among other life threatening symptoms if not treated right away.

 Okay now that I have scared you a little, let’s get back to the fun stuff.  So, other than the color of you urine, is there another way to tell if you’re getting enough water? What about being thirsty? Shouldn’t that be enough of an indication you need water? I say, nope, not at all.  Thirst is what leads a person to get a drink, and thirst can also influence on how much we drink.  However, being thirsty doesn’t let us know how much our body actually needs and is lacking.  Being thirsty is a mild symptom of dehydration.  Some others include dry mouth, dry skin, and mild headaches. 

Did you know water is the most important source of energy in our body?  When there is a loss of water or dehydration sets in that loss can greatly affect your performance and energy levels.   Minor lesson for you, your cells get energy from activities that enzymes carry out.  These enzymes are fueled by good ole’ h2o. When you lose even the tiniest amount of fluid your body can feel a sever drop in energy.  Lets just say we don’t lose a “small” amount, it’s a pretty big actually.  Normal metabolic functions (breathing, urinating, and so on) cost us about 2 liters of water a day.  That’s big!  Just by a 1-2% loss of body weight in water can cause fatigue, weakness, and even a loss of appetite.   And lets face it, those few things can cause us to be late to work, moody, and prevent us from performing at our highest ability. 

Now, back to your questions. What is dehydration? Dehydration happens when the body loses too much or isn’t getting enough water.  A couple of the most common causes of dehydration are from diarrhea and vomiting.  Water isn’t replaced quick enough for the excess amount its losing.

Easy preventions for dehydration include drinking the daily recommended 6-10 glasses of water and eating foods that contain water as well.  An easy formula to remember is take your weight in pounds, divide that by two, and that is how many ounces of water you should drink for your body weight.  This does not mean to guzzle your entire recommended amount all at once.  The body can only absorb so much at one time.  If you chug a whole glass of water, your body will take in what it needs at that moment and spit out the rest, which means unnecessary trips to the bathroom.  A helpful suggestion to get the most out of your water intake is to drink it in small amounts throughout the day.  Another suggestion is to try drinking a half a cup every half hour spread out over the first 12 hours you’re awake (dependent upon how much water you actually need),  and well before bedtime your body can be fully hydrated.  Which means cutting out those annoying 4am bathroom calls.

You say it doesn’t taste good, well there other ways to flavor it up or to get water into your body without chugging a bottle full.   Foods contain water.  Some foods such a fruit contain a high percentage of water.  Like watermelon, strawberries, apples or grapes? Those are just a few to name.  Snack on some of those throughout the day or add them to your meal plans.  Another way to flavor your dull water is try adding frozen fruits like blue berries or kiwi to give it flavor.  Make some homemade lemonade and WA-la, you have found a way to disguise that water! 

The short lesson here is to get plenty of fluids, because your body requires water to do every little and big task.  Most importantly if you don’t get enough it can be life threatening.

Drink to Life! water that is!

Kim Stark

Guest Writer

Kim is a WebND staff member and is really into nutrition. Kim is currently studying and working towards certifications in Nutrition.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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High pH Alkaline Water, Does it Really Alkaline Your Body?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment
Healthy Free Water

Lately I have been getting many requests about the use of high alkaline water from alkaline water machines. Is it better for me, will it help heal or repair my illness etc…

There are many theories and opinions about the benefits of drinking high alkaline water, in particular 9.5 pH water. Again this is my opinion. Water is so important to our health I could write a book about the functions and health benefits of just water. So I am only going to discuss two claims regarding high pH water

The high alkaline water community promotes their devices through two basic health claims.  They claim high pH alkaline water improves your health by increasing your alkaline state and by increasing your body’s cellular oxygen level through water/oxygen clustering.

With out getting into a very long lecture in water and metabolic science, this is my opinion based on scientific facts.  Just remember, every second the body is adjusting its pH to keep us alive.

What Influences Our Bodies Alkaline State

Everything we consume, even water is broken down to the very smallest molecule possible. This allows the body to repackage these molecules into other things. For example, when you eat protein from an animal or a vegetative food, the source doesn’t matter–the body through its incredible digestive system breaks the protein down to amino acids. These join the bodies amino acid pool which consist of amino acids from our diet and recycled proteins the bodies disassembles into amino acids again to be reused. It’s not this simple–there are many steps in between, but I think you get the picture. Our body is in a constant state of building and breaking down compounds. In our metabolism they are referred to as catabolism which is when matter is broken down to create energy and anabolism which is when the body uses energy to build materials such as building proteins from amino acids and additional compounds. It is during the catabolic process when the acid or alkaline ash is produced. During every step of the metabolic pathway the body is constantly adjusting its pH.
When you drink or eat any substance, it has a natural pH value that may be acidic, neutral, or alkaline. As soon as the food or liquid enters our stomach it empties into a pool of gastric juice, primarily hydrochloric acid and some enzymes etc. At this point the highly acidic environment now changes the pH of what was ingested into an acidic pH. Our stomach lining contains cells that monitor the pH. If it begins to become more alkaline, parietal cells, or oxyntic cells pump acid into the stomach to bring the stomachs environment to the correct pH necessary for proper digestion, so high alkaline water is totally changed by the stomach acid. Once the broken down food is ready to leave the stomach, it is squirted a little at a time into our small intestine where the small intestines sensory cells sense a very dangerous acid substance and signal the pancreas to squirt bicarbonate into the intestine to neutralize the pH once again. Alkaline water does not make our bodies more alkaline or more acidic.

Water naturally contains components some of which are good for us such as micronutrients in mineral form and other healthy microorganisms. Water may also contain heavy metals, pesticides, residues from drugs dumped into the water supply, other water soluble harmful chemical compounds and pathogens such as unhealthy bacteria, fungi and viruses.

So now we know that it is during catabolism (the burning of foods for energy) that our body’s pH is affected by the ash that is left over.  Each food based on its molecular content (compounds) leaves an acidic or alkaline ash. Depending on the totality of the pH effect of our diet our body adjusts our blood pH to a range between 7.35 and 7.45. This is highly critical and the body will do everything possible by mineral insertion to maintain it. If our diet is highly acidic, our bodies leach calcium from our bones to neutralize the effects of the acid ash. Colas are highly acidic and it is not the acidic value of the soda that causes the acid effect–it is the molecules in the compounds it is made from. Lemons and apple cider vinegar are both very acidic yet they make our bodies more alkaline. Our bodies get rid of excess acid through cellular respiration where the acid is converted into CO2 (carbon dioxide). The principal buffer is bicarbonate which is continually generated as glucose, which is the body’s immediate cellular energy source and calcium which is balanced in our body by magnesium and parathyroid hormone (PTH).  This is the primary route of elimination of acids from the body, although the kidneys play a secondary role.

The body has a phenomenal filtration system but it is okay to give it some help through simple filters like Brita and Pur. They filter out contaminants, but leave other healthy compounds. Eat often from Mother Nature’s Garden of Life. Plant foods when consumed in variety, provide a diet that is about 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. It is considered by many health experts to be the perfect alkaline to acid ratio for optimal health.

The best way to alkaline your body is to eat a diet rich in plant foods, drink plenty of free, filtered natural water, remove animal foods and refined and processed foods from your diet. They create an acidic ash in the body when metabolized and put joy, happiness and relaxation in your life.

What Increases Our Cellular Oxygen Levels
High alkaline water is also promoted as a way to increase oxygen into our cells. Very simply the only ways to increase oxygen in our cells is through our lungs and our skin. Red blood cells carry oxygen to each cell. When we are fit, we increase our body’s oxygen-carrying capability by making more red blood cells and by improving their oxygen-carrying capability.  The layers of our skin are permeable thus allowing oxygen to penetrate and oxygenate the cells in the upper skin layers. The oxygen content in intercellular (outside of the cell) fluid or intracellular (inside the cell) fluid is regulated by the body’s hormones, enzymes, vitamins and mineral status–not the water.

Before you say “but Wally there are so many testimonials about health improvements with alkaline water”; in the beginning of this article I said many health improvements can happen from water consumption when it’s adequate amounts of water. More than 80% of the population is in some state of dehydration. Most people buying these machine increase their water consumption greatly because they are so excited about the new machine and possible health improvements. The health improvements are from the increase in water not its high alkalinity.

Your best bet is to drink purified water that has no contaminates but retains its healthy benefits. If you do use the alkaline/acid water machines I would not drink any water with a pH higher than 7.5

In short I don’t recommend high pH waters from a machine. Save your money.

Many Blessings
Wally Bishop C.N.C.
Nutritionist
WebND