Alkaline water ionizers will not only filter your water but do double duty by providing you with alkaline drinking water which is an invaluable part of your wellness program. Alkaline water helps detoxify the system and is reported to protect against a variety of degenerative or inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, acid reflux, gout, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, diabetes and reduce high blood pressure, helps with weight loss as well as provides the optimum environment for discouraging cancer cell growth. It is thought that cancer cells thrive in an acid environment, so it is reasonable to expect that if the body’s pH turns more alkaline that it is beneficial to one’s health. These benefits have been fairly well documented by research that has taken place primarily in Japan and Europe. I do hasten to add that controlled research involving humans is fiendishly difficult, because when a family such as ours, finds themselves in a life and death situation, you do everything you can think of and you do it concurrently, as time is not on your side.
Water ionization is the method of producing a concentration of alkaline and acidic minerals by separating them through electrolysis. Water ionizers help neutralize and balance your body’s pH balance. We offer a variety of water ionizers to suit your needs including countertop, under sink, and portable units which are all easy to set up.
I did quite a lot of reading and research before getting convinced about the alkaline water story and its curative effects. I did talk to a number of doctors and people who had expertise in nutrition that were in agreement that the American diet is too acidic and not optimum for one’s health. The first thing that struck me was you are going to have to drink a large amount of water if you chose to continue to eat some of the food and beverages that were most acidic. Both my husband and I were already eating what normally would be considered a ideal healthy diet with plenty of grains, vegetables, salads, fruit, fish and we rarely eat meat. We tested our pH balance with test strips before we started the water and found to our horror that we were both quite acidic. My husband who has regular urine tests (the best way to test pH) confirmed that while his pH level was in normal range it was far from being ideal. We quickly eliminated coffee and diet soda, which was a real sacrifice on my part, but we still tested well below 7.0 pH neutral. So we dug a bit deeper into the recommended alkaline foods such as fruits, vegetables and some nuts but it was clear that without the aid of alkaline water we were not going to achieve our goals.
I decided on anunder sink installation by Life alkaline water ionizers (starting at $2,499.95) because I had a designer kitchen faucet with a spray attachment and my kitchen counter top has limited space. My installation was fraught with difficulties starting with several attempts by UPS to deliver as signature is required. I then found an under counter installation requires an electrical socket for an “always on socket which upped the expense. Luckily I already had an extra hole drilled in my granite counter top for the dispensing alkaline water drinking water tap, but getting granite drilled is not trivial if you have that kind of counter top. I also needed an alternative connector part from the company as mine would not fit the standard water supply. So this installation needed a certain amount of perseverance and determination, and if I was not so convinced about the health benefits I might have given up in disgust of simply opted for a countertop model which I think for most people it would be a lot easier. My model is voice activated which by the time you place it under the sink is a muffled annoyance, although in theory a good idea.
That being said after we safely installed the unit, I found there was a quite a lot to learn about using alkaline water. My unit has four levels of alkaline water which is not always the case with other less expensive alkaline water filters. This allows you to start slowly and get your body used to alkaline water and then work your way up to higher levels of alkaline water which we reckoned we might need to achieve the desired result. It took some getting used to seeing water come out of two spouts simultaneously- one acid and one alkaline- and getting used to wasting the acid water. But in truth drinking water is a tiny part of each day’s household water consumption.
Ideally the drinking water out of your tap should test pH neutral with your test strips. Ours was slightly acidic so that even green tea which is mildly alkaline in our house tested acid – and we even already have a whole house water filter. So even drinking more tap water was not going to get us to a pH neutral level.
The acid water is good for primarily for any topical skin uses whether it be a rash, sunburn, abrasions or other more serious skin conditions. It is also a disinfectant and can be used in sanitizing and polishing surfaces and works well when cleaning as it has a mild bleaching effect. It should NEVER be ingested.
The alkaline water which acts as an antioxidant is just simply one of the best things you can do for your health. Indeed, the number of conditions in which alkaline water has been said to be helpful includes high blood pressure, gastro intestinal problems, diabetes, gout, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, and obesity. While I would never dare to say that the alkaline water is curative, I have certainly read enough case studies to make me wonder. What the alkaline water CAN do is help restore your body’s pH level to 7.0-7.2 which is considered to be pH neutral and can help balance the cumulative effects of the American diet which end up having our bodies in a mild state of chronic acidosis which is linked to a number of degenerative diseases.
One caution in drinking alkaline water is not drinking the water one hour before and after taking medication. Since my husband and myself take daily medication, that does take some organization so I put the water in bottles each morning for later use during the day.
Since the effects of the water for most people do not happen over night and can take months, I am cautious about reporting any changes. I ramped up to level 4 water quite quickly over the last month and I have noticed that I find it easier to drink the water, that it just tastes smoother. I do not drink the recommended one to two gallons a day, simply to avoid spending all day and night in the bathroom. Nevertheless my morning pH level has inched up a couple of notches which is a quick and easy way of charting my progress. What I have found and the scientist in me is so reluctant to report this, is that my osteoarthritis, which is pretty debilitating has lessened very significantly, and I can get out of bed in the mornings and not creep around moaning and groaning. By the time I have a morning sauna session, I am starting to feel almost normal and enough to go out golfing and enjoy myself for the first time in a couple of years. I will let you know whether the improvement sticks, if it does I will be unbelievably thankful as it will have made a huge difference to the quality of my life.
My husband at time of writing is still on level 1 water and needs to drink far more in order to change his blood pH but when we have measurable changes in pH levels I will report it as a postscript to this review.
However, I do recommend anyone who is concerned about their overall wellness to include an Alkaline water filter into their program. It can do nothing but help.
Links: Life Alkaline Water Ionizers | Water Ionizers | Water Filters