More about Hydrogen Rich Water (HRW)

My search for the perfect, healthy drinking water may be over... Living in New York City this is a challenge, since we have fantastic drinking water that is poisoned with hexafluorosilic acid for water fluoridation - the result of one of the biggest scientific frauds of the 20th and now the 21st century.

The current epicenter of the battle against mandatory water fluoridation is now in Ireland, in the work of environmental scientist Declan Waugh, who has just published a major paper on fluoride in tea, and who the accumulation of fluoride in tea, combined with fluoridated water results in a tremendously toxic brew... Meanwhile, the country of India is spending hundreds of millions on getting naturally occurring fluoride out of the water, because millions in that country are suffering from fluorosis. In short, any informed person would avoid fluoridated water. Most of Europe has long since abandoned it after it was understood in the seventies that this particular American fad was a complete scientific hoax, and caused more health problems than it solved. Even the CDC published a report that fluoride is toxic, and protects teeth only by topical application, not by systemic application (ingestion). Incidentally, as far as tea is concerned, the other major contaminant is aluminum, especially in green tea, and that is no joke either.

In 1999, when I worked for a company called Better Health Labs, I introduced fluoride filters in our product line, and that was a solid success. The problem was that filtering out the fluoride was tough to do, and the only good fluoride filters required permanent or semi-permanent installation. None of the ever popular filter pitchers take out fluoride, even if they are otherwise OK - and many of them are relatively ineffective.

The picture has changed. For a few years now, I used the ZeroWater filter, and added Concentrace Mineral Drops, because the body needs the healthy minerals (electrolytes). For my freshwater aquarium water I still use the ZeroWater filter, and add the necessary minerals. However, more recently I have found a better solution, the Clearly Filtered pitchers, they are marketed both as the Perfectwater Purifier, and on Amazon as the Aquagear water filter pitcher, and possibly under other private labels. You can find a full analysis of the performance of this filter on the Clearly Filtered site, and it is impressive indeed. This pitcher claims to reduce fluoride by 90% and the test report from the Environmental Toxicology Bureau of the LA County Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures confirms it.

The Scoop on the Clearly Filtered pitcher

The test results are without a doubt the best I have ever seen for a domestic water filter, and certainly a pitcher. This filter really takes out the bad and leaves in the good. Since it is marketed under private labels. I got the filter from Perfectwater Purifier, but if I had to do it over, I would probably buy it from Amazon under the Aquagear label, or direct from Clearly Filtered. Here's how the deals compare:

• Aquagear sells this filter for $69.95 on Amazon, and extra filters are $49.95. The company suggests the filters last for 150 gallons, or 6 months, whichever comes first.
• On the Perfectwater Purifier site, they pitch a deal of $9.95 to try out the filter, and after 30 days you get a shipment of 3 filters for $149.95, but then you're signed up for continued shipments of three filters every six months, which is more than I need, so I'll have to cancel that. This company rates the filters at 200 gallons or 6 months, whichever comes first.
• Or, you can buy it direct from the company, Clearly Filtered. It seems they provide the most straightforward options. They offer the filter at $69.95, or $59.46 with automatic replacement filters available on different schedules, from every two months to every six months, at $49.95 each.

Regardless of which one you buy, let's look at the water quality. I did some of my own testing, based on my experience in this area:

The Relative Hydrogen Score

The test report on this filter documents that it is extraordinarily effective in taking out the bad, and leaving in the good. I measured the mineral content with my trusty TDS meter, and indeed, I got scores in the 150-175 range, a tad below my tap water. I have also been measuring the ORP (Oxydation Reduction Potential), and generally it seems to be in the 40 range, which is very low, much better than the tap water, which tends to have an ORP of 200, and this measurement alone confirms that this filter is indeed remarkably efficient at "taking out the bad," as well as "leaving in the good."

I have also measured the pH, and it is above 8 - my pH test kit covers only the 6-8 range, so I don't have more precision but "above 8." Nevertheless, this is sufficient to compute the Relative Hydrogen Score (rH) of the water, which is a better indicator, because it makes the difference between anti-oxidant healing water, or just plain tap water, which increases oxidative stress. The rH scale says that water with an rH below 28 has dissolved atomic Hydrogen, and therefore is effective as an anti-oxidant. My measurements of the water from the Clearly Filtered pitcher have been in the rH of 25 (or less) range. 

In addition to using the filtered water from the Clearly Filtered water, I now use alkaline mineral sticks (see my previous post) in my drinking bottle, and that lowers the ORP further to between -40 to -80, and thereby the rH improves further to about the 20-25 range. In short, these alkaline mineral sticks do seem to work to improve the presence of dissolved Hydrogen content of the water. Over time I intend to try various different sticks.

More about Dissolved Hydrogen, HIMs and Ionizers

Newer research is pointing in the direction that dissolved molecular hydrogen is really the key issue. A researcher by the name of Tyler LeBaron runs the Molecular Hydrogen Foundation, and you can find the core science on molecular hydrogen here, and here is a YouTube video of his presentation to a medical conference in Las Vegas at the end of 2015.

I was involved in the past with Water Ionizers, also known as Reduced Water Machines, or Electrolyzed Water Machines, and many other names. For a long time they reigned supreme in producing healthy drinking water, but we've gone past that now. These machines always had the problem of fouling of the electrodes, and eventual failures, even if some were better than others in self-cleaing of the electrodes. Since the research has pointed to the fact that it is really free molecular Hydrogen that matters in creating the anti-oxidant effect in water, there are now new machines coming to market that produce water with very elevated dissolved Hydrogen. They are called Hydrogen Induction Machines, or HIMs.

Here are some more sources of information:

• HIM on youtube
• Another HIM source, H2FX
• And more here at EchoH2Water

Also there are hydrogen rich water products coming on the market, such as H2Bev, and finally, there is now a simple test to verify the amount of dissolved hydrogen in water, H2Blue.

It seems to me that this technology is poised to overcome all of the problems with water ionizers. Having said that, it may be somewhat superfluous if a simple water filter, like the Clearly Filtered pitcher, and possibly aided further with the alkaline mineral hydrogenation sticks, can produce such powerful results, so you can be drinking anti-oxidant water on an ongoing basis. The times they are a changin' !!!

For more information, it is worth checking the articles about Hydrogen Rich Water on Google Scholar.

There's more to it than just "drink more water."

In all likelihood, the single most important thing about the water you drink, beside removing any harmful chemicals or heavy metals, such as chloride, fluoride (fluorosilicic acid), and lead, while keeping the healthy minerals, because our body does need the electrolytes (don't drink Distilled-, or Reverse Osmosis-, or even ZeroWater Water without adding the needed minerals such as Concentrace Trace Minerals or Trace Minerals 40,000 Volts), is the presence of H- which makes the water into the most powerful anti-oxidant you could ever find.

Research on this issue has been profoundly confused, and apparently back when someone in Japan filed for a license to manufacture and sell electrolyzed water machines, a.k.a. ionizers, in ca 1962 no one had an explanation for the apparent health benefits, but the most readily observable feature of ERW (Electrolyzed Reduced Water), was its elevated pH, and hence the alkalinity of the water was mistaken for the explanation for its apparent health benefits. Except... that explanation made no sense. For more information see the website of the Molecular Hydrogen Foundation, and their page on Water Ionizers.

Looking a bit deeper, the Alkaline water from electrolysis also seemed to have anti-oxidant properties, and for a while the industry became obsessed with the ORP as a presumed indicator of the anti-oxidant properties of the water, but that was not the answer either. It would not be till 1997, when research published by Prof. Sanetaka Shirahata of Kyoto University finally put the world on the right track. The key to it all was the presence of H- ions (Hydride) in ERW, some thing that had previously been considered impossible, as it was thought H- could not persist but for a few nano seconds.

The ERW vs Alkalinity confusion

Apparently, the first "approvals" of  water electrolysis machines in Japan, where the technology originated, goes back to 1954 or thereabouts, and at the time the alkalinity of the water was thought to be its distinguishing feature, and the explanation for the reported health benefits. The "approval" however apparently was not more meaningful than is a UL-listing here: it attests that the machine is safe to use, and not that the claims associated with it are true. But the descriptor of alkaline water stuck, and became the basis of an industry mythology of dubious claims that persists to this day. At various other times there also was a claim that the electrolysis caused "micro clusters" of water molecules, and made hydration easier, again without convincing scientific basis, although it does seem that the presence of Hydride in the water comes in clusters. Gradually however, it became clear that the issue was that by electrolysis water with low ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) was produced on the cathodic side of the electrolysis process, and that seemed to relate to the effectiveness of the water in respect of health.

In the end it turns out that neither the high pH, nor the low ORP are the issue, merely corollaries to what is going on, which is the formation of H- ions, a.k.a. active hydrogen, the negative hydrogen ion, more usually called Hydride. Ionizers may produce alkaline water, but that has nothing to do with the price of beans. What they are is water electrolysis machines, that is at least an accurate description of what they do. Electrolyzed water machine is a workable nomenclature, since otherwise it is such a mouthful. They produce two outputs from ordinary tap water, one alkaline and the other acidic, one good for drinking and the other for cleaning/disinfection. However, the only satisfactory explanation for the health benefits were documented in the above referenced article in BBRC (Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications), in 1997. The principal author was Prof. Sanetaka Shirahata, of  Kyushu University. To all intents and purposes this is the seminal article on the health benefits of drinking ERW.

The machines are still widely marketed as 'ionizers' or 'alkaline water' machines, Electrolyzed Water Machines, and many other names. As noted, alkalinity of the water is a mere side effect. If the alkalinity were of the essence, you could add minerals to your water for pennies per gallon, and you would not need another pricey piece of household equipment. 

The Seminal Research of Prof. Shirahata
Back in 1997, when Prof. Sanetaka Shirahata published his paper demonstrating the effectiveness of ERW (Electrolyzed Reduced Water) as an anti-oxidant, it was somewhat controversial that he ascribed that effect to the persistence of H-, the negative hydrogen ion, or hydride in water, presumably for as much as 30 days.
Here is the reference to the article:

“Electrolyzed-Reduced Water Scavenges Active Oxygen Species and Protects DNA from Oxidative Damage”

Sanetaka Shirahata, Shirgeru Kabayama, Mariko Nakano, Takumi Miura, Kenichi Kusumoto, Miho Gotoh, Hidemitsu Hayashi, Kazumichi Otsubo, Shinkatsu Morisawa, and Yoshinori Katakura

Published in: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 234, No.1, May 8, 1997

I was in Japan in 1999 and met with Nihon-Trim, the manufacturer of ERW machines, who was also one of the sponsors of Prof. Shirahata's work. I also met with Dr. Hidemitso Hayashi, a cardiologist who was a participant in that study, and a big actor in the ERW industry. In 1996 he had published a book in Japanese: "Active Hydrogen Liberates Mankind from Disease," (Japanese, ISBN 4-8454-1133-4). Dr. Hayashi parted ways with the manufacturers of "water ionizers" because he claimed to have found a cheaper, better way to produce H- in water, with a mineral-based stick to stir the water. The ERW people thought he was crazy, because theoretically it should take energy to produce the H- ion. Hayashi persisted, and you can find his information a.o. here: http://www.hydrogeninmywaterbottle.com and his Amazon page, here (mostly Japanese only).

Hydride Rich Water

It may now be time for a new acronym: HRW, Hydrogen Rich Water. Note that the Japanese, with Dr. Hayashi leading the parade, have a habit of speaking of Hydrogen Rich water, but the proper word in English of the H- ionic form is Hydride, as was pointed out to me by an old friend, Prof. Edward Dratz, of the Biochemistry Dept. of Montana State University. However, a valid reason to stick to the term Hydrogen Rich Water may be the fact that the rH (relative Hydrogen score), actually measures all simple forms of H, inclucing H2, H-, as Vinny Pinto points out in his article on the issue. Stick to the abbreviation HRW, which is the same in either case.

On the same site you can also find extensive documentation of both the theory and the research of Hydrogen rich water.

• http://www.hydrogeninmywaterbottle.com/html/redox.html
• http://www.hydrogeninmywaterbottle.com/html/research.html
• http://www.hydrogeninmywaterbottle.com/html/science.html

And there are more and more reports about this issue. An interesting collection of material can be found on a website by one Vinny Pinto, where extensive documentation is shown of the fact that Hydride can and does persist in water, and how this fact is getting increasing recognition in water treatment, beer brewing, and advanced aquarium keeping:

• http://h-minus-ion.vpinf.com/index.html

All in all, the first test is simple, you can actually taste the difference. Hydrogen rich water has a smoother sensation than regular water, and many people who don't like to drink water find themselves suddenly able to drink water. It will be very interesting to see what kind of research we are going to see about the health effects of hydrogen rich water. Here is one article:

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831093/

The conclusion of this study seems pretty significant to me, and they used a Hydrogen stick that is on the market as DHW, Docter's Hydrogen Water in the test:

In conclusion, consumption of hydrogen rich water generated via a magnesium stick demonstrated improvement in the levels of oxidative stress markers associated with metabolic syndrome and boosted the body’s antioxidant activity. Hydrogen rich water represents a potentially novel therapeutic and preventive strategy for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. This method of delivery was advantageous as magnesium sticks are portable and proved to be an easy and safe administration of hydrogen rich water for daily consumption.

You can find the same Hydrogen stick that was apparently used in this study online, on Ebay, as Docter's Hydrogen Water here.

Meanwhile I also notice that there are now a growing number of products available that claim to achieve the same results , under names like Alkaline Water Stick, Power Ionic Health Ion Water Purifier Stick (I did not make that up), Portable Water Ionizer Alkaline Water Stick, Second Stage Hydro Pen and Third Stage Hydro Pen, and a Santevia Alkaline Water Stick. I have no idea how good they all are.

In short, there is a whole array of new solutions emerging, and it may be worthwhile to try them out for yourself. The sensory experience of Hydrogen rich water is different, and in many cases people who don't like drinking water do like this type of water, and, needless to say, it is very good for them. The hard part is not to get confused by the pseudo-scientific gobbledygook and stick to the worthwhile research, but clearly there is now a growing body of such research. Enough to warrant taking this seriously and finding out for yourself, for a potent anti-oxidant drinking water is nothing to be sneezed at! Not to mention it should help large numbers of people get rid of any allergy problems which are after all simply a function of a weakened immune system, and possibly many more serious health issues.

The Relative Hydrogen Score, rH

Some of the claims are bound to be bogus, especially if they focus on alkalinity. You can always use an ORP meter, and you should be seeing a negative value, probably in the -150 to -200 range. But ORP alone is not an absolute indicator of anti-oxidant value. You need to compute the rH, relative Hydrogen score, which is a truer indication of the anti-oxidant properties of the water, to find out. The formula is discussed here:

• Simply put, rH = ((ORP + 205) / 29.58 + (2 x pH)). 
• The scale runs from zero to 42, and below 28 the water is reducing, and above 28 it is oxidizing. 

Just drinking water may not be enough, but drinking HRW may make a significant difference...