Do you know anything about Kangen Water?

[hopefull]

My friend has started drinking this water. From the literature it sounds like they monkey with the structure of the water via electolysis to change the PH. The idea is to make the water more alkaline to help bring balance to a person's system. Nutshell, the claim is that as we age our systems become more acidic, and this water is absorbed better and neutralizes an acidic environment. I am SKEPTICAL. The literature is a lot of claims and the same science restated over and over, BUT my friend is doing so much better. She has terrible asthma, could possibly be COPD. She gets choked every time she eats, goes into a store with strong odors, you name it. We spent the entire day together, walking up and down hills out in the heat, and she didn't get choked once. This hasn't happened in years. I really don't know what to think, but if this stuff helps her so much, I am very curious about it. I just wonder about down the road? I worry about short term benefits and long term harm. Wondering if this could be a placebo affect or something, or if it could actually be real. It would be great if it was,and if it lasted. I haven't seen her this well in years!

 

[dania]

I also am interested in this. I know a number of people who use it around here, but don't know much about it myself. I tend to be skeptical with anything that makes such MIRACULOUS claims, but I also have an open mind if it is ACTUALLY healthy. If you get no replies on the forum, maybe I'll ask a few of my friends for some info on it and post it on here.

dani

 

[GMonkey]

Well, Kangen is a MLM, which always creeps me out.

I think that it's important to drink regular water, which has a relatively neutral pH. Kangen, or other ionized water has you drinking alkaline water. Well, when we drink things, they go into our stomachs, which is extraordinarily acidic. A long time ago, sports trainers were having athletes drink baking soda, in an attempt to neutralize lactic acid in muscles, and it often resulted in vomiting because mixing acid with base isn't so great in the stomach. Also, parts of our body should be rather acidic. For instance, acidity keeps our hair and skin soft, moisturized, and helps to keep the good bacteria on the surface, which fights fungus and bad bacteria. Furthermore, if you bring down the acidity of your stomach, you can hinder the digestion of food. That will really prevent the absorption of nutrients.

The only benefit I see with this stuff would be to use while brushing your teeth. I don't know, I'll do some more research to see if any actual for realsie doctors and nutritionists have some answers.

 

[GMonkey]

Yup, it's bunk. This chemist explains it.

http://www.chem1.com/CQ/ionbunk.html

 

[kathryn]

The idea is good (alkalinizing the body), but this being a multi-level marketing company, I have a feeling they are taking a good idea and making a big profit off of something that could be done another way.

Putting some fresh-squeezed lemon in your water will help alkalinize it (as strange as it seems, lemon, while an 'acid' fruit, is very alkalizining, as long as it is raw and not processed).

 

[hopefull]

I found this on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK99MGpnAls It compares water systems that create this ionized water. They don't even include the kangen system because it is so expensive due to being a mlm scheme. There is some good info here. I also found this website http://h-minus-ion.vpinf.com/truth-about-ionized-water-1.html. I think I will stick with the lemon water, but I will definately let my friend know this other info. All angles! The deal is, whether it's her mind making her better or the water. She is significantly better, and if it doesn't hurt.... Drink up! The improvement in her health is worth a grand for sure. The other systems are about a fourth of the kangen system and do pretty much the same thing.

 

[martijean1]

Putting some fresh-squeezed lemon in your water will help alkalinize it (as strange as it seems, lemon, while an 'acid' fruit, is very alkalizining, as long as it is raw and not processed).

I second this one!
MJ

 

[Shellynfree]

I have been drinking alkaline water for two years or so. It does lower the acidity in your blood. We were skeptical over such claims on alkaline water before but after some research and real tests found it is beneficial. My two friends had their uric acid level lowered significantly since drinking the water. Ours is the Jupiter/Mavello brand and it is not an MLM concern. Just to share that alkaline water is not snake oil claim.

 

[GMonkey]

Sorry. I emailed both of my Anatomy & Physiology professors from last year, the one from fall semester Phd in biology and exercise physiologist, prof from spring semester is an MD and Phd in biology and they both confirmed that it is pseudoscience and their lists coincided with the link I supplied earlier. Any positive health effects stem from increased water consumption and placebo qualities.

I realize that it must be disappointing to have spent a lot of money on something which could have been achieved by simply drinking more water and positive psychology. I know, I've spent plenty on cellulite creams but thankfully, I didn't fall for those detoxing foot pads.