Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Does Your Water Need More Ions? The latest health fad is even more ridiculous than most health fads.
Slate ^ | March 22, 2013 | Kent Sepkowitz

Posted on 03/23/2013 8:49:17 PM PDT by neverdem

After so many years of neglect, water appears ready to emerge as a cutting-edge health food. Perhaps it’s the fault of Gatorade, that Technicolor concoction of salt, sugar, and water people guzzle to “replenish their electrolytes.” The Gatorade inventors, some dweeby physiologists, were just trying to keep football players from collapsing in the Florida heat. They could not have foreseen what was to transpire in the decades ahead as the concept of the “sports drink” took hold, and then, more bizarrely yet, water itself became a symbol of health and status. 

With each iteration, beginning with bottled waters derived from glaciers (tres European) to the recent “enhanced water,” H2O has moved closer to the first-class cabin. But the latest version is a real head-scratcher: ionized, alkalinized water. Companies such as Chanson, Kangen, and many others are in the game to sell you a gizmo for $1,000 (or $2,000 or $3,000) to run your tap water through. The devices contain electrodes that purport to realign your water, split off some hydrogen atoms along the way, and rid it of various pesky problems so that it will taste better and be healthier and your arthritis will go away. In a week. Maybe two.  

In every way, water, at least American water, is a strange target for an expensive course in self-improvement. The number of Americans sickened by tap water, leaving aside the flood-induced Milwaukee cryptosporidiosis outbreak of 1993, is minuscule. Top-notch municipal plumbing remains perhaps our greatest achievement. We confront many ubiquitous environmental risks daily, but water is not among them. It is safe and unobjectionable. Plus it’s cheap—and yet...

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: alkalinizedwater; health; ionizedwater; water
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-71 next last
To: neverdem

I only drink what comes out of the tap or garden hose.


21 posted on 03/23/2013 9:54:51 PM PDT by dalereed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem
Does Your Water Need More Ions?

That's why I drink Brawndo. It has electrolytes.

22 posted on 03/23/2013 9:56:36 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (Choose one: the yellow and black flag of the Tea Party or the white flag of the Republican Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Grams A

As my dear Mother used to say, some people have too much time on their hands.

I never smoked, drank or did drugs. I was diagnosed with Stage Three Leukemia at age 52. I did Chemo, was in remission for a little over two years, then back to Chemo. My numbers are slipping again after four years, so we’ll see.

My Father, an Alcoholic for over 60 years, was diagnosed with Stage Four Lymphoma at age 82. He went through Chemo over seven years ago. Just had a CT Scan and he is as clean as a whistle, just turning 90 last Monday. For all intents an purposes, he is cured of the Disease.

Life isn’t fair, and living Life in fear of eating or drinking something that “may” be bad for you is the dumbest waste of time I can think of. That and Voting for Obama.

Everyone I ever knew that I (lovingly) considered Health Nuts have never lived to a ripe old age like my Father. It’s just the way it is, you never know when the Fat Lady will sing. When she does, you’ll be the first to know, or not.


23 posted on 03/23/2013 10:06:02 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Compliance with Tyranny is Treason...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio
It's got what plants crave...
24 posted on 03/23/2013 10:07:48 PM PDT by EEGator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Shadow44; All

It blew my mind when I saw that my daughter-in-law in Miami had purchased 48 small bottles of water for hurricane emergencies. They were using gallons of milk on a regular basis. I always keep six gallons of cleaned refilled milk containers full of water for storms and water main breaks. Doesn’t cost more than a few cents for the water itself.


25 posted on 03/23/2013 10:07:55 PM PDT by gleeaikin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

26 posted on 03/23/2013 10:09:36 PM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Standing Wolf

Not me! No way! I don’t drink water any more. I drink dihydrogen oxide. It’s much better for you, plus it’s organic, too.


Hydroxic acid for those with too much money


27 posted on 03/23/2013 10:18:12 PM PDT by S.O.S121.500 (Half black,half white......A SKUNK?........................ENFORCE THE BILL OF RIGHTS.(It"s the Law))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dalereed

Keep drinking that Flouride y’all.

Where is the science that says public water with chlorine and fhllorine are safe to drink?


28 posted on 03/23/2013 10:19:02 PM PDT by acapesket
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: neverdem
Quite a long read at the link. I get very sick from gluten exposure. The initial reaction (minutes) is a gurgling in my lungs that initiates throat clearing, gagging and coughing. The hours to days follow-on changes to the inside surfaces of my GI tract is something akin to a skinned knee oozing serum with lots of bleeding. It feels like a "bore snake" was pulled end to end. That will heal and recover over the period of a week if I maintain a perfect GF diet. I also react to casein in milk. That closes down my throat and makes my nasal passages sting like a bee sting. Same general feeling down the whole GI tract. Food allergies are not fun. They require perpetual vigilance and a fairly limited choice of foods.
29 posted on 03/23/2013 10:24:47 PM PDT by Myrddin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: dalereed

“No one in this world has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.

Henry Louis Mencken


30 posted on 03/23/2013 10:25:04 PM PDT by S.O.S121.500 (Half black,half white......A SKUNK?........................ENFORCE THE BILL OF RIGHTS.(It"s the Law))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: acapesket

My 76 years of good health says it’s good, I won’t drink bottled crap!


31 posted on 03/23/2013 10:25:18 PM PDT by dalereed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: BunnySlippers

Or how about the Ozone lamps that were sdvertised to sanitize things. (I think they actually worked to a certain degree.)


32 posted on 03/23/2013 10:28:54 PM PDT by Slump Tester (What if I'm pregnant Teddy? Errr-ahh -Calm down Mary Jo, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: acapesket
Killing the microbiological pathogens with chlorine beats being sick. There is no excuse for adding fluoride. It displaces the iodine from your thyroid hormone and makes your bones brittle via the fluorosis process. Topical application of fluoride in a dentists office that is not swallowed has some limited benefits. The baking industry introduces lots of bromides into your diet via bread additives. There is no value to bromine in the human body. Like fluoride, it competes for binding to your thyroid hormones rendering them inactive.

You can find some good details on iodine, fluoride/bromide issues in

33 posted on 03/23/2013 10:33:44 PM PDT by Myrddin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Myrddin

I am a huge fan of iodine, it’s my new best friend! I never knew how lacking we are in potassium iodine until recently. I grew up on well water and did not develop abnormal conditions until I was living in areas that had only “tap”.

Flourine, bromine, chlorine did G*d intend that to be in your body?

Iodides will kill the microbes..end of story.


34 posted on 03/23/2013 11:10:17 PM PDT by acapesket
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: S.O.S121.500

What did Mencken have against the Amish?


35 posted on 03/23/2013 11:28:00 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Grams A

LOL All the stress she is putting on herself finding a goofy set of foods will likely give her a stroke at age fifty.


36 posted on 03/24/2013 12:10:19 AM PDT by JimSEA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

What did Mencken have against the Amish?


Not a thing.....he was very even tempered.


37 posted on 03/24/2013 12:18:07 AM PDT by S.O.S121.500 (ENFORCE THE BILL OF RIGHTS "Freedom begins when you tell Mrs. Grundy to take a hike."-Heinlein)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Slump Tester
Ozone lamps

Ultraviolet? Since ozone is a gas it won't come from a lamp. However I believe ozone is bubbled through water to sterilize it.

38 posted on 03/24/2013 1:47:20 AM PDT by palmer (Obama = Carter + affirmative action)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: acapesket
did not develop abnormal conditions until I was living in areas that had only “tap”

The hidden variables are that when you moved from the country to the city (or suburb) you also took in more pollution from other sources, stress, etc.

39 posted on 03/24/2013 1:51:27 AM PDT by palmer (Obama = Carter + affirmative action)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: neverdem
"Perhaps it’s the fault of Gatorade, that Technicolor concoction of salt, sugar, and water people guzzle to “replenish their electrolytes.” "

There's no doubt that Gatorade is overpriced -- but, having low electrolytes is no laughing matter. Electrolyte supplements save millions of 3rd world children, suffering from diarrhea, every year (and millions others die).

I know what that feels like. I once had very low electrolytes; and I truly thought I was dying. When I finally figured out what was happening, I took a couple of packets of electrolyte powder, and recovered very quickly. There are cheaper alternatives to Gatorade -- but, if your electrolytes are low, you do need to replenish them. STAT.
40 posted on 03/24/2013 2:28:35 AM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-71 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson