Oxidation Reduction
Potential (ORP)
ORP is a "potential"
energy that
is stored and ready to be put to work. It's not necessarily working,
but we know that the energy is there and we can measure it. Another way
to look at this potential might be to look at pressure. If you blow up
a balloon, and there is air pressure inside. As long as the balloon is
closed, the pressure remains and can be measured. When released, this
potential energy becomes kinetic energy.
In
electrical terms, potential energy can be measured. When we use the
term "potential" in describing ORP, we are actually talking about
electrical potential as expressed in millivolts. This potential is
measured in water with an ORP meter. What you measure is the very
slight voltage in water. We are actually measuring the presence of
oxidizing or reducing agents by their specific electrical charge, thus
Oxidation Reduction "Potential". High pH water has more "reducing"
agents (-ORP) and low pH water has more oxidizing agents (+ORP).
Oxidation is
what turns an apple brown after it is cut or causes metal to rust. Rust
weakens metal and signifies the deterioration of the apple. The process
of oxidation “steals” electrons from the surface being oxidized. When
we measure a something’s oxidizing potential, it is expressed in +ORP
and measures the concentration of OH+ ions or oxidizing agents.
A “reducing”
agent is simply something that inhibits or slows the process of
oxidation. The reducing agent does this by “donating” an electron. When
we measure a something’s oxidation reduction potential, it is expressed
in terms of –ORP and measures the concentration of OH- ions or reducing
agents. In its most basic form a reducing agent is an “antioxidant” ~ reducing oxidation. Follow this link to read more detailed
info about
the science of pH and ORP.
The ORP of
most tap water in the USA is between +200 to +600mv and so is an
oxidizing agent. High pH ionized water demonstrates a –ORP and so is a
reducing agent or “antioxidant”. Most bottled waters are very acidic
(low pH) and also have higher ORPs (over +400mv). (use info from Excel
table titled pH of Bottled Waters )
| Aging or premature aging is a
process of oxidation within the body. In other words the body rusts and
is damaged by oxidation. The antioxidant molecule has an extra ion and
donates it to the free radical effectively neutralizing it which is
very important to our health and longevity. This
antioxidant effect is also known as Oxidation Reduction Potential
(ORP).
Air, food and water have an
Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) value which can be measured by an
ORP meter which is a millivolt measurement of negative and positive
electrical values Picture of an ORP meter in a glass of
water.indicating electron or ion activity .The higher the
negative ORP value the healthier is for us and more powerfully we can
neutralize free radicals. Click on the image for a demonstration of
different water being tested with an ORP meter.
 
The
Miraculous Properties of Ionized Water
|
Alkaline
Ionized Water Helps Dissolve Acid Wastes and Raise pH Level
Athena State
of the Art Water Ionizer with Advanced Bio Stone Filtration
|
pH
The pH stands
for "potential hydrogen" and is a measurement that provides an
indication of the level of hydrogen in a substance. It is measured by
the pH scale. Proper body pH is an important factor in good
health. If any substance changes from pH 7 to pH 8, it has become
ten times more alkaline. Conversely, if it has changes from neutral pH
7 to pH 6, it is 10 times more acidic. As an example, a popular Cola,
at pH 2.5 is almost 50,000 times more acidic than neutral water, and
needs 32 glasses of neutral (pH 7) water to counteract the consumption
of one glass of Cola. (Active ingredient: Phosphoric Acid) You can now
see that a change from the normal level 7.365 to pH 7 would mean that
your blood would suddenly be around 4 times as acid as it should be.
You would die from poisoning by your own blood. This is why every body
system is used to support the correct blood pH.
You can also
understand from this that our blood pH can be affected at any time of
the day by a myriad of events; food, drink, stress, pollution,
exercise, or beneficially, by meditation, by drinking alkaline water,
by deep breathing, even by being happy.
The other
way an ionizer alters the water is in ORP. This stands for Oxidation
Reduction Potential (also referred to as "Redox" - it's the same
thing). Most leading water researchers from Asia agree that in ionized
water the elevated pH is good, but that ORP is more important.
Alteration to the OPR is what causes the microclustering, antioxidant
and oxygenating effects.
pH and ORP
alteration is a highly variable and depends primarily on three factors:
1. The source
water and its natural mineral content – water varies widely in this
respect
2. The voltage applied to the water during electrolysis
3. The flow rate through the ionizer’s water cell
These
variables have a dramatic effect on pH and ORP.
An ionizer
works primarily on the mineral content in the water. It is the
dissolved mineral content (referred to as TDS) which creates the
pathway for the “ionization” (or more correctly electrolysis) to occur.
Water without mineral content or TDS, like reverse osmosis or distilled
water, will not conduct the current and therefore can not be “ionized”.
This first variable is the most crucial to performance. Tap waters vary
widely in the dissolved mineral content. The higher the mineral content
(“harder” water), the higher the levels of pH and ORP alteration an
ionizer can achieve; the lower the mineral content (“softer water”),
the lower levels the of pH and ORP alteration. The importance of this
variable can not be emphasized enough.
The heart
of an ionizer is the water cell which contains the electrodes. The
electrodes are what deliver the current and creates the “ionization”.
We control the voltage conducted through the electrodes and then to the
water by selecting the different "Alkaline" settings on an ionizer. The
higher the Alkaline setting (or voltage), the more alteration you will
achieve in pH and ORP. Effective conductivity is the primary
determinant – not electrode size - of effective delivery of the current
or voltage into the water needed to create electrolysis. Do not be
fooled by the claim some manufacturers make that larger electrodes will
necessarily deliver better performance. Generally the larger electrodes
have poorer conductivity – so they have to be larger.
The flow
rate through the machine determines how long the water is actually in
contact with the electrodes receiving the voltage and the effects of
electrolysis. If your flow is fast (say you could fill a quart or liter
in 15 seconds) then the water is not processing very long and not
receiving much alteration. Conversely, with a slow the flow rate (say
the same quart or liter took 60 seconds) the water is in the chamber in
contact with the electrodes longer and will receive more alteration.
You can always achieve higher pH and ORP readings with reduced flow
rates. So controlling the flow is an important variable in
performance.
On most
ionizers you can only adjust the flow rate by using your faucet or tap.
If your faucet is all the way "on", the water will process very fast
through the machine. If your faucet is just barely "on", this reduces
the flow and the water will process for much longer. With a fast flow
rate you may only achieve slight alteration in pH and ORP, slow it down
and you will get higher pH and better ORP. Simply put, speed it up, you
get a less alteration; slow it down and you'll get more.
To
illustrate this whole principle lets look at two very different tap
waters and their effect on performance. Remember the crucial variable
is the dissolved mineral content or TDS (total dissolved solids) which
is measured in parts per million. This creates the pathway for the
ionization to occur. In Carlsbad, California the tap water tests at 385
- 501ppm of total dissolved solids. The tap water in Seattle,
Washington tests at approximately 40 – 47ppm. You could test water from
an ionizer in Carlsbad at a given setting and flow rate and you would
get a certain result. You could test the exact same ionizer in Seattle
without altering the setting or flow rate and you would get
dramatically different results. Is it the ionizer? No. It is the water
as the main variable in performance. There is much less pathway in
Seattle’s water. To further illustrate variability, you could alter the
voltage or flow rates through the ionizer in either Carlsbad or Seattle
and you would get different results again.
Research states
that the ideal level for drinking alkaline water is between pH8.5 –
pH9.5 with an ORP of -250mv. It is unimportant if an ionizer creates
big -ORP numbers at really high levels of pH. For most people, water
over a pH10 begins to acquire an unpleasant taste due to the heavy
concentration of minerals. What is important is drinking water at the
mildly alkaline levels of pH8.5 – pH9.5 with good -ORP. Of course the
Athena will create the big – ORP numbers at the higher pH ranges, but
it is designed to give you the best ORP at the lower levels of pH.
These are the levels that you will actually enjoy drinking. That is
where the bang for your buck is. There is no need for ionized water to
taste bad and be the “cod liver oil” of this generation!
Comparing
ORP
Lastly, comparing ORP is a tricky business.
Stating absolute values is impossible. Anyone who really knows and
understands ionizers/ORP would agree. Anyone who states absolutes in
performance proves their ignorance on the science behind it. Further,
pH and ORP are not tied to one another. In other words you can measure
ORP in two pH9 waters and get two very different readings. Another
factor to consider when comparing ORP is the level of pH you will
drink.
Water with
a pH over about pH10 does not taste good to the vast majority of
people. Japanese research states that the ideal range for drinking
alkaline water is between pH8.5 and pH9.5. Given this, testing ORP at
those levels is where the real bang for the buck is; ORP at a pH level
one would actually drink. Therefore, the only salient way to compare
ORP in ionizers is side-by-side, with the same source water and each
machine set to achieve the same drinkable level of pH. If you drink pH9
then the ORP you get at pH9 is the effective ORP in the ionizer. Not
some “absolute” or even extraordinarily high ORP.
So
understanding performance is like understanding a dance between the
three variables. Understanding this dance is crucial to making an
informed decision when purchasing an ionizer, and also in getting the
most out of your ionizer’s performance.
How
Ionized Water can help You Achieve better Heath
1. Ionized Water Is
Nature's Antioxidant
Alkaline,
ionized water acts as a powerful and natural antioxidant.
Because
60% of our body weight consists of water it is important to
look at what type of water will benefit you the most.
Ionized water through having a negative ORP (see below) and through
producing hydroxyl ions helps with oxygen production, neutralizing
harmful free radicals, increasing your energy level, correcting your
body's acid/alkaline balance, hydrating cells and in general reducing
many of the symptoms of aging.
Millions
of dollars are spent on the antioxidants vitamins A, C and E yet
millions again are spent on buying bottled water that is over 100 times
more acidic than regular water and which is unable to be ionized
because all the essential alkalizing minerals have been taken out.
What
vitamins A, C and E have in common with ionized water is they are
capable of carrying oxygen with an extra electron attached. These
hydroxyl ions in the ionized water seek out and neutralize free
radicals. This is very important since free radicals are what cause
damage to our cells and bring about disease and (premature) aging. When
the hydroxyl ions as an antioxidant have neutralized the free radicals
the result is a body rich in oxygen and energy.
In
our modern world oxygen levels are depleted due to stress,
environmental pollution, diet and lack of exercise. Oxygen helps to
destroys cancer cells, removes waste, carries nutrients and also helps
in resisting bacteria and viruses that invade your body. A glass of
ionized water first thing in the morning is a wonderful way to greet
every day.
A high
positive ORP (such as found in most bottled and city water) creates
oxidation and accelerates the aging process. In comparison, when you
drink clean, ionized water you are drinking a powerful and natural
antioxidant that renews us at the cellular level. How amazing that so
much is spent on doctors, pills and cosmetics as our bodies dehydrate
and acidify.
If you make fresh organic juice you will have an antioxidant with a
-250 ORP. Yet Ionized water from a Jupiter Science ionizer will give
this ORP and lower AND you will be able to drink and enjoy as much as
you need throughout the day without any negative side effects.
If you are still addicted to coffee etc then try making it with ionized
water. Not only will what you drink be so much healthier but the
ionized water will also pull out the taste and flavor so much better
than other water does.
When water is stored for over a day it becomes "dead",
By drinking your oxygen-rich, antioxidant ionized water straight from
your alkaline ionizer you gain the most benefit.
If you slow the water flow down you will notice that
your glass will have hundreds of very small bubbles floating in it.
These bubbles are the hydroxyl ions and why your water now carries a
negative ORP.
2. Ionized
Water is Alkaline Water
Ionized Water helps to balance your body's pH. In
general, our bodies are out of balance and have become too acidic.
Feeling over-tired, weak, restless, frustrated, stiff, overwhelmed,
unfocused or confused are often early warning signs that our bodies are
no longer able to cope with their toxic overload.
A body that is too acidic provides the ideal
environment for diseases to manifest and thrive in. Our body tries to
buffer (or reduce) the effect of this excess acid by taking calcium
from the bones, and magnesium needed for heart health. It turns acidic
wastes into solids and stores them in fatty tissues resulting in
hardening of the arteries and excess weight. It stores crystalline
deposits in joints that creates gout, inflammation and stiffness. As
our body's communication channels break down, cancerous cells may
appear and organs will shrink and degenerate.
Because it is very alkaline, ionized water dissolves
accumulated acid waste and helps to restore balance. Keeping yourself
alkaline is your first line of defense in fighting any disease.
Ionized
Water is up to Six Times more Hydrating than Conventional Water
Ionized Water is very different from water that has
been stored in dams and bottles. For many thousand of years, we have
been genetically trained to drink water that has been moving (bouncing
over rocks) and which is free from chemicals.
In a few places in the world you can still enjoy, in nature, the health
benefits of clean, safe, ionized water. Now, we have alkaline water
ionizers that bring this lost source to your kitchen sink. With ionized
water the size and shape of the water molecule cluster is reduced in
size and is changed in shape to hexagonal. This size and shape allows
the water molecules to pass through your tissues more easily.
Also when the essential alkalizing minerals are
ionized your body will be able to absorb and use them much more
efficiently. In comparison, drinking reverse osmosis or distilled water
will lead to mineral deficiencies and the ability of the body to absorb
mineral supplements will be compromised if your body is already in an
over-acidic state.
Ionized
Water improves the Taste and Quality of Food
Because ionized water is able to hydrate food better,
it is able to draw out its goodness and flavor better. It will also
reduce the acidic level.
Acidic
Ionized Water is great for the skin and itchy scalp..
The skin is naturally an acid organ. People who
regularly use acidic water to wash their bodies tend to have a younger
looking skin than those who use hard water. Hard water is water that is
alkaline usually due to the presence of excess calcium. By applying
acidic (soft) ionized water to the skin it will help to clear up excess
bacteria (reduce acne and other blemishes) and will work like an
astringent to tighten up the skin and remove wrinkles. In Japanese
hospitals acidic water is used to help sterilize wounds, treat diabetic
ulcers and keep hospitals clear of infectious bacteria and viruses.
Acidic ionized water can also be used to reduce inflammation and
itchiness caused by insect bites.
