Magical Properties of Water – Part 2

In Part 1 when I introduced Essentia Water, the Ultimate Drinking Experience, I left the best bit of the label for last. Here it is:

I should really leave it here and let you think about it for a minute.

–

–

–

OK so now you had a minute to absorb all that information. Here’s my take:

Smaller water clusters – ROFLMAO . After reading this Zuska and I blamed smaller water clusters on anything that happened at the SBC. I should reject the article I am reviewing (on a totally unrelated topic) because they did not mention smaller water clusters. I have a sinus headache the morning after drinking because the water clusters in the beer were TOO LARGE. Obvious really.

Essentia says:

Water molecule cluster size is a relative indication of surface tension. Smaller water clusters have relatively less cohesion as a result of a fewer number of hydrogen bonds between the individual water molecules. The surface tension is decreased because the water clusters are fractionated.

[snip]

Smaller clusters of Essentia Water reduce the surface tension of extracellular fluids and enhance the absorption and detoxification of the cells’ interior and extracellular fluid volumes. Essentia Water is able to saturate the cell more rapidly.

They even have a NMR spectrogram showing Essentia water with other waters “proving” that Essentia Water contains these smaller water clusters. Something to do with the peak widths.

Wow, look, not only does it contain smaller water clusters and despite that Essentia Water, the ultimate drinking experience, just contains deionised water and some electrolytes, this water has antioxidant properties. According to Essentia:

If you see fine lines around your eyes in your mirror, skin that looks older than it should, or sagging features that have lost elasticity you may be looking at free radical damage.

And I did not know this:

The ideal scavenger for free radicals is active hydrogen.

I’m not even sure what active hydrogen is, the free-dictionary suggests it means hydrogen donor, but I’m not convinced. Suggestions in the comments please.

I also think that there is a contradiction with the last statement on pH. pH is actually a measure of hydrogen ion activity, which is related to concentration. The higher the hydrogen ion concentration the lower pH value. So how do they get a pH 9.5 while having more active hydrogen is beyond me. pH is not, as explained by Essentia:

To function properly your body needs to keep a careful acidic/alkaline balance; the ratio of one to other is called pH.

While on pH, consider that last statement. The one above the comment on proper use of a pH meter. I mean come on, what other uses are there for a pH meter? [No, it will break if you use if for that.] Most food is below pH 6. Egg whites have the highest being about pH 8. Human blood has a pH 7.4 and it is carefully controlled by buffering to stay within 0.2 pH points of pH 7.4. In fact if your blood pH was higher or lower it is a sign of serious illness. So why should we want to drink something that has such a high alkalinity? I personally don’t; and should add that Essentia water just tasted like regular water to me, no bitterness or sourness; but Snyder Health has this to say*:

So, a declining pH just can’t be allowed. To prevent it, when faced with a lot of incoming acid, the blood begins to pull alkaline minerals out of our tissues to compensate. There is a family of minerals particularly suited to neutralizing, or detoxifying, strong acids, including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. When these minerals react with acids, they create much less detrimental substances, which are then eliminated by the body.

Now, a healthy body maintains a reserve supply of these alkaline minerals to meet emergency demands. But if there are insufficient amounts in the diet or in the reserves, they are recruited elsewhere, and may be leached from the bone (as with calcium) or muscle (magnesium) – where they are, of course, needed. This can easily lead to deficiencies – and the many and varied symptoms that come with them.

To which I say “Cobblers”. Blood pH is regulated mostly by the amount of CO₂; which is a byproduct of metabolism. Do you remember basic biology – we breath in oxygen (O₂), use it to make energy and breath out carbon dioxide (CO₂). We control how much CO₂ is in our blood by exhaling more or less. Blood pH is also buffered by blood proteins and by the control of pH in other parts of the body, especially by the kidney excreting acids. So drinking water with a higher pH will just mean the kidneys may have to excrete more electrolytes. If you think it is a good idea to have your blood alkali, unless you are seriously ill, IT CANNOT HAPPEN. Got that. Do I need to say it louder?

Actually, as Essentia water didn’t have a bitter taste I would associated with alkali such as bicarbonate, I wonder if the pH recorded is an artifact of the salts interfering with the pH meter. The pH of deionised water in my lab is typically about pH 5.o – we measure it every year in Food Analysis. Not because it contains acids, but because the salts present interfere with the working of the pH meter. Unfortunately, I didn’t save any water to test – I was worried about airport security.

I am surprised that they don’t say that happy people filled the bottles à la Dr Emoto. Orac more scathing Emoto post than I would be able to do. I just giggle when I think of his ideas. I’ve been meaning to write a post on the magical properties of water ever since I saw this article in New Scientist from last April [subsription required]. I am going to save my discussion for Part 3, which may come out some time next week.

If any one knows what zero point energy means, please explain it in the comments. I need this explanation for Part 3.

—

*Essentia does not have anything comprehensible to quote on pH. It seems to suggest that you can get respiratory acidosis by holding your breath. See here and see how long it takes you to go “What!”.