By Marilyn Fitzgerald

There are many things in our environment that can harm us. However, I never knew that the water I was drinking was my source of muscle tightness, dry skin, joint and bone knocking. Don’t all coaches and doctors urge us to “Hydrate! Drink lots of water!”?

Changing the amount but the type of water I drink is what changed my health.

I have competed in multiple sports for over a decade, while teaching and training people to create healthy lifestyles. There were many times I questioned why, after drinking large amounts of water before and during my triathlons, that my thirst never seemed to be quenched—I just got a bloated stomach and needed frequent trips to a bathroom.

Medical-grade water

After teaching a lot of cycle classes one week, my legs became so tight that my usual method to relieve the discomfort did not help. I found I couldn’t cycle during my classes without feeling the need to stop often to relieve the muscular pain. I was desperate for relief, and it came from changing the type of drinking water I consumed. I moved from reverse osmosis and other bottled water to a Japanese medical-grade water called Kangen Water. Yes! Relief!

Kangen water machines turn ordinary tap water into electrolytically reduced and hydrogen-rich drinking water. I learned that such water hydrates our muscle fibers; because of the micro-clustering property of Kangen water, it hydrates the muscle fibers more deeply and faster than tap water ever could. The Kangen water was not just being stored in my belly and bloating me like the other waters I drank, but doing a “deep dive” to hydrate my body’s cells.

My knees no longer knocked. The carpal tunnel pain in my wrist stopped. Dry skin was gone. I lost 10 pounds. As an athlete, drinking this water improved my stamina and recovery. My VO2 Max test was off the chart. I am not a scientist or doctor, but whatever they might say about it, just changing my drinking water was changing my life. I could see and feel it.

Alkaline ionized water

The water is electrolyzed (alkaline ionized water), a form of water which provides oxygen to the cells, with an effect of reducing inflammation. According to chiropractor Vernell Lucas (one of California’s leading chiropractic and sports specialists), water should contain oxygen and electricity, but most waters are devoid of them.

A key property of the water is that it’s alkaline, with a pH of 8.5-9.5. The human body is built to naturally maintain a healthy balance of acidity and alkalinity to function optimally—we need both. A normal blood pH level is 7.40 on a scale of 0 to 14, so human needs are more or less in the middle.

Difference in water

My drinking water story might strike some readers as unbelievable. Water is water, it is just a placebo effect, and where are studies, you may be asking? Harvard-educated scientist and doctor H.S. Filtzer, MD FACS, tried the water and felt the difference. Like me, he really did not know why the water made him feel so much better. However, he conducted a study on ordinary water vs. Kangen water at its pH of 8.5-9.5 and published a book called The Kangen Water Study Book*. One of the studies was on tissue culture, which showed a significant suppression of the inflammatory response by neutrophils as a result of drinking Kangen water.

An additional test showed that “in the presence of glucose, the mitochondria (20-30% of the cell) up-regulate their activity. In other words, the engine of the cell runs better with Kangen water.” **

Another study was done on sports recovery inflammation and revealed an increase in red blood cell production with Kangen water, with increased oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide removal.**  

An increase in the production of platelets was also observed with consumption of the Kangen water and suggests “an improved readiness for stress-induced damage repair.” From an anecdotal perspective, participants drinking the water showed “a statistical improvement in recovery from the exercises and an improved sense of well-being.”

Water reaction to the body

It is generally recognized that 70% of the body is water. My drinking water was hurting me. The water I was consuming was acidic and brought on (or at least prevented repair of) inflammation, causing my various pains. The alkalinity of the Kangen water helped to reduce acidity and bring my blood back into balance. This has improved my health.

The Kangen device from Japan that produces the water also helped me to have a “green household,” which is now chemical- and plastic bottle-free.

*Kangen Water: Scientific Studies Results on the Benefits of Kangen Water on the Human Tissue Culture and Living Human Volunteers, Dr. H.S. Filtzer, MD FACS 

**Sports Recovery and Inflammation Management with Kangen Water” Oshiro et al. 

This article is not meant as medical advice. All information contained herein is the author’s. Check with your doctor regarding any medical claims.

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Marilyn D.Fitzgerald is a health and wellness speaker, author, master fitness instructor, and lifestyle coach. www.hydratingalkalinewater.com