One of the benefits of alkaline water for health that health advocates claim is that it has age-fighting antioxidant potential.
But what few people know is that the antioxidant benefit can only be had by combining alkaline water with other antioxidants called proton donors – like vitamin C. Research shows that the antioxidant effect of alkaline water occurs when it is mixed with vitamin C.
Alkaline Water as an Antioxidant
Antioxidants are good for you because they help prevent oxidation in the body from occurring. Oxidation occurs when free radicals – substances that lack electrons – strip electrons from tissues and DNA. When tissues and DNA lose electrons, they are damaged and destroyed.
Alkaline water produced by a water ionizer contains an excess of electrons. The excess electrons in alkaline water are electromagnetically attracted to electron-lacking free radicals, just like a magnet is attracted to iron. When the electrons in alkaline water combined with Vitamin C it becomes a more potent antioxidant. Because of alkaline water’s ability to reduce the oxidative effects of free radicals, scientists call it Electrolyzed Reduced Water.
How Combining Alkaline Water with Vitamin C makes it a better Antioxidant
Vitamin C’s antioxidant effect is called dismutation – a chemical reaction where the free radicals are simultaneously reduced (gain electrons) and oxidized (lose electrons). In the body, vitamin C breaks down a free radical called Superoxide into water (gained electrons) and hydrogen peroxide (lost electrons). Vitamin C does not break down hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidant, so even though the vitamin C broke down the Superoxide, the hydrogen peroxide remains to do damage. But when vitamin C is combined with alkaline water, it gains the ability to break down both Superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. The mix of alkaline water and vitamin C breaks hydrogen peroxide down into water and hydrogen.
How to combine Vitamin C and Alkaline Water
Use a powdered form of organically-derived vitamin C, and mix it with alkaline water. The amount of vitamin C you should use is 100 mg, because the body can only absorb a maximum of 100 mg of vitamin C in an hour. Any excess vitamin C will simply be flushed from your system
Alkaline water-enhanced vitamin C can be taken multiple times during the day if desired, such as once in the morning, and once at night, but never exceed 2,000 mg per day. Megadoses of vitamin C can cause problems!
Want more information on how alkaline water works with Vitamin C? Call our healthy water experts today at: 888 790-8121.
Has the FDA Evaluated alkaline water and vitamin C as an antioxidant?
Not yet. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The preceding information and/or products are for educational purposes only and are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness. Please consult your doctor before making any changes or before starting ANY exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using this information or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Hanaoka, Kokichi. “Antioxidant effects of reduced water produced by electrolysis of sodium chloride solutions.” Springer Link. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry. Web. 8 Jul 2013. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013825009701>.