Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is happening to water in the IonSpa?

A: Water molecules come in clusters rather than single molecules. Tap water has very large clusters (10 to 13 molecules per cluster). The ionSpa uses electrolysis to reduce large tap water clusters from their original size into so called ‘micro clusters’ (5 to 6 molecules per cluster). The smaller cluster size gives the water excellent hydrating properties, high solubility and good permeability.

The ionSpa also alkalizes the water turning it into a powerful anti-oxidant, key to improving immune functions and general health.

Q: What is electrolysis of water?

A: Electrolysis of water occurs when water with natural minerals or added salt passes across an ionizor array (an anode and a cathode). When power and duration are set and the proper amount of salt has been added, electrolysis takes place.

Negative hydrogen, hydrogen ions with an additional electron, gathers at the negative electrode creating cathodic or reduced water. Anions, positive ions, gather at the positive electrode to make anodic or oxidized water.

By this electrolysis process the reduced water not only gains an excess amount of electrons (e-), but the H2O clusters are reduced in size from about 10 to 13 molecules per cluster to 5 to 6 molecules per cluster.

Q: What are anti-oxidants and why do we need them?

A: Oxidation, which is a regular function of metabolism and cell function, strips an electron from certain molecules. These molecules (called free radicals) then must steal an electron from a nearby molecule to repair them, which means that the nearby molecule must steal an electron from another molecule and on and on. This vicious oxidation cycle ends when an electron is taken from a molecule which has an excess electron to donate. These ‘donor’ molecules are called anti-oxidants and are provided by nature in Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Selenium etc.

In biological systems, removal or addition of an electron constitutes the most frequent mechanism of oxidation-reduction reactions. These oxidation-reduction reactions are frequently called redox reactions.

Researchers almost universally blame oxidation for premature aging and degenerative diseases.

Pollution, chemicals, food additives, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones etc are thought to dramatically accelerate the oxidation process, increasing the need for anti-oxidants. At the same time we are eating more refined foods which have had the vitamins and anti-oxidants (negative hydrogen) removed or destroyed by processing. Most people take supplements to increase the amount of anti-oxidants that their body has available and studies have shown that people who regularly take large doses of Vitamins E and C, Beta Carotene, Grape Seed Extract, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and other supplements have much lower rates of heart disease, cancer and chronic degenerative diseases. The ionSpa provides an abundant, easily absorbed supply of anti-oxidants for the body.

Q: If Active Oxygen or Free Radicals are so damaging to our cells why does our body produce excess amounts of them?

A: Putrefaction sets in when microbes in the air invade the proteins, peptides, and amino acids of eggs, fish and meat. The result is an array of unpleasant substances:

• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Ammonia
• Histamines
• Indoles
• Phenols
• Scatoles
  

These substances are also produced naturally in the digestive tract, when we digest food, and result in the unpleasant odor evidenced in feces. Putrefaction of spoiled food is caused by microbes in the air; this natural process is duplicated in the digestive tract by intestinal microbes. All these waste products of digestion are pathogenic; this is, they can cause disease in the body. Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia are tissue toxins that can damage the liver. Histamines contribute to allergic disorders such as atopic dermatitis, urticaria (hives) and asthma. Indoles and phenols are considered carcinogenic.

Excessively offensive stools caused by the presence of toxins are indicators of certain diseases, and the body responds to the presence of these toxins by producing neutrophil leukocytes, which release active oxygen in an attempt to neutralize the damage to organs that can be caused by such waste products. But when an excess amount of such active oxygen is produced, it can damage healthy cells as well as neutralize toxins. This leads us to the conclusion that we can minimize the harmful effects of these active oxygen radicals by reducing them with an ample supply of electrons.

For our body to function and to maintain body temperature, we burn nutrients within our cells. The main ingredients of all foods, expensive or inexpensive, gourmet or junk, vegetable or meat, alkaline or acid, are carbohydrates, proteins or fats. And they are nothing but the combinations of four elements: carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen.

After these nutrients are burnt (oxidized) in the cells, they all turn into organic acids: carbonic acids, uric acids, lactic acids, fatty acids, ammonia, etc. Fats are acidic even before oxidation. The Chinese word for oxygen is written with two characters, “sahn-so”. They literally mean “acid root”.

Q: What is meant by alkaline and acid? What does pH stand for?

A: PH stands for ‘Potential of Hydrogen’. Water molecules are made up of two Hydrogen atoms and one Oxygen atom (H2O). Hydrogen atoms are the smallest atoms in the universe, having only a single proton and a single electron. Hydrogen is estimated to form 90% or the matter in the universe.

Living things are extremely sensitive to pH and function best (with certain exceptions, such as different portions of the digestive tract) when solutions are nearly neutral. Most interior living matter (excluding the cell nucleus) has a pH of about 6.8.

Blood plasma and other fluids that surround the cells in the body have a pH of 7.2 to 7.45. A blood pH of 6.9 could induce coma and possibly death to the body. So the body possesses numerous special mechanisms to aid in stabilizing these fluids so that cells will not be subject to appreciable fluctuations in pH. Substances which serve as mechanisms to stabilize pH are called buffers. Buffers have the capacity to bond ions and remove them from solution whenever their concentration begins to rise. Conversely, buffers can release ions whenever their concentration begins to fall, thus helping to minimize the fluctuations in pH. This is an important function because many biochemical reactions normally occurring in living organisms either release or use up ions.

The degree of acidity or alkalinity of a solution is measured in terms of a value known as pH, which is the negative logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions (Hydrogen atoms that have been stripped of their electron). The higher the concentration of Hydrogen ions the more acidic the water is.

The opposite of this is molecules that contain a large concentration of negative hydrogen ions (molecules that have one or more extra electrons). This water is called alkaline. In biochemistry, when a molecule has excess electrons it is called ‘reduced’ and when it has too few electrons it is called ‘oxidized’. Negative hydrogen in the reduced water readily donates its abundant electrons to render excessive free radicals harmless so that they do not “steal” electrons from healthy living cells. Acid water is oxidized and steals electrons from nearby molecules. This gives it anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

The body needs both acidic and alkaline reactions, the acidic to rid itself of bacteria, fungus, viruses, pollutants, toxins etc. and the alkaline to cool, cleanse and restore the cells. In Eastern thought the concepts of acid and alkaline have been closely linked to yin (acid) and yang (alkaline). The balance of these forces is considered to lead to good health. But the truth is most of the food in our modern diet is too acidic and produces an imbalance in the form of acidity in the body. The Macrobiotic diet urges that one eat alkaline (yang) food and avoid acidic (yin) food. Another approach is to take anti-oxidant supplements (such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E) to reduce the free radicals and stop the excessive oxidation. Negative hydrogen supplementation is probably the best approach to solving this imbalance since it has an abundance of electrons to donate and it is easily absorbed into all cells and intra-cellular structures of the body.

Q: What is Redox and Redox potential?

A: Redox is a combination of the words reduction (having excess electrons) and oxidation (missing electrons). It is expressed in a scale that has positive and negative notations. The negative values represent substances that have an excess of electrons and the positive the substances that have a lack of electrons. The best anti-oxidants are those that have the largest negative Redox value.

Q: Does supplementing negative hydrogen slow down biological aging and if so how?

A: Bad diet, either a present one or one in the past, can cause acid wastes to be stored in the body. A meat and potato diet, for example, can cause the body to become more acidic. When acid wastes enter our bloodstream, the blood, in order to maintain that narrow pH range, will store them somewhere else. Acid salts stored in the body, over the decades, will overburden the system. A way has to be found to rid the body of wastes.

Q: How will I feel after my treatment; are there any side effects?

A: Results vary greatly depending on the patient. Most patients feel completely relaxed and energized following their treatment. Some feel an increase in pain, although it usually doesn’t last long, and some feel an immediate decrease. The effects of Bowen take about a week to cascade throughout your body’s intricate physiological structures. Follow your practitioner’s instructions to the best of your ability.

Q: Why am I told to walk and drink water?

A: Lymphatic fluid, or “lymph” is circulated through your lymph nodes, and is your body’s main resource for healing. Lymph carries valuable supplies throughout your entire body, and removes toxins and waste products for natural elimination. While your blood is distributed by the pumping of your heart, your lymphatic system does not have a pump of its own. It relies on simple movement and water consumption to keep it moving. The majority of your lymph nodes are conveniently located in areas that are stimulated by natural movement such as walking and swimming. As such, these are ideal forms of exercise for the week following your Bowen treatment.

Q: How many sessions will I need?

A: This varies from person to person due to many factors. Many conditions are effectively – and lastingly – changed in fewer than 3-5 sessions, although some conditions may take longer. Musculo-skeletal symptoms generally change the fastest, neurological symptoms the slowest. Many people choose to have monthly or quarterly maintenance sessions or “tune ups” once their initial complaints are addressed.

The body uses the blood system to dispose of wastes; these are removed in liquid form, and are often deposited in the lungs and kidneys. If there are too many wastes to handle, they are deposited at various organ systems, like the heart, the pancreas, the liver, the colon, and other locations. Sometimes these wastes are deposited on the walls of arteries, and over the years can spread throughout the body.

The breakdown of this disposal process, especially of acid wastes, is what we call the aging process. In order to slow down and reverse this process, one must begin removing acid waste from the body.The best way we have found to do this is to balance pH and encourage the removal of toxins. Negative hydrogen will first neutralize harmful stored acid wastes, and if you absorb it regularly, will allow the body to gently remove those acid wastes and many others.