What is the difference between them?
There’s certainly a lot of monetary difference; in the thousands, but what does each method deliver and what is the real ‘value’ you are looking for?
There are currently two main methods on the market to obtain hydrogen-rich water with the help of electrical current permeating systems: alkaline water ionizers and generators that produce hydrogen water with a neutral pH. Below is a brief description of their advantages and disadvantages.
ALKALINE WATER IONIZERS
This technology has been in use for decades.
It uses an electrolysis process to produce hydrogen gas and alkaline water on cathode and oxygen/chlorine gas and acidic water on anode. The anode and cathode are separated by a membrane, which allows it to distinguish alkaline and acidic water.
Many people have reported the benefits of using ionizers in alkaline water, but it wasn't until 2007-2010 that scientists realized that the healing properties of alkaline ionized water come from hydrogen gas (see related article).
However, alkaline water ionizers were originally designed to produce alkaline water, not hydrogen gas. Three circumstances can be noted in the case of these systems:
~Some ionizers in alkaline water do not contain sufficiently dissolved hydrogen gas or their is concentration below the detection limit (0.01 ppm).
~Some alkaline water ionizers can produce enough hydrogen gas, but since they also produce alkaline water, electrodes quickly develop an accretion effect, which prevents hydrogen gas from dissolving into the water. Therefore, the concentration of hydrogen gas that is not purified with citric acid or vinegar in the system may drop below 0,01 ppm within a few days or a week, depending on the water quality and usage.
~Some alkaline water ionizers use polarity modification technology, which significantly reduces the formation of accretion in electrodes. This allows the user to clean the system less frequently (within months or years) with vinegar or citric acid.~Quality spring water and ~clean electrodes.gas depends heavily on the water quality and the current (and, of course also on the design of the system and the accretion of electrodes).
This concentration can vary from below 0.01 ppm to almost 3 ppm, but on average, it remains between 0.4–1 ppm if the following conditions are met:
~Viable current,
~Quality spring water and
~clean electrodes.
It is also important to note that although some ionizers in alkaline water can produce a very high concentration of H2 at a very slow current rate The resulting water can be too high a pH and therefore have an unpleasant taste. and possible emetic effects. In this case, pH can be easily lowered by adding a few drops of lemon juice (citrus acid) to water, which lowers pH while maintaining a high concentration of hydrogen gas. (Not easy to do in plumbed-in systems,)
Save the hassle. Focus only on hydrogen gas.
At the same time, some people may prefer that they have the ability to produce both acidic and alkaline water, but this is more a personal preference than a scientifically proven advantage.
NEUTRAL pH HYDROGEN POWER GENERATORS
Such devices can be designed in many ways, but their purpose is to produce an unaltered pH of water with a high concentration of hydrogen gas.
Of course, some models are better than others. The best of these use a special membrane in electrolysis chambers called a proton exchange membrane (PEM – Proton Exchange Membrane). This is a proven technology that is widely used in mass production of hydrogen gas and also in fuel elements.
Recently, however, this technology has also been used in hydrogen-rich water generators.
Key points::
~These machines are optimized and designed to produce water with a neutral pH with a high concentration of hydrogen gas.
~These machines can store a more stable hydrogen concentration and its fluctuation is less depending on water quality and flow speed.
~Because they do not change pH and the dissolution process of hydrogen is different, the problem of plate accretion is less of a concern.
Although this technology has been used relatively recently to produce hydrogen-rich water, PEM technology itself has advanced greatly. Equipment employing this technology can generally produce hydrogen concentrations between 0.8 and 1.5 ppm, depending on the machine and the use over time. However, not all systems producing hydrogen water with a neutral pH may achieve 0.8 ppm or more concentration – some produce only 0.1-0.5 ppm.
This usually happens when these devices do not use PEM technology but regular alkaline water ionizer systems, which simply do not separate water into acidic and alkaline streams.
DISSOLVED HYDROGEN AND pH
When talking about hydrogen, it is often indistinguishable which type of hydrogen we are talking about (see "Dummies Guide to Hydrogen"). Positive hydrogen ion (H+) is often simply called "hydrogen", but this form of hydrogen determines the acidity (pH) level of water (see "Understanding pH"). Assuming that the hydrogenic ion (H+) is under discussion, you may mistakenly assume that adding hydrogen gas (H2) to water changes the pH of water. In fact, molecular hydrogen (H2) is a neutral molecule, so when dissolved in water, it does not affect its pH.
VIP: The Difference.
Alkaline ionizers raise the pH of water not because H2 is added to it, but because they need to consume H+ ions in the water to produce hydrogen gas, thus making the water more alkaline.
Hydrogen water production methods, such as hydrogen saturation or infusion, add pure hydrogen gas to the water, making it hydrogen-rich without changing the pH.
MLM-available water and hydrogen water generators with PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) membrane are both technologies used in water-related health solutions, but their properties and effectiveness differ.
1. “Ionizer”
~Kangen water is a trademarked brand name for a generic form of water alkalizer where using electrolytic ionization ,the water is separated into alkaline and acidic water.
~pH level: Adjustable, ranging from 4.0 to 11.5, depending on the ionizer model and dependent on the pH of the source water.
~Antioxidant: Produces negative ORP (Oxidation-Reduction Potential), which may help neutralize free radicals.
~Main goal: Alkaline water, which is marketed as better absorption and beneficial for health.
~Deficiencies: Does not guarantee large amounts of molecular hydrogen.
~Alkalinity depends on the mineral profile of the water, which is why the effectiveness may vary in different places.
Related to a particular brand, or marketing system, that can make it more expensive.
2. Hydrogen water generator with PEM membrane
Technology: Uses PEM membrane and SPE (Solid Polymer Electrolysis) system, which produces pure molecular hydrogen dissolved in water.
pH level: Usually neutral (pH 7.0-7.5), therefore does not change the acidity or alkaline of the water.
~Antioxidant: Provides a high concentration of hydrogen (1-3 ppm or more), which offers stronger antioxidant properties than ionized water.
~Main goal: To offer the consumer pure molecular hydrogen, which the studies associate with potential health benefits (anti-inflammatory effect, supporting better recovery).
~Disadvantages: Does not offer the properties of alkaline water (which some people find useful, although the scientific evidence for it is limited).
Which one is better ?
If the goal is to consume molecular hydrogen and have a strong antioxidant effect, generators with PEM membrane are better. They produce more pure hydrogen, which is water soluble and is better absorbed.
If you prefer alkaline water and want to regulate the pH level, multileval-sold water may be more suitable. But it may not contain that much molecular hydrogen.
Our suggestion
If the choice is between producing antioxidant and healthy hydrogen water, then a hydrogen water generator with PEM membrane is a better choice. However, if you are interested in the properties of alkaline water, then MLM water may be more suitable. If your focus is on good filtration many of these systems come with very basic filtration which of course affects the long term viability of the ionizing. A good alternative that affords excellent cutting edge filtration plus effective H2 production can be found here:
