Behind the Hydro water source the Japanese favors
Hydrogen water is chosen by many as a way to protect and improve health
“Hydrogen water – truth about the new trend” was the title of an article published on Foxnews not long ago. “Why is this special drinking water making a trend,” the article questioned, while also citing a range of well-known British and American celebrities praising and using the water called hydrogen.
In actuality, Hydrogen water started becoming popular since the beginning of the 20th century in Japan. In 1931, early studies of this kind of drinking water were experimented on plants and animals by medical researcher Machisue Suwa. As its benefits are proven scientifically, it was seen as a breakthrough at a time when extensive research on water in relation to health was still rather limited. Japan’s Ministry of Public Health and Department of Food Safety released statement number 763 on October 8th, 1965 to all provinces, recognizing the benefits of Hydrogen water and encouraging people to use it.
Today, the water called “functional water”, “hydrogen-rich, ionized alkaline water” is commonly consumed in many places as a way to maintain health.
So what is Hydrogen water?
In Greek, “Hydro” means water, “gen” is “to make”. Hydrogen is typically found as a gas, very light in weight, insoluble and can quickly evaporate. When burned in air, it can produce water; hence the name “Hydrogen”.
One of the main characteristics of this element is its insolubility. However, with modern technology, we have been able to “trap” hydrogen in water, turning it into a health-benefiting component. Thus, simply put, hydrogen water is water with added soluble hydrogen gas using specialized technology.
This added component is what makes it different from regular water. Many scientific findings have proven that drinking water with added hydrogen can help the body slow down aging, detoxicate, prevent illnesses… Countries like Korea or Japan have even recognized hydrogen water producing devices as medical devices for the home and encouraged people to incorporate it into their lifestyles.
An advancement in Japanese’ solutions for health
Studies by the Department of Media Research (at Kyoto Postgraduate Institution) at the cellular level published in 2009 have shown that hydrogen in alkaline water can slow down the ageing process and improve the instability often found in ageing cells.
According to Dr. Hayashi Hidemitsu, Director of Water Institute of Japan,
Producing Hydrogen water
With its scientifically proven benefits, hydrogen water is becoming increasingly popular. Hydrogen water is sold widely in bottles, bags, hydrogen devices and hydrogen water purifiers.
According to experts, in order to produce hydrogen water with sufficient mineral elements for health, the pre-filtration water treatment process and choosing the right purifying technology and added minerals are very important factors to consider.
Currently, the two most common techniques in the world are electrolysis through ionization, and separation of natural alkali using mineral ceramic balls.
Between these, producing hydrogen water using electrolysis is the method of separating water molecules with high-density Platinum electrodes. As for the mineral ceramic technique, the most important factor of this process is the mineral ceramic balls, which can separate natural water compounds due to the properties of mineral ions from the mineral ceramic balls.
In Vietnam, the market for hydrogen water devices is still new and highly-potential. Kangaroo is one of the pioneering representatives to introduce hydrogen water purifier to the domestic market in 2017.
Specifically, Kangaroo water purifier product incorporates the technology to produce alkaline hydrogen water from Korean Technology Corporation. This technology is exclusively licensed and practiced in over 40 countries in the world, assessed by USA’ NFS, FDA and World Health Organization (WHO).
Explaining the reason behind choosing this technology, Kangaroo representative shared that it was on the basis of suitability to the Vietnamese market.
Dr. Doan Van Tuan, Environmental Technology department, Biotechnology and Applied Science at Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, explained ‘suitability’: “With electrolysis technology, the cost to manufacture electrodes is extremely high, and cartridge renewal and maintenance to prevent sedimentation are highly time-consuming. Meanwhile, mineral ceramic technology optimally incorporates alkali metals and natural mineral ions, making not only hydrogen but also mineral-rich drinking water.”
Even though there are many studies proving the benefits of Hydrogen, health experts still warn that higher Hydrogen content in water does not necessarily mean it is healthy. Water with high Hydrogen content is used only for food sterilization and detoxification, wound sterilization. Hydrogen at 100-160ppb (micrograms/liter) is sufficient for the body to fight strong oxidizing agents and harmful free radicals, helping to improve the digestive system, boost the immune system and make the body youthful.
Next, it is said that Kangaroo will release a new generation of Hydrogen water purifier with different technologies and functions to keep Hydrogen longer in water. The corporate has demonstrated ambition to promote the application of technology in high quality products, increasing competitiveness in the international market.