Is Alkaline Water or Hydrogen Water Better?

Hello rays of light!

The issues around water quality are not new, but research that is abrupting the scenes, is. Water quality can detriment a women’s thyroid, to possibly increase fluoride toxicity.

Today’s topic is on the MYTH of pH water, and how H2 Molecular Hydrogen differs.

If you want to tag along via audio, head over to our Youtube channel and LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE so you can be the ‘early adopter’ you are with all the top shelf science and research delivered straight to your handheld.

So let’s dive in with Dr. Mercola’s teardown on H2 and pH Water!

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Alkaline Water or Hydrogen Water — Which One Is Better for You?

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Alkaline water is water that has been separated into alkaline and acid fractions using electrolysis

• Many promoters and marketers claim alkaline water can correct excess acidity in your tissues, which can then prevent or reverse cancer, arthritis and other degenerative diseases, yet this is not supported by science

• The higher the pH, the fewer free hydrogen ions (H+) it has; the lower its pH, the more free hydrogen ions (H+) it has

• Hydrogen ions (H+) are not to be confused with molecular hydrogen (H2 gas); they are completely different from each other. Molecular hydrogen is a gas with very unique and selective antioxidant effects that specifically target damaging free radicals

• The alkaline ionized water fad was an unfortunate outgrowth of its successful use coupled with a misunderstanding or ignorance of the therapeutic property of the water (e.g., benefits falsely attributed to alkaline pH and not the actual H2 gas)

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Understanding pH

The concept of the acidity or alkalinity of your body — or of water — is based on the pH scale. What is pH? It's simply a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions.10 In fact, the acronym "pH" is short for "potential of hydrogen."

The higher a liquid's pH, the fewer free hydrogen ions (H+) it has; the lower its pH, the more free hydrogen ions (H+) it has. One pH unit reflects a tenfold change in ion concentration, so there are 10 times as many hydrogen ions available at a pH of 7 than at a pH of 8.11

The pH scale goes from 0 to 14, and a pH of 7 is neutral. Anything with a pH below 7 is considered acidic, and anything with a pH above 7 is alkaline (or basic).

But the real reason why alkaline water is a scam is that it has no buffers to maintain its pH. The instant the alkaline water hits your very acidic stomach, the pH is neutralized as there are no buffers. Truly alkaline water would have an alkaline buffer like baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), which is also our body's natural alkaline buffer.

Some have claimed that as the stomach acid neutralizes the alkaline water, the bicarbonate ions are released into the blood and thus it has an alkalizing effect. This would be true if the alkaline water effectively neutralized all the stomach acid (like baking soda would), but alkaline water doesn't neutralize any significant quantity of stomach acid; the stomach acid completely neutralizes the alkaline water. So, there is no "net alkalizing effect."

Natural water on our planet ranges in pH from around 6.5 to 8.5, depending on surrounding soil and vegetation, seasonal variations and weather, and even time of day responses to sunlight. Human activities further influence the pH of our water, from the barrage of toxic industrial pollutants.

Most aquatic animals and plants have adapted to life in water with a very specific pH and will die from even slight changes. For example, Michigan State University found that when the pH of greenhouse media is too high (greater than 6.5), it increases the chances of micronutrient deficiencies in the plants, and too low of a pH (less than 5.3) results in calcium and/or magnesium and/or manganese toxicity.13

Similarly, Ohio State University Extension Service reports that alkaline water affects a plant's ability to obtain nutrients from the soil and can alter the soil's pH over time.14 Your body also requires a relatively stable pH, or else you'll run into problems. This was demonstrated in a Swedish well water study,15 which found both pH extremes to be problematic.

Notably, pH appears to have a major influence on your mitochondria.16 Research has shown normal cells die under extremely alkaline conditions, as a result of altering mitochondrial function.17

So, as noted by Fenton, "alkaline water is a solution to a problem that doesn't need solving." Indeed, it makes sense that you are designed to drink water that occurs naturally, which excludes alkaline water with pH levels of 9.5 and above.

Early Days of Hydrogen Water Production Shed Light on Alkaline Water Myth

Interestingly, aside from Young taking the acid-ash hypothesis and running with it, there's another piece of history that helps explain why the alkaline water myth gained hold. The Molecular Hydrogen Institute explains the history of electrolyzed reduced water or ERW (the most common term used for alkaline water in the scientific literature):18

"Studies on ERW began in the 1930s in Japan, and in 1965 the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved ERW as a medical substance with potential to improve gastrointestinal symptoms …

Over the ensuing decades, anecdotal and scientific evidence accumulated substantiating many other benefits of ERW such as: protecting DNA from radical damage, increasing glucose uptake, improving diabetes, preventing premature cell death, offering liver protection, preventing lipid oxidation and others. However, it was uncertain as to how ERW was producing these benefits."

Unfortunately, this is how the misunderstanding about pH came about. However, as noted by the Institute, "It is now well-recognized that the primary agent responsible for the benefits is attributed to the dissolved molecular hydrogen gas." So, in a nutshell, the benefits, when there are any, are actually due to the presence of molecular hydrogen, and has nothing to do with the pH of the water. Dr. Kyu-Jae Lee, a hydrogen gas researcher, says:

We later discovered that the benefits in this model were mediated by H2-induced gastric ghrelin secretion via a ß1 adrenergic receptor-dependent pathway. Although hydrogen's effect in Parkinson's disease has now been confirmed in a human clinical trial, more research is necessary to reveal the molecular mechanisms responsible for the therapeutic benefits of H2.

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What Is Molecular Hydrogen?

Molecular hydrogen (H2) — two hydrogen atoms combined together — is a gas with very unique and selective antioxidant effects that specifically target the most harmful free radicals. It works primarily by improving and optimizing the redox status of the cell when needed.

As a result, you see improvements in superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione levels, for example. Not only does hydrogen selectively reduce the most toxic radicals, but it can help prevent an excess (which becomes toxic) of the free radicals from being produced in the first place.

H2 also activates the Nrf2 pathway when needed. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that, when activated, goes into the cell's nucleus and binds to the antioxidant response element in the DNA. It then induces the transcription of further cytoprotective enzymes such as glutathione, superoxide dismutase catalase, glutathione peroxidase, phase II enzymes, heme-1 oxygenase and many others.

A landmark paper  on molecular hydrogen came out in Nature Medicine in 2007, showing 2 percent hydrogen gas was effective at preventing brain damage from ischemia reperfusion and, as an antioxidant, has powerful therapeutic applications.

Hydrogen is the smallest molecule in the universe, and is neutral and nonpolar, which is why its bioavailability is so great. It does not dissociate into its electrons and protons when dissolved in water, so it will not alter the pH of water or your body and has nothing to do with the alkaline water concept.

More than 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications have collectively demonstrated that H2 has therapeutic potential in over 170 different human and animal disease models. In fact, hydrogen is shown to benefit virtually every organ of the human body, and the reason for this is because hydrogen actually targets and mitigates the root causes of inflammation and oxidation.

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Hydrogen Water Versus Hydrogen Peroxide

Due to the similarity in names, many confuse hydrogen water with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and I often get asked if one can get the benefits of molecular hydrogen by drinking hydrogen peroxide in water. This is a dangerous mistake to make, so let me make this point abundantly clear:

Never ingest hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution).

Hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution) — the stuff you use to disinfect wounds — is not the same as molecular hydrogen or hydrogen (H2) water. Hydrogen peroxide is for topical use only. You could potentially use it is as a mouth rinse for gingivitis, provided you spit it out and do not swallow, and you can pour a few drops into your ear canal as a remedy to combat cold and flu symptoms. But you should never ingest hydrogen peroxide.

Another common misconception is that adding hydrogen to water will form hydrogen peroxide. As explained by the Molecular Hydrogen Institute:23

"Water has the chemical formula H2O, and hydrogen peroxide has the chemical formula H2O2, which by comparison contains an extra oxygen, not hydrogen. So, it does not, indeed it cannot, form hydrogen peroxide.

The fact is, hydrogen gas does not bond to or react with the water molecules, it just dissolves into the water. It does not create some novel molecule like H4O, which would in fact be chemically impossible to form.

Therefore, hydrogen water and hydrogen peroxide are completely different substances. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide cannot be used to generate H2 gas or make hydrogen-rich water."

Alkaline Versus Alkalinity

Yet another source of confusion is the issue of alkaline versus alkalinity. These two words are not interchangeable, as from a scientific standpoint as they refer to different things. This too may be part of why people have placed such undue value on alkaline water. As explained by Mark Timmons, CEO of U.S. Water Systems:24

"To alkalize your body means that you give the body the ability to maintain a proper pH, but in order to do that you need water with alkalinity not alkaline water. pH merely measures the degree of acidity or alkalinity, not the capacity to neutralize acid … You also don't alkalize your body based upon pH, but rather on alkalinity.

Alkalinity measures the ability to neutralize acid with buffers which are the sum of bicarbonates. Alkalinity is measured in mg/L (milligrams per liter). Alkaline mineral compounds include … calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, manganese [and] iron. So, you need to add alkalinity to your body, but you need to realize that pH has no relation to that alkalinity.

Alkaline Water Is an Unlikely Cancer Preventive

One of the purported health benefits of drinking alkaline water is cancer prevention. However, much of the research really argues against alkalinity when it comes to treating cancer.

According to Robert Gillies, who has studied tumor formation and acidity at the Moffitt Cancer Center,25 tumors make their own acidity by their very nature, and they do this even in an alkaline cellular structure.

Scientists developing anticancer agent prototypes that selectively kill tumor cells by interfering with the regulation of intracellular pH also report that alkaline treatments do not have the desired effect, whereas strongly acidic treatments do!26

Even more interesting is a 2005 study27 by the National Cancer Institute, which revisits the use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to treat cancer. They found that, in pharmacologic doses administered intravenously, ascorbic acid successfully killed cancer cells without harming normal cells.

This is yet another example of cancer cells being vulnerable to acidity, as opposed to alkalinity. So, it seems clear that the relationship between alkalinity and cancer has been grossly oversimplified by those jumping to premature conclusions.

Resource: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/11/12/hydrogen-water-vs-alkaline-water.aspx

Does Hair Color Really Cause Cancer?

An “Informed Beauty's right to know ....

Does Hair Color Really Cause Cancer?

It is proven that hair dyes currently on the market may be hazardous to your health. Recent studies in toxicology have identified dangerous carcinogens and mutagens in certain types of coal tar hair dyes, and he European cosmetic regulatory body has confirmed the majority of hair dyes on the market, are linked to bladder cancer.

RIn 2008, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that hair dyes used in hair salons are very probable in the increase the risk of cancer. While results of the studies completed so far are inconsistent, many studies have shown an increased risk of bladder cancer, breast cancer and other health problems linked to the use of personal hair dye.

Is Your Hair Coloring Product Toxic?

Not only do hair coloring services strip away the natural moisture and oils from the hair and scalp, break down the hair shaft, but they also put your health at risk.

Kasia Organic Salon offers an alternative if you want to preserve your hair – and your health.

Toxic Compounds Found in Common Hair Coloring Products

Ammonia: A compound used in the chemical coloring process, ammonia can leave the hair looking dry, dull and brittle. Ammonia strips away the hair and scalp’s natural moisture and oils, and although it helps the synthetic color stick to the hair for longer, it is ultimately a toxic ingredient.

Avoid Ammonia At All Costs:

The liver is among the many organs that can be affected by cancer treatments. One primary function of the liver is to detoxify proteins of poisonous ammonia. This critical function can be burdened even more when introducing additional sources of ammonia into the blood stream through products like permanent hair color.

Say NO to Ammonia

* A strong irritant for skin, eyes and lungs.

* A suspected carcinogen.

Say NO to Ethanolamine (MEA)

* A toxicant for the immune, respiratory, reproductive, neurological & nervous systems.

* A carcinogen.

Resorcinol

A common ingredient found in synthetic hair coloring products, this compound can be absorbed through the skin. According to toxicology reports, short-term effects of resorcinol include irritation to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, and long-term effects include the formation of methaemoglobin in the blood.

Proven Health Risks Associated with Hair Dyes

• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: The National Cancer Institute reports that 20 percent of all cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in women are the result of using permanent, chemical-laden hair coloring products on a regular basis

• Skin Allergies: Health line indicates that parabens such as propyl, methyl, butyl and ethyl – preservatives that are commonly used in hair color – are toxic and can cause an allergic reaction or other skin conditions.

• Bladder Cancer: A study published in the International Cancer Journal found that women who use permanent hair color may be more likely to develop bladder cancer than those that do not. COLIPHA, a European cosmetic regulatory body, has also confirmed that PPD found in hair dyes causes bladder cancer.

• Ovarian Cancer: The Harvard School of Public Health’s epidemiology department has found that women who undergo chemical hair processing more than five times per year are twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer as women who never use hair dye.

• Cancer of the Immune System: The American Cancer Society reports that people who use hair dye for two decades or more were at an increased risk of dying from cancers of the immune system, as well as multiple myeloma.

• Swollen Eyelids or Rashes: Kathleen Davis, an integrative dermatologist in New York City reported allergens   can cause temporary swelling of the eyelids and rashes.

Allergic to Hair Color?

There are a growing number new guests coming into Kasia Organic Salon   in complaint of common allergic reactions to hair dyes such as skin rashes, contact dermatitis, swelling, irritation of the eyes, and headaches.

If you have experienced allergic reactions while sitting in the styling chair, it’s a relief to know you do have other options, not having to settle for discomfort and rashes, when you should relax, and enjoy your coloring service/investments

Kasia offers a number of benefits for people with allergies and hair coloring

Ammonia Free & Long Lasting RESULTS?

There are several reasons to choose Ammonia Free color over chemical-laden lines available over the counter or at the hair salon.

Optimize your coloring results in avoiding chemicals that reduce the strength and integrity of your hair, increasing breakage, split ends, brittleness and fading.

The Benefits of Kasia Salon Color Services

* Have a much more pleasurable experience at Kasia. No more: scalp stinging, itching, burning or marking.

* The colors have a strong, reduced-fade factor, since the cuticle (the outside layer of the hair) is largely returned to its original position.

* The hair has better shine and looks more natural.

* Excluding ethanolamine and other harmful ingredients.

* Unlimited possibilities with 60 shades

* Covers grey with uniform results

Hair Insurance! Choosing the proper shampoos, conditioners and UV protected styling products will help prolong the life of color.

Kasia Launches Small Batch * Artisan * Fair Trade TEA!

Had so much fun packaging our Fair Trade Teas today!  What a gift this will be to my friends/clients!  Make sure to come to the FEB 25th Launch Party to taste and purchase!

Kasia Beautiful Health Tea Small Batch * Artisan * Fair Trade 50 cups per 4 oz tin

Kasia is committed, in partnership, to Fair-trade and Artisan practices to bring you ingredients that are designed and hand-blended in small batches by companies that are operated and owned by families carrying on time-honored traditions, ensuring freshness and one-of-a-kind quality.  Completely natural with no artificial coloring, preservatives or flavoring. Dried fruit pieces, nuts, herbal tisanes, and botanicals add amazing flavor and aroma.

Loose Leaf Tea VS Bagged Tea: Loose leaf teas simply offer the best variety, quality, and freshness. “When you are buying a bagged tea, the tea is obscured by the bag. Many low quality teas (even 'tea dust') are sold in bags so that you don't realize the quality, and are subject to going stale faster than loose leaf tea.”

What Earlier Cultures Inherently Knew…

“One cup of black or green tea has more antioxidant power than a serving of broccoli, carrots, or spinach.” Prevention, Aug 1998

• Aids digestion, promotes bowel regularity.
• Aids sleep (the theanine in black pure and aged green pure).
• Provides fluoride for teeth to fight cavities.
• Helps prevent bad breath.
• Soothes and helps prevent stress.
• Flavanoids, antioxidants, ECGC, and MORE!

*Kasia Beautiful Health Teas

• Cherry Lemongrass Bloom Sencha Green Tea
• Roasted Cocoa-Coconut Botanical Yerba Mate
• Sweet Vanilla & French Lemon Crème Roobios Tea
• Blissful Blueberry & Pomegranate Black Tea

* When steeping, the abundant creations are best suited in larger tea balls.

Hope to sooth your taste buds soon!

Natural alternatives to living a botox and wrinkle free lifestyle.

Think organically!Natural alternatives to anti-aging, wrinkles, toxins and modalities as we uniquely age.

One of the most difficult signs of aging to 'correct', wrinkles begin appearing on our faces in our 20s, and continue to deepen and multiply right through the rest of our lives. The fight against the innocent wrinkle has caused the rise of the Botox phenomenon ... but the insanity of injecting the world's most lethal disease into our body purposefully has given rise to the organic wrinkle-treatment ideology! If you like the idea of looking younger and healthier, but don’t like the idea of paralyzing your face for it, read on. We examine the natural alternatives to Botox for a smooth, glowing, radiant complexion ... and for Beautiful Health.

What planet do wrinkles come from?

Unfortunately, we can’t just send them back where they came from! Wrinkles are caused by several factors. Some of these are beyond our control, and some we can have an effect on. The following are the main causes of wrinkles:

Aging - The middle layer of skin, the dermis, begins to thin with age. The structural proteins that bind the dermis to the epidermis loosen and unravel, meaning that the epidermis sags away from the dermis. The extent to which your skin wrinkles as you age is determined genetically.

As you age, your skin also loses some of its ability to retain moisture, declines in elasticity, produces less oil, and takes longer to heal. All of these factors have an impact on how much your skin wrinkles.

Sun Damage - Up to 80% of the wrinkles that appear on our faces have been shown to be caused by sun damage. UV light can damage collagen fibers in the skin, as well as causing excessive elastin production. Wrinkles from sun damage basically form when your skin has to heal the damage produced by the sun over and over again, resulting in minute scarring.

Contraction of the facial muscles - Habitual expressions, such as frowning, squinting, and even smiling, can cause your skin to droop and wrinkle.

How the Sun Damages Skin

The skin gets its shape and firmness from a network of proteins outside our cells, made up of collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans. Collagen gives the skin its basic structure, and elastin creates flexibility. The sun damages these proteins by triggering our skin’s DNA to act in abnormal ways.[1][2][3] The sun’s rays degrade the collagen and elastin proteins that our skin cells produce in future [4]. These degraded cells are less elastic and have a less-youthful appearance than cells which are not exposed to the sun [8].

What is Botox?

Botox is derived from the botulinum toxin, the most lethal naturally occurring substances in the world. It is used to correct wrinkles The popularity of injecting your face with a lethal disease seems to indicate some sort of mass insanity, but in 2007, Botox injections to smooth wrinkles were the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedure, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Botox will correct wrinkles such as:

• Forehead lines
• Crow's Feet
• Frown lines

Botox does not work on wrinkles caused by sun damage or by gravity. Its mechanism of action is to block the nerve signals from the brain to the muscle, causing it to relax and soften, rather than contract.

The side effects of Botox include:

• The inability to control the muscles which were injected. You won’t be able to frown or raise your eyebrows.
• Having your eyelids uncontrollably dropping for up to three weeks after the procedure
• Temporary facial bruising
• Possible neurological or fetal effects in patients who are pregnant, or have a neurological disorder.

How to prevent wrinkles - Fighting off the invaders

Prevention is far more practical than a magic pill or ‘quick cure'. In the case of creeping crows feet, in the early stages you should use nutrient rich skin care, sun care, and abundant hydration . These are the only ways to avoid these creepy invaders. Let’s take a closer look at some things you can do to prevent wrinkles forming, and for beautiful health!

• Wear a sunscreen every day. Choose a physical block and chemical free brand, so that you minimize the amount of chemical you absorb through your skin.
• Don't take up smoking, or give it up as soon as possible. Smoking reduces the collagen production of your skin cells.
• Drink your daily allowance of water. Water is necessary to help the skin stay 'plumped'. Dehydrated skin sags noticeably more than well-hydrated skin.
• Try to include polyunsaturated fats, plenty of omega-3 and omega-6, and a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables in your diet. The free radical theory of aging is one of the most widely accepted (although it does have its detractors!). The theory states that oxidative stress is one of the main causes of aging and related conditions - such as wrinkles. Oxidative stress is thought to be caused by free radicals, which can be reduced in your body by eating foods rich in antioxidants. Blueberries, papaya and whole grains are good examples.
• Exercise regularly, to help ensure maximum vitamin and mineral flow to your skin as well as increase oxygen content.

Lifestyle choices to help reduce wrinkles

The preventive measures above are all lifestyle factors that can help reduce the number and intensity of your wrinkles, as well as helping prevent new ones forming. Here are some other choices you can make that will reduce the appearance of current wrinkles, and prevent new ones forming. Don’t wash your face with tap water more than twice a day. Your skin needs its natural oils to prevent wrinkling, and washing (especially with soaps), strips them away. Avoid alkaline soaps and deodorants. Ask your beauty therapist about which organic soaps will clean your skin, while allowing it to retain moisture.

Even if you will only be outside for short periods of time, apply sunscreen every day. Use moisturizers and cosmetic products such as minerals with sunscreen included. Don’t drink alcohol before you go to bed. Alcohol increase capillary leakage, which ultimately makes your skin look saggy and puffy. This leakage is also exacerbated when you lie down.

Get results with natural products and procedures for wrinkle reduction

Antioxidant products - So popular it has almost become a meaningless buzzword, 'antioxidants' are a critical component of an anti-wrinkle skincare regimen. However, to reverse the affects of oxidation organic or all-natural products are recommended - many antioxidant products contain a wealth of additional chemicals that actually destroy your skin's health, rather than promote it.

Glycolic peels - These can be very effective at removing fine lines, scarring and discoloration from skin. Seek salon and spas that use a natural system of an 8% exfoliate formulation of the facial peel, which basically strips away dead skin cells and the outermost layer of skin, taking away lines to reveal new, fresh cells beneath.

You can expect improvement in:

• Elasticity and firmness
• Tone, color and texture
• Moisture balance
• Fine line and wrinkle appearance
• Acne scarring and reduction of future acne

Moisture serums - Top organic salons recommend using a nightly treatment that combines highly effective fruit acids, also known as Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) made from organic sources.

Heal your skin while you slumber by using products formulated with natural fruit acids and light moisturizing to minimize wrinkles, acne, and age spots, and help improve many other skin conditions. Enzyme enhanced products also strengthens the skin's barrier against outside chemicals. You will notice much smoother skin after using this product.

A Beautiful Health Lifestyle: What to remember

Remember to focus on the prevention end of the wrinkle reduction scale, by stopping smoking, applying sunscreen every day, eating a healthy, varied diet, and exercising daily, even if it is only for a short period. When looking for wrinkle-reduction and skin improvement products, seek ingredients, think “long term", and go natural! Nature has provided all of the solutions you need to stay looking like your kids (or kid cousins!) ... ask your skin care professional for solutions unique to you!

[1] Uitto J, Olsen DR, Fazio MJ. Extracellular matrix of the skin: 50 years of progress, J Invest Dermatol 1989; 92:61S-77S.

[2] Uitto J, Fazio MJ, Olsen DR. Molecular mechanisms of cutaneous aging: age-associated connective tissue alterations in the dermis. J Am Acad Dermatol 1989; 21:614-622.

[3] Timpl R. Structure and biological activity of basement membrane proteins. Eur J Biochem 1989; 180:487-502.

[4] Ryynanen M, Knowlton RG, Parente MG, et al. Human type VII collagen: genetic linkage of the gene (COL7A1) on chromosome 3 to dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Am J Hum Genet 1991; 49:797-803.