When Joyce Bippus tried alkaline ionized water she was ‘sold’ immediately.

So sold that she opened her own alkaline ionized water store. After all, she claims she was able to not have a $40,000 rotator cuff operation because of the water. Joyce was introduced by her herbalist. In an article in her local paper, I read:

“She said, ‘Joyce, just drink this water,’” Bippus said.

After Bippus’ pain (may have: Ian) disappeared within a week, she thought the ionized water should be shared with the community and opened the Holistic Water Store on Mangrove Avenue. The store offers a free 30-day trial of ionized alkaline water to anyone interested.

“It’s my passion,” Bippus said, “and I love my job.”

Ionized water is made by passing normal, unfiltered tap water through an ionizing machine. The machine splits the water into two streams by electrolysis – the application of an electrical current. The machine then recombines the streams differently, adding ions and producing an alkaline pH.

Various natural and alternative health proponents claim the water has very powerful health benefits.

Some Chico State students and athletes have come in and tried the water, Bippus said.

David Vogel of Paradise, a customer of the Holistic Water Store, has been drinking the water for a few months, he said. He suffers from joint pain in his knees and hips and wanted to try the water after hearing about it.

“I (may: Ian) have less joint pain,” Vogel said. “I don’t want to stop. I feel better.”

Others disagree, claiming the water does not have any medicinal benefits.

Stomach acid will instantly turn ionized water acidic, said Jeffrey Bell, chair of the biological sciences department.

“Water that you could drink that isn’t going to burn your mouth won’t change the pH in your stomach,” Bell said.

The amount of acid in your stomach makes everything you eat and drink acidic, he said.

“Water is water,” Bell said. “Having a few ions in it won’t help.”

Bippus offers promotional material with information about the ionizers. The statements in the material have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

The machines range in price from $1,200 to $5,000 for those interested in ionizing their own water, but Bippus offers interest-free financing to those who can’t afford a lump sum payment.

Anyone interested in learning more about ionized alkaline water from Bippus and her colleagues can attend a weekly seminar held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays in the store.

“My goal is to get people educated on how they can help themselves,” Bippus said.

This is very  typical. I’ve seen so many articles like this, and always with the old phurphy about the stomach neutralising the pH of the water. (I added the ‘may’ for legal reasons).  And dear Jean will need to be careful about what she says because we are STILL not allowed to publish therapeutic effects of alkaline ionized water – there’s a million dollar fine for it. Even though the lists of scientific studies grows monthly.

The really weird aspect of this ‘prove it or lose it’ attitude is that we have done all we can to go legal. We contacted the top gun in our Therapeutic Items registration organisation and asked if we could have our water ionizers ‘listed’. No, you can’t came the reply, because we have already decided water filters can’t be listed. So.. although we are willing to register water ionizers, we can’t because someone somewhere at a desk with a stamp has decided tha water isn’t therapeutic.. no matter what.

OK… we asked. So if you won’t register us, then water ionizers are not a therapeutic device, right? Right. So because we aren’t a  therapeutic device we can say anything we like, right?

No, came the answer. If you say it does anything we will take action against you.

But you just said we aren’t a therapeutic device.

Yes, we can say it but you can’t disagree with us.. even if we refuse to list you.

Harrumph. Bureacrats. 

Related posts: