Kangen water — Explainer video

Transcript

Kangen water: what’s behind the trend.

“Kangen” does not denote a type of water, but ionisers made by the Japanese manufacturer Enagic. Fitted to the tap, the device first filters the water and then splits it by electrolysis: alkaline for drinking, acidic for cleaning.

The devices offer several levels: from around pH 2.5 to around pH 11. According to the manufacturer, the extreme levels are not drinking water. pH 8.5 to 9.5 is intended for drinking.

The pH from the device is real but fleeting. There are hardly any additional minerals to hold it. Carbon dioxide from the air pulls it back towards neutral, depending on storage, within hours to a few days. In naturally alkaline mineral water, minerals from the rock keep the value stable.

Claims about ionised water often include: better absorption thanks to supposedly smaller “water clusters”, an antioxidant effect, support for the acid-base balance, more energy and wellbeing. None of them is scientifically proven.

The stomach works at roughly pH 1.5 to 3.5 and largely neutralises alkaline water. The body keeps the pH of the blood constant between 7.35 and 7.45, regardless of what a person drinks.

Water is a food, not a medicine. Slightly alkaline water with a pH of 8 to 9.5 is considered safe for healthy adults. Anyone with a kidney condition or who takes medication regularly is best advised to discuss this with a doctor first.

There is also alkaline water without a device, such as Piz Sardona from the Castels spring in Mels. After around twelve years in the rock, it is captured at pH 8.0, supported by hydrogen carbonate, calcium and magnesium. The value is part of the water, not a temporary state.

More on this in the Piz Sardona Academy.