What is structured water?
Structured water is a molecular arrangement of water molecules that exists when water is near hydrophilic (water loving) surfaces. Much like ice, water molecules join together in hexagonally structured single layer sheets. Unlike ice, however, the sheets are flexible and move independently as they are not glued together by protons. The majority of the water in your body is structured water as your bodily tissues are hydrophilic.
How does vortexing create structured water?
In a properly designed vortex, some water molecules dissociate into hydrogen and oxygen. This newly created oxygen and any oxygen already dissolved in the water is mixed up uniformly. Oxygen itself is a hydrophilic element. Hexagonal sheets of structured water grow outward from the oxygen, layer by layer.
Structured water has always existed, but science just now noticed
Chemists, biologists, physicists, engineers, and medical doctors graduating today (right now!) are not learning about the existence of structured water. That is, unless they were residents in Professor Gerald Pollack’s laboratory at the University of Washington. In his latest book “The Fourth Phase of Water” (published 2013) Dr. Pollack describes exactly what structured water is and discusses the mountains of scientific data from his experiments over the last several years. While it may take awhile before you can discuss structured water with your doctor or that scientist who lives down the street from you, currently Dr. Pollack’s book is the best resource on the topic.
Structured water is a battery
The totality of structured water does not just include the hexagonal sheets of water molecules mentioned earlier, but also the water immediately surrounding them. As the hexagonal layers grow, protons are ejected into the nearby water. This creates a most unexpected phenomenon - an electrical potential (voltage) between the structured water and the water surrounding it. In other words, structured water stores energy, much like a battery.
You might be wondering, “If structured water is a battery, what charges it?” Dr. Pollack discovered that structured water grows (charges) by absorbing radiant energy. Both light waves and infrared waves, for example, charge structured water with energy.
If our bodies are filled with structured water, why do we need more of it?
Structured water is a battery that needs constant charging. Energized structured water recharges the liquid battery of the body. When the body has sufficient energy, its aqueous interior is highly charged allowing for optimized cellular and metabolic function in addition to greater hydration and detoxification.
Why most structured water devices should be avoided
While vortexing creates structured water, not all structured water devices are created equal. This is because once the conditions for structured water have been created by the vortex, the water then needs to absorb radiant energy from the environment to build up the structure further and charge the water battery. It can be said then that structured water needs to ‘mature’ before it is consumed. Viktor Schauberger, the Austrian naturalist and ‘water genius’ said the same thing in many of his famous writings.
Freshly vortexed water, or structured water, provides the body with some energy. However, for true benefits, one should drink only energized structured water. Only energized structured water maximizes structured water’s benefit to the body.
Understanding the Water Within Your Cells
To understand what the potential benefits of structured water might be, it helps to first grasp how water works within our cells.
Water is an important building block in every single cell in your body. The actual structure of your cells is something like a matrix that is made up of a different acids (some of which are proteins). Between the acids is where water is held, essentially bridging the gap. All of the water molecules within our cells hold electrical charges, whether positive or negative. Oppositely charged water molecules line up next to one another, just like a battery.
Initially, water gets its charge from the sunlight or heat in the environment and then stores it within our cells. The idea behind structured water is this: Ordinary water filtration processes that have the purpose of cleaning drinking water also de-structure water molecules in the process.
When the water is no longer structured the way it was intended to be, the health of your cells suffer; specifically, the protein molecules within your cells don’t work the right way. This can negatively impact muscular and tissue functioning, leaving you prone to injuries.
Because of the many roles that water and hydration have in the body, structured water is said to benefit:
Energy levels
Digestion and regularity
Enzymes that help with nutrient absorption
Concentration
Muscle contractions
Positive moods
Ability to sleep well
Blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Respiration
Endurance
Weight control
Kidney and liver health
Joint health
How Water Can Be ‘Restructured’
The belief associated with structured water is that even once water is in your body and enters your cells, it’s capable of restructuring itself when it’s exposed to certain energy sources. These restructuring energy sources can include a source of heat (including the sun, earth, radiation device or a muscle-heating pad), infrared light or even human touch.
Both strong heat-on-contact and ultraviolet light are capable of impacting the water within your cells, which is one reason why these have been natural treatment methods for muscle-related or skin problems for many years. In the case of light therapy, this treatment has benefits for cells that make up your skin and brain — which is why some depressed patients experience reduced symptoms of depression or skin disorders when using specialized light treatments or light boxes.
“Grounding” or “earthing,” a practice where you simply come into direct contact with the earth’s surface by walking or laying outdoors barefoot, might also affect the structure of our cells. The scientific theory of earthing is that your body absorbs negative electrons from the earth through the soles of your feet and this changes the chemistry of your body.
Although not very accessible for most people as of now, optimally structured drinking water is also available in some parts of the world. There’s some belief that unfiltered water obtained from parts of the world including the Ganges River in Northern India might have the optimal structure to help our cells function best. We aren’t sure yet how drinking and swallowing naturally “structured water” changes its molecular composition or whether it’s more beneficial to alter the structure of water after it’s already reached muscle and tissue cells.
The Importance of Spending Time Outside
Overall, we still need more research revealing the potential uses and benefits of structured water. Until we know more, your best bet is to spend time outdoors in the sun, including having your bare feet and skin touch the ground often; if you’re a runner, try barefoot running. The concept of structured water might be similar to the theory of grounding or earthing, in that it attempts to explain how exposing our bodies to nature, light and heat sources affects our health in many positive ways.
Time exposed to direct sunlight, without sunscreen on that blocks important light waves, has many health benefits: increasing vitamin D production in your skin to prevent vitamin D deficiency, helping restore your body’s natural circadian rhythms, easing stress, giving you more energy, raising immune function and allowing you to sleep better at night. While one added perk of sunlight exposure might also be changing the way water molecules align with our cells, with or without proof of this concept at this time we can all still benefit from more time spent de-stressing outdoors.
See an interesting video by Dr Pollack entitled "Electrically Structured Water - Part 1" - there is also another interesting video entitled: "Electrically Structured Water - Part 2".
Pollack’s water studies have led to amazing possibilities: that water acts as a battery, that this battery may recharge in a way resembling photosynthesis, that these water batteries could be harnessed to produce electricity. His 2001 book Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life Pollack says, “The book asserts, contrary to the textbook view, that water is the most important and central protagonist in all of life. There are so many realms of science where water is central. In order to understand how everything works, you need to know the properties of water.”
The key to understanding how this water battery works is learning how it is recharged. “You can’t just get something for nothing – there has to be energy that charges it,” Pollack said. “This puzzled us for several years, and finally we found the answer: It’s light. It was a real surprise.