Redox Reaction - Reduction & Oxidation

In high school chemistry we learned that the redox reaction or oxidation-reduction is the most universal, fundamental chemical reaction - as well as most important - of all chemical concepts.

It is the key to understanding whether a chemical 'meeting' between elements or compounds yields a donating of energy - reduction  or a decay of energy - oxidation.

The problem of life and death as well as health and sickness could, therefore, be explained and demonstrated by the concept of redox reaction. We can recap these concepts with a following analogy. Copper(Cu) loses its glitter by oxidation and is restored by reduction. In quite the same way, a cell unit (call it Cu) is damaged (made sick) by oxidation and is restored (cured) by reduction resulting in the production of H2O.

Stage 1 Oxidation of Cell Unit

2Cu + O2 –›2CuO

Stage 2 Reduction of oxidized(damaged) Cu

CuO + H2 –› Cu + H2O

Water, the prerequisite for every life form

Water is the very product of redox reaction, i.e. a product of reduction by Hydrogen, and oxidation by Oxygen. Therefore, it is only natural to say that every life form born in H2O should be under the influence of redox reaction. In short, oxidation brings sickness and ageing - and reduction supports its restoration to health. It is quite clear from evolutionary record that life forms could have developed in water, because it was an environment which provided them all the necessary and enough conditions for birth and survival of them all.

Active Oxygen

Active oxygen - free radicals - are considered to de-activate enzymes in the cells, damage DNA and destroy lipid membrane. In this sense it's reasonable to assume its role in becoming precursor to any degenerative disease. Success in prevention of oxidative damage from Active Oxygen is the target of a massive pharmaceutical and alternative health industry in the form of myriad antioxidant supplements.

Active Hydrogen

The most ideal countermeasure against active oxygen is, logically, active hydrogen. Active hydrogen - hydroxyl Ions is known to have strong reducing potential. It is only natural to say that active oxygen species can be reduced or scavenged to produce O2- , H2O2 and HO- one after another to produce H2O as a result, as shown in the following steps:

   1. O2+ e- –› O2-
   2. O2- + H+ + H+ –› H2O2
   3. H2O2 + e- –› HO- + HO-
   4. HO- + H+ –› H2O
   5. HO- + H+ –› H2O

Hydrogen Poor Water

Water may be classified into two kinds, i.e. hydrogen poor and hydrogen rich water. Natural water or 99.9 % of water found on the earth can be defined to be hydrogen poor water because of hydrogen bond energy connecting hydrogen with oxygen to make H2O. Hydrogen poor water cannot effectively reduce or scavenge active oxygen species because it lacks sufficient hydroxyl ions.

Hydrogen Rich Water

It is known that magnesium reacts with water to produce hydrogen gas when it is heated. This concept is used in our AlkaPod portable water ionizer.

Mg + 2H2O ? Mg(OH)2 + 2H+ –› Mg(OH)2 + H2

Active hydrogen in hydrogen rich water has been shown to bind with free radicals (1) to produce H2O.

The use of electrolysis in the chamber of the Jupiter Water Ionisers creates oxidative (acid) water and energised (reduced) water as alkaline ionised water.