Note - Oxygenated water, discussed below, is just one example of the hundreds of 'altered' or 'enhanced' water products promoted on the internet and in some health food stores.  These products all have several characteristics in common that are discussed in more detail on the Altered Water and Drinking Water Scams pages.  It is easier to demonstrate the flaws in Oxygenated water claims than in other products that claim to use some exotic physical or chemical process, but just like oxygenated water, none of the other products are able to withstand critical scientific review.

Regardless of any alleged  health benefits, these products are extremely effective at separating customers from their money - I have seen some of this bottled water sell for more than $20 a gallon plus shipping (that's over 3,000 times greater than the cost of tap water)!  Many of the 'altered' water products sell for $10 to $15 per gallon.  Water 'ionizers' that generate alkaline water produce sodium hydroxide (an effective drain cleaner) and bleach and sell for up to $5,000.

Let's look briefly at one 'altered' water example: O2Cool oxygenated water (bottled with 8 times the normal amount of oxygen), formally hiOsilver oxygenated water:
Why drink O2Cool oxygen water? According to the marketing hype, it provides "extra energy and vitality, fresh breath, healthier gums and teeth. We do not know all of the benefits of drinking O2Cool Oxygen Water.  Many people report that they feel energized after a bottle. Studies have been done showing enhanced sports performance for athletes drinking oxygenated water. With O2Cool, many people report that their headaches disappear, even migraine headaches. One bottle of O2Cool Oxygen Water and you will see why we are proud of the many benefits it offers over ordinary bottled waters . . . "  Although the company claims that studies have shown enhanced sports performance after drinking Oxygenated Water, there were no supporting references provided, and the two studies listed below reported no benefits.

O2Cool oxygenated water water sells for $44 (for twenty four, 16 oz bottles - 3 gallons) but you do get free shipping!  If my math is correct, that's over $14.50 per gallon.  By comparison, tap water costs around $0.007 per gallon (2,000 times less than the oxygenated water).  The highest quality filtered water is about $0.07 per gallon (that is still over 200 times less expensive than the oxygenated water).   I suppose some people might be able to justify the exorbitant cost IF the product performed as advertised --- but does it?

The super oxygenating water cooler system marketing materials make these 'exciting' claim - and a skeptical review
- Extra supply of oxygen to the body for overall health improvement
- Enhancement of the brain function for clearer thinking and alertness
- More oxygen to the muscle to increase energy and performance
- More oxygen to skin cells for healthier, younger looking skin
- Enhanced metabolism and waste removal
- Enhancement of the body's ability to fight bacteria and viruses
- Better absorption of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients
(A 2011 update - the Oxygenating Cooler is apparently no longer on the market)

	There is less dissolved oxygen in 1 liter of 'oxygenated water' than in 1 breath of air.  Taking an extra breath of air when exercising  would be substantially less expensive than paying $1 to $2 for a liter of these products!
	The primary way to transport oxygen in the body is bound to hemoglobin in the red blood cells.  In normal healthy exercisers, hemoglobin leaving the lungs is already 97% to 98% saturated with oxygen.
	The structure of the circulatory system ensures that any oxygen picked up in the digestive system would go through the lungs before reaching the muscles, brain and other tissues.  In the lungs any extra oxygen in the blood will reduce the amount of oxygen transferred to the blood - the final oxygen saturation of the hemoglobin would still be 97% to 98% - no more & no less .
	Oxygenating water has no effect on the body's ability to absorb the oxygen into the bloodstream or transfer it throughout the body..
	The concept of obtaining significant amounts of oxygen through the digestive system makes as much scientific and physiological sense as quenching your thirst by inhaling a glass of water into your lungs.  Water that you drink can take up to an hour or more to travel to the intestines where it is absorbed - the water you inhale into your lungs will absorb into your bloodstream almost immediately - so doesn't it make sense to quench your thirst by inhaling a glass of water?   (Do not try this experiment!!) This is not an endorsement for inhaling water.  The point is, the respiratory system is designed to absorb oxygen, no water!  Oxygenated water makes sense for fish  that have specialized structures (gills) for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide in an aquatic environment, but not for mammals.  Similarly, the digestive system is designed to absorb water and nutrients, not oxygen!

American Council on Exercise (ACE) Study Investigates Super Oxygenated Water Claims - Results of a study done to test health claims.  Conclusion: “At this time, there is no scientific evidence or logical rationale to suggest that drinking super oxygenated water can in any way increase the amount of oxygen in the blood stream,” said Porcari. “Therefore, any potential benefits of super oxygenated water would undoubtedly be attributed to the placebo effect.

Oxygenated Water Doesn't Improve Athletic Performance These results cast serious doubt on whether any health benefits could be expected by consuming water that contains more oxygen than that which is normally present. (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003;290:2408–9)

A single breath of air contains more oxygen than a bottle of oxygenated water. Despite advertising claims that oxygenated water can boost sports performance, a study in the Nov. 12, 2003, Journal of the American Medical Association found that compared with tap water, it had no effect on 9 exercise-performance measures in 11 healthy men and women.  The paper concluded that a single breath contains 100 ml of oxygen, and that's more than can be dissolved in a bottle of oxygenated water. Another article in the Sep, 2006 British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded, "In summary, oxygenated water fails both quantitative analysis and practical physiological tests of exercise performance and recovery."

Another reason Oxygenated water was selected as an example is because there are actually some well-conducted experiments available that demonstrate that the product does not perform as advertised.  With most of the 'altered' water products, scientists do not bother spending the time or resources to refute claims which they perceive as completely and obviously bogus and not worth examining.

	None of these products is effectively regulated by the government (over and above standard rules to ensure safety of bottled water - discussed under the Bottled Water section above).  Companies seem completely free to make any unsubstantiated claims they wish (except specific health claims - which would place them under the jurisdiction of the FDA where they would be required to scientifically prove their claims). If a distributor of one of these products makes claims that a specific disease (diabetes, arthritis, cancer, heart problems, etc.) can be cured by drinking the water 1) ask them for evidence of effectiveness published in reliable journals. 2) check the actual company website or literature to see if those same claims are made. If official company documents do not claim their product will treat a specific disease that is a very good indication that there is no actual scientific evidence that can support any such claims made by the distributors.
	With that in mind, read the promotions very, very carefully.  You will find that the companies describe various health conditions in great detail.  Then they attribute the condition (sometimes accurately) to a lack of water, or polluted water, or insufficient oxygen, etc.  However,  they seldom link their specific process of treating the water directly to solving the specific health problem they discussed - except in the most general, unverifiable way, like 'drinking enough water is critical to your health', or 'drinking our water will reduce stress and give you more energy', or 'our water will detoxify your body and boost metabolism'.
	Any claims on the site that directly link the specific water treatment to specific health benefits are typically made by 'others' in testimonial statements.  There are no regulations in place to ensure that testimonials are either truthful or accurate or even come from real individuals.
	There will be much mention in the promotional materials about scientific tests proving that a particular water treatment has some benefit to the body, to endurance, to mental function, or whatever.  There will be, however, a complete lack of substantiated scientific evidence to back up those claims.  Acceptable evidence would be experimental results published in reputable journals that have been reviewed by other scientists to make certain the experiments were designed, carried out (and interpreted) correctly and with minimal bias.

Aqua Scams - The purpose of this site is to examine the scientific validity of the explanations given by the proponents of "alternative" water treatment devices or, in the case of "clustered water", of a fictional alternative form of water that is purported to be a restorer of youth and vigor. My motivation for doing this is entirely non-vested and very simple: after thirty-four years of teaching general, physical, and environmental Chemistry, it disturbs me to see my favorite science presented incorrectly (and often mangled into pseudoscience) in the promotion of processes or devices offered to the public (Stephen K. Lower, Ph. D., site author).  Other relevant topics Dr. Lower discusses: Cluster Quackery, Structure-altered water nostrums and nonsense and Oxygenated water, pseudoscientific snake-oil.

A site from the James Randi Educational Foundation had several interesting comments on Penta Water and the Foundation's attempts to persuade the company to participate in their million dollar challenge.  Unfortunately the archive where this fascinating discussion was housed has been discontinued - this link provides some information.

Index of Water-Related Frauds and Quackery

My response to questions asked by one of my visitors about claims made by companies selling "altered water" and how to evaluate them.

	In the final analysis,  I would have to say that I have seen absolutely nothing that would lead me to believe that any of these specialized water treatment methods can do anything at all to increase the health benefits of water that is free of harmful contaminants.
	I would be extremely interested to see some results of good scientific experiments that demonstrated any beneficial health effects of drinking "altered" water.  My belief is that good scientific studies on this topic simply do not exist, because the claims can not be verified.  You might ask why don't  scientists carry out experiments and publish results refuting these claims if they are not true.  My best guess is that for the scientific community these are non-issues.  There are far more interesting and important topics to spend valuable research resources and effort on than debunking strange theories and marketing tactics that result in people eagerly spending their money on outrageously priced water products.
	I often receive questions about Masaru Emoto's books and theories that water is able to receive human thoughts, words, and emotions and change the way it crystallizes - forming beautiful crystals in response to positive thoughts, words, and emotions and ugly crystals (or no crystals) in response to negative thoughts, words, and emotions (or pollution).  There is absolutely no scientific evidence to support his claims.  I discuss my thoughts on his popularity (among non-scientists) here.