June 27, 2015

Izumio, hydrogen water

Of late, many people are pushing the benefits of “special” water – alkaline water, pi water, hydrogen water, etc.  My first impression, being a pharmacist, is that these must be scams.  How can an element as simple as water purportedly cures various ailments, from the simplest fever to the complex disease of cancer?

I started doing some research to see if there’s any scientific basis at all to support these claims.  Turns out, there are strong scientific rationale and research behind hydrogen water.

At its most simplistic level, molecular hydrogen improves (note that I say improves, not cures) many disease conditions by virtue that it is an extremely powerful antioxidant.  We’ve all been told about how antioxidant is good for the body and molecular hydrogen is one of the most powerful antioxidant.  Free radicals are prevalent in modern living and are the root cause of many diseases, so consumption of antioxidants help combat the deleterious effects of free radicals.  The preferred antioxidant should be substances with (1) low molecular weight, so they can slip from the digestive tract to the bloodstream undamaged, (2) strong anti-oxidant ability, and (3) ability to defuse a wide range of free radicals.

The development of hydrogen water began with the discovery that many of the healing/holy water such as Lourdes in France, Tlacote in Mexico, Nordenau in Germany, Nadana in India and Hita Tenryosui in Japan has a high concentration of hydrogen.  From what I now know, molecular hydrogen satisfies at least the first two criteria for the preferred antioxidant – it has powerful reducing (anti-oxidant) properties, and hydrogen is the smallest molecule known in science.  Japanese scientists began active research on the role of molecular hydrogen only since 2007, so it’s a new area of scientific research.  As of 2014, there are more than 400 scientific publications (including in-vitro, animal as well as human studies) on the role of molecular hydrogen in various disease states.

Looking just at studies conducted in human, hydrogen water has shown beneficial effects in chronic hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, endothelial function, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, chemotherapy, skin conditions, Parkinson’s and acute cerebral events; and I believe in years to come, in other disease states where oxidative stress is an underlying pathology.



As a result, my family has started consuming Izumio hydrogen water.



Not that we have any health conditions but because we believe that prevention is better than cure, and consumption of Izumio will certainly reduce the damaging effects of free radicals in our bodies.  If you have a keen interest to ensure optimal health for you and your family and would like to find out more about Izumio, drop me a note at amomsdiary@yahoo.com.

My other posts on Izumio and Super Lutein can be found here:
Free radicals, antioxidants and Izumio
Izumio and eczema
My personal story - Izumio for eczema
Super Lutein

June 09, 2015

7th Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Festival


I’ve heard so much about the Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Festival and only finally got a chance to witness it this year.  Into its seventh year this year, it took place from March 12-15 at Precinct 2, Putrajaya.  The event this year featured over 20 balloons from 13 countries, including the USA, Germany, Netherlands and France.

We arrived at the site just in time to witness the first balloon floating away.  As it was already too late to purchase a ticket to enter the balloon launching area, we had to be contented to watch the balloons from the outside perimeter of the launching area.  The colourful, teardrop-shaped balloons were indeed a feast for the eyes.  The quirkiest had to be the one in the shape of Vincent van Gogh’s face, which failed to launch J


Close-up of a balloon being prepared

Up up and away

The van Gogh balloon that failed to launch.  Picture on right is of the balloon being deflated.

After all the balloons had lauched, we grabbed a quick breakfast from the many stalls set-up at the area.  There was tent set up for visitors to enjoy their meals but tables and chairs were very much in short supply.  After that, we visited the Cold Inflation balloon – basically a balloon inflated with cold air so visitors can step in to have a feel of what it’s in inside a balloon.

Outside the cold inflation balloon

Inside the cold inflation balloon

Tethered balloons for public to ride
 
Tickets for a ride on the tethered hot air balloons were also sold out, so we went on a helicopter joyride instead – our first time ever J  Girls enjoyed it tremendously.




Putrajaya from the air - Putrajaya is indeed a beautiful place

On the way to the carpark, we stopped by the zorbing arena and the girls burned off some energy zorbing on the water.

Getting into the orb

Fun on the water