Function A water ionizer is an appliance that ionizes water, producing both alkaline and acidic water. Water ionizers have been used for decades in Japan but the western world has only just discovered the uses of ionized water. In Japan and other Far Eastern countries some water ionizers have been endorsed by their own governmental health & welfare departments and used by their hospitals to treat, Chronic diarrhoea, Indigestion, Gastrointestinal abnormal fermentation, Hyperacidity, Acidosis, and the acidic water is used as an astringent. What is Claimed Among water ionizer manufacturers, various claims are made about the chemical properties of ionized water. A common claim is that in non-ionized water, water molecules form tightly bound clusters, and that ionizing water reduces those clusters. Water molecules are held together by hydrogen bonding, and especially in the presence of cations form clusters (see chelation). It is not known by anybody how exactly the water changes but using NMR spectroscopy commercial enterprises claim they have proven that ionized water抯 atomic size is reduced lowering the waters surface tension. Claims about the chemical properties of ionized alkaline water can be made to support claims about the improvement of health and are sometimes made without scientific basis by salespeople who do not understand the technology, which is damaging to the reputation of water ionization technology.