Planning Series Beyond Clean Water: 'Water That Treats and Prevents'··· Global Functional Water Research Trends (#3)

- Medical efficacy proven beyond removing harmful substances in water, global paradigm shift underway

- From Japan's 50 years of clinical data to Europe's functional water health insurance coverage cases

- Magnesium-based cell protection research active··· Mass popularization of functional water in daily life draws attention

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Jin-ho] "The current global research trend in functional water can be summed up in one phrase as a paradigm shift beyond the era of clean water to 'water that treats and prevents.'"

Medical Doctor Professor Lee Gyujae (Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine) conveyed that the global academic community and advanced nations are already viewing water as a health management tool beyond simple drinking water. While the past focused on technology to filter contaminants in water, the current trend is to prove the bioactive functions and medical efficacy of water and actively apply it to disease prevention.

The global research trend leading world functional water research was examined through three key axes.

■ Medical verification and institutional establishment in advanced nations··· 'Medicalization of water' becomes daily life

The reporter asked Professor Lee about specific actions taken by advanced nations that have entered super-aging societies first. Professor Lee cited examples from Japan and Europe, explaining that functional water has already entered the stage of mass popularization beyond institutional establishment.

⊙ Japan's lifestyle-integrated medical verification and mass popularization

Japan is the nation leading functional water research worldwide. Since 1966, it has recognized alkaline ionized water as medical electrolyzed water and has accumulated vast clinical data over more than 50 years.

Professor Lee stated, "Japan officially recognizes improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms, chronic diarrhea, and indigestion at the national level," and added, "Currently, research focusing on expanding the antioxidant effects of alkaline functional water and hydrogen water to dementia prevention, diabetes management, anti-aging, and the broader beauty and healthcare industries is the mainstream."

⊙ Europe's 'medicalization of water' and institutional establishment

In advanced European nations such as Germany and France, mineral-rich and carbonated hot spring water is approached with the concept of 'healing.' In fact, the local system features active hot spring hospitals and hot spring specialist institutions, and they evaluate the medical value of functional water so highly that health insurance is even applied to customized functional water prescriptions tailored to patients' symptoms.

■ Targeting 'active oxygen,' the main culprit of chronic diseases··· Cell protection research based on essential minerals

Notably, Professor Lee Gyujae highlighted that the global academic community has recently been focusing on the antioxidant mechanism of removing 'active oxygen,' which is the cause of chronic diseases and aging, and noted that this is deeply related to his own research field.

"My recent research paper published in an SCIE-level international academic journal has demonstrated that magnesium-enhanced alkaline mineral water has a positive effect on preventing diabetes complications by suppressing oxidative stress in kidney cells contaminated with hyperglycemia and preventing cell death."

According to Professor Lee's explanation, the current global research trend is to elucidate at the molecular biology level what defense mechanisms are exerted at the cellular level by functional water enhanced with specific minerals such as magnesium.

Ultimately, the global research trend comes down to 'how to continually consume water in daily life that has minerals and antioxidant capacity suited to me.'

■ Democratization of preventive medicine enjoyed in daily life without complicated devices

What draws attention amid this global trend is 'accessibility.' No matter how effective functional water may be, it is difficult to achieve mass popularization if it requires complicated devices each time or incurs high costs.

Professor Lee evaluated, "Technology like mineral makers that help people easily consume alkaline water rich in essential minerals such as magnesium in their daily lives is a very good example of democratization of preventive medicine that global functional water research trends are pursuing."

This means that technology for maintaining bodily balance through water consumed daily without elaborate medical equipment is the key to future healthcare.

Then, what specific differences in absorption rate and immunity do seniors experience internally when comparing simply filtered clean water with functional water that actively supports our bodies?

In the fourth installment next week, the report will conduct an in-depth investigation into the subject of 'why the concept of water that supports the body beyond simply clean water should be treated importantly in senior care'—a topic that will change the paradigm of senior care.