Category: water

Stay Fluid to Prevent Dehydration

Published on by Nikken

Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than is taken in. It is often accompanied by disturbances in the body’s mineral salt or electrolyte balance – especially in the concentrations of sodium and potassium.1

The body typically loses about two to three liters (68 to 101 fluid ounces) of water daily through breathing, perspiring and the dual processes of eliminating liquid and solid waste. This water loss needs to be replaced on a daily basis. If water is lost from the bloodstream, the body can compensate somewhat by shifting water from cells into the blood vessels, but this is a short-term solution.

As the body loses water, it’s also losing minerals, especially sodium and potassium. This may lead to dehydration. Depending on the ratio of water to electrolyte loss, dehydration can be classified as isotonic, hypertonic or hypotonic. Isotonic dehydration takes place when both water and sodium (salt) are lost in equal amounts. Hypertonic dehydration occurs when more water is lost than sodium, and hypotonic dehydration is the opposite with more sodium lost than water.

According to the European Hydration Institute, about 20-30% of our fluid intake comes from food with 70-80% from beverages of all types, not just plain water.2 Having a variety of beverages actually helps people drink up to 50% more liquids than if only water was available.3 The International Life Sciences Institute recognizes the importance of variety in maintaining hydration, especially for children and the elderly, two groups most vulnerable to dehydration.

Recovering from dehydration can be done at home as long as it’s not severe. A loss of 1% of body weight can generally be replaced within 24 hours. Mild dehydration is characterized by thirst, headache, dizziness and/or fatigue. Loss of 4% of body weight may result in lack of concentration, irritability, sleepiness and increases in body temperature and in respiratory rates. Loss of 10% of body weight can be fatal as it affects cardiovascular function.4

We can be mildly or moderately dehydrated without knowing it. According to medical doctors, 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.5 This may be due to drinking beverages that are diuretic rather than hydrating. Alcohol and coffee are examples of beverages that cause the body to flush out water.

No matter the cause, there are ways to prevent dehydration or recover from mild cases in the comfort of our own homes. Here are some home remedies with high water content and nutritive values:6

• Bananas contain 70-79% water and are high in water and potassium content. They can help to replenish potassium levels in the body as well as help prevent dehydration.

• Barley Water is. a popular beverage in hot climates not only because it helps to fight heat stroke and in maintaining the fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. Barley grains contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which helps to restore minerals and water that are lost when dehydrated.

• Buttermilk is one of the widely used home remedies for dehydration, since it is high in water content and packed with nutrients like magnesium. It acts as a natural probiotic which aids in dealing with diarrhea and indigestion, which could be the reason for dehydration.

• Lemon water acts as one of the best home remedies for dehydration as it not only ups your water intake and helps you to stay hydrated but also prevents dehydration. When you add a bit of salt and sugar to lemon water, it helps replenish the lost salts in the body as well as to increase vitamin and mineral levels to restore your fluid and electrolyte balance.

• Orange juice contains Vitamin C, which flushes the toxins from the body. High in water content, it also contains electrolytes such as sodium and potassium to help replenish the nutrient levels in the body. The natural sugar in orange juice provides an instant energy boost to help deal with dehydration.

• Rice water is one of the conventional health drinks used popularly throughout Asia to fight summer heat, heat stroke, diarrhea, and dehydration. Rice is loaded with B-complex vitamins which can help deal with nutrient loss. As rice water contains salt, it also provides minerals such as chloride and sodium, helping to restore the lost nutrients in the body.

• Coconut water is loaded with potassium, calcium, and amino acids. It is naturally rich in electrolytes, which helps ward off fatigue and raises energy levels. It’s a healthy alternative to sports drinks that are high in added sugars. Many athletes consume this beverage before and after training. Sipping organic coconut water throughout the day is a pleasant way to remain hydrated or to recover from dehydration.

Tap into the Power of Hydration with Nikken the entire month of March! We are offering four Water Packs, each with two state-of-the-art PiMag® products. You get one at the regular price and the second at 50% off! You have your choice of two PiMag MicroJet® Wall Mount Shower Systems or two PiMag MicroJet® Handheld Shower Systems, both of which help neutralize chemicals, two PiMag® Sport Bottles of 100% recyclable biogreen materials, or two PiMag® Waterfalls that can help reduce bacteria by 99.99%.

1, 2, 3, 4  https://www.europeanhydrationinstitute.org/consequences_of_dehydration/

5 https://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393

6 https://www.1mg.com/articles/top-7-home-remedies-for-dehydration

Drink More Water to Improve Health

Published on by Nikken

How much water to drink for optimal well-being is an individual affair, depending on lifestyle, age, gender and overall state of health. The truth of the matter is that the majority of us can enhance our pursuit of Active Wellness by drinking more water. It is simple enough to do, but positive behaviors require intent, especially in our busy lives. Here are some tips for increasing your daily water intake:

•          Be in touch with how your body feels. Sometimes people become dehydrated because they do not recognize the sensation of thirst. If you are someone who rarely feels thirsty and therefore don’t drink water throughout the day, drink some water in hourly intervals even if you don’t feel thirsty. You will feel a difference with increased energy levels.

•          Set a goal of drinking more water. Write it down. The mere fact that you have a goal of drinking more water on a daily basis makes it more likely that you will succeed in creating a new positive behavior.

•          Keep a reusable water bottle with you. When you have a reusable water bottle, you can easily drink water in any setting, whether you’re running errands, traveling or at home, working or at school. Keeping a water bottle handy can also serve as a visual reminder to drink more water. Bonus: A reusable water bottle decreases reliance on single use plastic water bottles and supports the environment. The PiMag® Sport Bottle not only helps decrease our carbon footprint but also filters out contaminants from the tap water you fill it with!

•          Consciously replace other beverages with water. Energy drinks and other caffeinated drinks contain water but are less hydrating than plain water. You don’t need to replace every beverage you usually have with water, but even one or two a day can make a difference in overall well-being. For example, a single 8-ounce (240 ml) cup of soda can exceed the recommended daily limit for sugar.1

•          Have a glass of water before each meal. Creating this habit automatically ensures you have at least three glasses of water a day, if you eat three meals.

•          Drink filtered water instead of bottled water or tap water. Bottled water is known to be tap water put into single-use plastic bottles for convenience and profit. Filtering water removes contaminants and bacteria, which improves the taste of water. Better tasting water helps us drink more of it, even crave it. PiMag® water from a PiMag Waterfall® or PiMag® Sport Bottle not only tastes great but also is more alkaline and hydrating than unfiltered tap water. Bonus: PiMag® water helps us respect the environment by creating less plastic waste.

•          Incorporate foods that are high in water content into your daily regimen. Here are some foods with 90% or higher water content: lettuce (96%), celery (95%), zucchini (95%), cabbage (92%), watermelon (91%), cantaloupe and honeydew melon (90%). Bonus: These fruits and vegetables also contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

•          Drink a glass of water when you awaken. It will help you wake up and become alert.

Even as we consciously drink more water to improve our health, being aware of how much water is used and wasted can help each of us contribute to the preservation of our global freshwater resources. In the U.S., each citizen uses about 3,000 liters /792.5 gallons a day, whereas in the U.K, that figure goes up to 3,400 litres /898 gallons!2 Water is a luxury in many countries, so as part of the Global Wellness Community, let’s strive together for awareness and conservation.

For the entire month of March, we are offering four Water Packs. Each pack has two state-of-the-art PiMag® products. You get one at the regular price and the second at 50% off! You have your choice of two PiMag MicroJet® Wall Mount Shower Systems or two PiMag MicroJet® Handheld Shower Systems, both of which help neutralize chemicals, two PiMag® Sport Bottles of 100% recyclable biogreen materials, or two PiMag® Waterfalls that can help reduce bacteria by 99.99%.

1 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-drink-more-water

2 https://medium.com/@aj_jones/the-worlds-freshwater-crisis-is-worse-than-ever-60bce56206a9

Resolve to Reuse, Reduce & Recyle to Restore our Oceans

Published on by Nikken

As members of the Global Wellness Community, each of us is aware of plastic waste. Fortunately, we are capable of decreasing our personal plastic waste. If each one of us committed to less consumption of plastic packaging, imagine the cumulative outcome for the world! One of the simplest ways is to stop buying and drinking water sold in plastic bottles. Here’s why that is so important.

One component of ocean pollution that’s especially threatening to not only ocean life forms but human life, is micro-plastics. When plastic pollution enters the ocean, large pieces are broken down over time by exposure to sea elements and become tiny particles. These particles, the estimated size of a 5mm sesame seed, break loose from the large “garbage patch” and spread throughout the ocean.

Depending on its density, some sink, some float, and some just hover in the water column. Because the plastic resembles food, it is eaten by a huge range of animals throughout the food chain, including fish, birds, turtles, whales, and even microscopic plankton, eventually working their way up to humans.1

Micro-plastics are extremely difficult to clean out of the ocean, and since they are so tiny, they travel far and wide, basically making their way to every ocean in the world. This is why most ocean anti-pollution projects, such as The Ocean Cleanup, focus on removing larger pieces of trash, before they can degrade.2

Remarkably, in 2019 a then 18-year-old named Fionn Ferreira, invented an effective new method for removing micro-plastics from the oceans. Ferreira was kayaking along the coast in Ballydehob, his hometown in West Cork, Ireland, when he came upon a rock coated in oil. Ferreira noticed that small bits of plastic were sticking to the oil-coated-rock. “In chemistry, like attracts like,” Ferreira noted.  He decided to combine vegetable oil and magnetite powder to create a nontoxic ferrofluid, a “magnetic liquid,” or liquid that acts as a carrier for tiny magnetic particles—since ferrofluids and plastics attract when in the presence of water. Ferreira would add his ferrofluid to water samples full of micro-plastics, then remove the ferrofluid using a magnet, taking the micro-plastics with it. After hundreds of tests, Ferreira’s ferrofluid was able to successfully remove at least 87% of micro-plastics from the water samples.3

Since then, while pursuing a Chemistry degree at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, Fionn has established a company focused on micro-plastic removal technology. Early tests on ferrofluids as a tool for cleaning up oil spills have been promising, but Ferreira believes that the only true way to solve the massive problem of ocean pollution is to change our consumption habits.3

Fionn is part of the new generation of scientists that has never known life without plastic pollution. He and other innovative young scientists, such as Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao who developed bacterium to transform plastic into carbon dioxide and water, are committed to restoring our oceans.

The KenkoAir Purifier®, PiMag Waterfall® and PiMag® Sport Bottle are durable filtration systems that can help us reuse, reduce and recycle. The filters are recyclable and help decrease our carbon footprint. For the remainder of January, you can take advantage of four special filter packs that give you a bonus item when you purchase a PiMag Waterfall® filter cartridge and a KenkoAir Purifier® HEPA filter in the same order.

1 https://www.good.is/articles/end-plastic-pollution-pick-it-up-bin-it-take-three-for-the-sea

2, 3 https://www.good.is/microplastics-magnet-removal

Making Health Resolutions

Published on by Nikken

Making health resolutions is an annual event for many of us. For example, I resolved to lose 10 pounds for at least a dozen years. I eventually reframed that specific resolution, and it’s led to achieving and maintaining my annual resolution, which is to keep my numbers, not just my weight, at acceptable levels. That means numbers related to cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, blood sugar and body-mass index—and if the weight decreases, so much the better.

We can practice Active Wellness as a Global Wellness Community and individually, every day. We can commit to keeping joints mobile, maintaining muscle flexibility and exercising mental agility. Staying hydrated, eating healthy food, drinking alcohol conservatively, exercising consistently and getting restful sleep are all necessary to keep the numbers in check. Health resolutions challenge us to stick to them. Here are five tips to help achieve health resolutions:

1.         Listen to your body. Dr. Nikole Benders-Hadi says, “By consciously listening to your body you are better able to discover what your body actually wants and what makes you feel healthier. You may be surprised to learn you need more sleep or need to drink more water or eat healthier.”1

2.         Find an exercise you really like. Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo says, “Every New Year, people spend a lot of money on gym memberships, workout studio memberships, and online fitness programs. Even though most people start strong, most of them fail to turn their new routine into a long-term habit. Even so, there are ways to improve your odds of sticking to your exercise goals. To begin, pick an activity that you will enjoy and that fits into your schedule.”2

3.         Take time for self-care. Putting ourselves higher up on our priority lists can have a beneficial impact on our well-being. We can really help others better when we are in good shape ourselves. Dr. Candice Seti says, “Self-care can be about scheduling time for yourself, planning fun or relaxing activities, or focusing on healthy behaviors. For example, “I am going to eat four whole-foods based meals a week. Or, “I’m going to take 10,000 steps for five of the next seven days.”3

4.Just cut down on the “bad’ and up the “good” a little bit at a time. Don’t withhold. Some people are able to give up sugar completely or walk three miles a day every day. Know yourself and set your goals accordingly. Aim to keep the scoreboard of healthy behaviors on the plus side and commit to doing better a little bit every day.

5.         Check out PiMag® products for hydration, True Elements® Marine Organic skin care for state-of-the-art COSMOS certified formulas, KenkoAir Purifier® for filtered indoor air, and Kenzen® organic nutrition for smart supplementation. Nikken can help you stick to your health resolutions!

Remember to change your water and air filters to keep your units functioning optimally and take advantage of our four special January packs that each contain a bonus item when you purchase a PiMag® Waterfall filter cartridge and a KenkoAir Purifer® HEPA filter in the same order.

1, 2, 3 https://www.choosingtherapy.com/new-years-resolutions/

Hydrogen Water, Mitochondria and Energy

Published on by Nikken

The scientific community is now uncovering hydrogen water’s mechanisms of action, which are diverse. They refer to the potential for increasing antioxidant activity, inhibiting inflammation, modulating immune regulation and regulating autophagy, circadian rhythm and mitochondria.1 (Autophagy is the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells in order to regenerate newer,healthier cells.) Each of these beneficial anatomical activities is believed to help boost overall energy levels and health.

Because hydrogen is such a small molecule, the lightest in the periodic table, it can more easily dissolve throughout the cells as compared with traditional antioxidants.2 Hydrogen has the characteristic of protecting nuclear DNA and mitochondria and can permeate biomembranes to help reduce the risk of lifestyle-related issues caused by oxidative stress.3 In other words, drinking hydrogen-rich water may improve our overall ability to function, which elevates our quality of life.

Mitochondria are specialized structures that perform various jobs inside cells. They’re membrane-bound with two different membranes. These membranes function for the purpose of the mitochondria, which is to generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cell’s biochemical reactions.4 That means mitochondria are the powerhouses within our cells.

Energy is produced by the conversion of chemicals within the cell. These chemicals go through pathways to be converted. The process of conversion produces energy in the form of a small molecule known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Different cells have different amounts of mitochondria—depending on how much energy they require. For example, the muscles have a lot of mitochondria, as do the liver and kidneys and to a certain extent, the brain, which lives off the energy those mitochondria produce.5

What do these energy-producing mitochondria have to do with hydrogen water? Clinical studies on hydrogen-rich water show that it helps improve mitochondrial function.6 When the mitochondria are functioning at high or optimal levels, our energy levels are correspondingly high. An abundance of energy makes all the difference to how we feel. It impacts our moods, our activity levels, and in essence, creates a domino effect of Active Wellness. When we are energetic, we tend to be happier and more active. When we are more active, each internal organ (heart, liver, lungs, etc.) gets a workout, which helps fight oxidative stress.

There are ongoing clinical trials on the effects of hydrogen water. From enhancing athletic performance to alleviating muscle fatigue,7 from helping to fight metabolic syndrome8 (a condition characterized by high blood sugar, triglyceride levels and cholesterol) to positively influencing the gut microbiome,9 these research studies appear to support the use of hydrogen water for a variety of reasons, most of which relate to increasing antioxidant activity, helping to reduce inflammation and regulating our immune systems.

Remember that there is free shipping for all Registered Customers through December 17, 2021!

1 https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2021-05/going-beyond-hype-hydrogen-water

2, 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6096066/

4, 5 https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Mitochondria

6 https://litasenior.com/the-revolutionary-benefits-of-molecular-hydrogen/

7, 8 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/hydrogen-water#benefits

9 https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2021-05/going-beyond-hype-hydrogen-water

Technologies That Augment Natural Energies

Published on by Nikken

Our guest blogger Dave Balzer is a Technology Consultant and International Advisor in Product Development, Design Engineering, Prototype, Manufacturing, and Regulatory compliance of new devices. He has worked with Nikken on many projects over the past three decades. Since 2012, he has guided his own medical device company that produces specialized diagnostic kits.

All of the Nikken technologies take their cue from the natural world. Whether it is magnetic energy, warming energy, or negative ions, Nikken has keenly observed nature and created ways to support the benefits that it offers.

Nothing could be more natural than magnetism. In fact, the earth itself is a giant dipole magnet that imparts its flux energy to every living creature on the planet. This flux energy forms a shield over the globe known as the magnetosphere. The magnetosphere protects the surface of the planet from being irradiated with harmful solar energy. In essence, the shield itself acts as a filter, which permits biocompatible light energy to pass through. Without the protection offered by the earth’s magnetic flux, life as we know it would be destroyed. 

Many animals are able to sense the earth’s magnetic field. This is true for birds, insects, plants and even humans. All of the creatures sensitive to the earth’s magnetic energy possess a protein known as a cryptochrome. It is this molecule that reacts to magnetic energy. Unfortunately, NASA has reported that the earth’s magnetic field is weakening and even developing irregularities. Nikken has chosen to utilize permanent dipole magnets in many of its products as a way of buttressing and supporting the degradation of the earth’s natural magnetic energy.

The energy from the sun that reaches the surface of the planet is made up by visible, ultraviolet and infrared light. The visible wavelengths of light are the ones humans can detect with their eyes. They comprise 40% of the light energy reaching the earth’s surface. Ultraviolet light cannot be seen by mammals and makes up 7% of the total. This leaves infrared light energy representing 53% or the majority of the sun’s energy that reaches the earth’s surface. Infrared light is fundamentally important to human life. Tissues and cells found in the body are in tune with infrared energy. They absorb, utilize and even emit infrared energy.

Nikken produces several products that incorporate special ceramic reflective fibers. These fibers have the ability to absorb light energy and reflect it back to the user as infrared energy. In doing so, Nikken is able to support and balance the natural warming energy found in the environment.

Negative ions are all around us. Nature provides them in abundance in forests and near waterfalls. They are a key component to inducing the feeling of wellness and relaxation that is experienced during a nature walk. It is ironic to understand that negative ions have a positive impact on wellness while positive ions have the opposite effect. Appliances, electronics and other fixtures of city dwelling emit positive ions and can cause feelings of fatigue and depression. Consequently, the environment needs to be buttressed with new sources of negative ions in order to counteract the ill effects of the positive ones. Nikken offers an advanced air filtration system known as the KenkoAir Purifier® that utilizes negative ion technology.

Some examples of Nikken magnetic products with patented DynaFlux® technology are the insoles (Kenko mSteps® and mStrides®) and the KenkoTouch® handheld massage system. Ceramic reflective fibers are found throughout the Kenko Sleep system, including the Kenko Naturest® Fit, comforters and pillows. 

Make Every Day an Earth Day

Published on by Nikken

Earth Day was first held on April 22, 1970 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by Earthday.org and more than a billion people from 193 countries1 participate in some way.

Many important environmental events have happened on Earth Day since 1970, but now more than ever, the entire Global Wellness Community needs to collectively recognize the importance of ecology, conservation and restoration. This includes awareness of climate change, plastic and pollution, access to clean drinking water, preservation of wildlife and reconnecting with nature. As a community, we need to be active participants who live on planet Earth, not as humans who regard ourselves as above the rest of the animal kingdom, but as cohorts to wildlife.

Earth Day continues to be a momentous and unifying day each and every year. More importantly, it’s up to each of us to make every day, Earth Day. Paying attention to how we can live in harmony with all things natural on our planet cannot be only one day out of the year. We have to create an Active Wellness lifestyle that helps to restore the Earth. This does not mean we have to disrupt our daily lives in extreme ways. Each individual can help by incorporating small habits that are beneficial to nature.

Here are just a few examples of ways to help the Earth by going a little greener:

•            Drink filtered water rather than water from single-use plastic bottles. Eco-friendly PiMag® Sport Bottle and PiMag Waterfall® are ideally suited to help avoid plastic bottle usage. And, you get clean water with 99.99% of bacteria filtered out!

•            Use washable containers for leftover food instead of plastic wrap.

•            Use cold water for laundry whenever possible. According to Energy Star, up to 90% of energy used in washing machines goes toward heating the water.2

•             Re-use cloth rags for cleaning when possible. This will reduce the amount of paper towels you use. When you do use paper towels, please recycle them.

•             Bring your own mug when you go to get a cup of coffee from your favorite retailer.

•            Bring your own re-usable bags when you go grocery shopping. Many supermarkets provide re-usable bags for purchase. Try to stay away from plastic bags that will end up in mountains of landfill.

•            Animal agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to climate change.3 Even eating plant-based meals a few times a week can help make a difference. Best of all, it may also improve your health!

•            When your local community holds a beach cleanup or similar event, volunteer! It’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Check earthday.org for ways to participate and to learn more about how to go green.

1 wikipedia.com

2 parade.com/picks, April 18, 2021

3 https://www.earthday.org/our-work/#people-and-communities

Water is Life: Our Lives Depend On It!

Published on by Nikken

During times of drought in California, we are asked to ration our water usage. During drastic periods of dryness, we have been asked to use water on certain days of the week, depending on the random numbers in our addresses: odd numbers have access on certain days and even numbers on the others.

Not everyone is old enough to have lived through these dry periods, but imagine if limited access to water is part of daily living, 24/7. The reality is that 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year.1

Water usage has been growing globally at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an increasing number of regions are reaching the limit at which water services can be sustainably delivered.2 Even though water covers 70% of our planet, freshwater, which is what we drink, bathe in, and irrigate our farm fields with, is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater and two thirds of that is tucked away in glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.3

Access to potable water is not limited to so-called third world nations. Our ecosystems have become more stressed and grossly polluted. And, climate change and weather patterns impact the world, resulting in water shortages, droughts and floods. Glaciers and snow packs are disappearing in some areas, affecting freshwater supplies to those downstream communities, making water scarce for agriculture, energy generation and ecosystems around the world.

Untreated wastewater, industrial waste, plastics, pesticides and fertilizers all add to the problem of water pollution. The World Wildlife Organization projects that by 2025, two thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages and ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.4

Each of us needs to not take water for granted. Water has to be treated as a scarce resource, with a far stronger focus on managing demand. Water is life and our lives depend on it.

There’s less than a week left to take advantage of the Nikken March promotion that not only helps you practice Active Wellness, but also helps you promote water awareness and help reduce plastic waste. For the entire month of March, we are offering four Water Packs. Each pack has two state-of-the-art PiMag® products. You get one at the regular price and the second at 50% off! You have your choice of two PiMag MicroJet® Wall Mount Shower Systems or two PiMag MicroJet® Handheld Shower Systems, both of which help neutralize chemicals, two PiMag® Sport Bottles of 100% recyclable biogreen materials, or two PiMag® Waterfalls that can help reduce bacteria by 99.99%.

1, 3, 4 www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity

2 www.unwater.org

Take Action on World Water Day and Every Day

Published on by Nikken

World Water Day is celebrated globally once a year to consciously recognize the importance of providing affordable, lasting access to safe water. It became a United Nations observance day in 1993 to focus attention on the global water crisis.

On 22 March every year, people and organizations mark World Water Day by taking action to tackle the water crisis. World Water Day 2021 will focus on the theme, ‘Valuing Water’. This focus will extend beyond issues of pricing to include the environmental, social, and cultural value people place on water.1

The value of water is about much more than its price—water has enormous and complex value for our households, food, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource.2

Currently, 844 million people on our planet lack access to safe, clean drinking water and over 200 million are walking an average of four miles or six kilometers per day to gather water.3 That’s why one of the ways people take action is to “walk for water,” with corporate or personal sponsorships for every mile logged—gathering donations to help those with limited access to water.

People die every year from diseases caused by unsafe drinking water, lack of sanitation and insufficient water for hygienic use. When a million miles are logged by people who participate in ‘”walk for water,” an estimated 100,000 families are provided with clean water.4 This is a great example of what valuing water actually means to people as well as the true value of water and how we can better protect this vital resource.

A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6): water and sanitation for all by 2030. To achieve SDG 6, on the governmental levels, countries need to invest in adequate infrastructure, provide sanitation facilities and encourage hygiene. Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems is essential.5

Although conservation on a grand scale may require legislation, it is something we can practice individually on a daily basis by being conscious of our water usage, not taking water for granted and participating in community events that support access to clean water and help sustain a cleaner environment. Human survival depends on all of us working with nature, not against it.

Water is Life and Nikken is doing its part to help people access clean water for Active Wellness—not only for drinking, but also for bathing. For the entire month of March, we are offering four Water Packs. Each pack has two state-of-the-art PiMag® products. You get one at the regular price and the second at 50% off! You have your choice of two PiMag MicroJet® Wall Mount Shower Systems or two PiMag MicroJet® Handheld Shower Systems, both of which help neutralize chemicals, two PiMag® Sport Bottles of 100% recyclable biogreen materials, or two PiMag® Waterfalls that can help reduce bacteria by 99.99%.

1 http://sdg.iisd.org/events/world-water-day-2021/

2  https://www.worldwaterday.org/

3, 4  https://worldwidewalkforwater.com/

5 http://www.undp.org

What Can We Do To Decrease Plastic Pollution?

Published on by Nikken

There are many misconceptions about the plastic pollution problem, but there is no question that in its many forms, plastic is killing ocean wildlife that is vital to the ecosystem. In addition, plastic pollution is sickening land flora and fauna, including humans.

Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao were two of the youngest scientists ever to win the Perlman science prize in 2016 for developing a bacterium that may transform plastic into CO2 and water. Although they were not the first ones to discover that bacteria can break down phthalates, they were the first to find a possible solution to a local problem by looking into their own river system in Vancouver, Canada when they were still in high school.1

The two have since won numerous other science awards and established their company, BioCellection. Years of research later, their company is still focused on taking a main type of plastic, polyethylene, and turning it into chemical building blocks for new products that don’t end up in oceans as waste. The firm takes dicarboxylic acid it generates from polyethylene and transforms it into high-performance materials, such as photopolymers or polyyrethane.2

 “It is such a waste when materials that are perfectly good to be reused or repurposed end up as pollution,” Yao says. “Not only are we turning this currently wasted carbon into new materials that are high performing, but BioCellection is also making new products that can be recycled over and over again.”3

Since 2016, a product called the SeaBin has been available for purchase around the world. Created by two Australian surfers, the SeaBin is a bucket with a pump and water filtration system that is designed to suck in any floating trash into a removable mesh bag. The bucket includes an optional oil-water separator system that will pull oil right out of the ocean, then spit out cleaner water through the other side of the pump. The SeaBin can be installed at any floating dock to suck up trash or oil floating in nearby harbors.4

Since 2017, the SeaBin Project has removed over 1,400 tons of plastic pollution from the world’s oceans with SeaBin units in 53 countries. Each unit has the capability to collect 90,000 plastic bags, 35,700 disposable cups, 16,500 plastic bottles and 166,500 plastic utensils each year.5

Removal of plastic from the ocean is only one piece of the pollution puzzle. What happens to all the plastic that is collected? Not all of tons and tons of plastic can be transformed into usable products in the way of BioCellection. Much of the plastic waste has to decompose. Just as plastic was a wonderful invention due to its durability, it’s also a nightmare when it comes to decomposition, as it can take 1,000 years!

Leave it to yet another Canadian high school student to find a way to more quickly biodegrade plastic! Daniel Burd, a student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute won the Canada-Wide Science Fair in May of 2019. He created a process of immersing ground plastic in a yeast solution that expedites microbial growth, then isolating the productive organisms. After experimentation with different strains and interbreeding them, Burd achieved a 43% degradation of plastic in only six weeks!6

What makes Burd’s discoveries so exciting is that his method of decomposing plastic is organic. Other research on decomposing plastic have mainly focused on chemical additives made by scientists to cause plastic to vaporize.7 Testing needs to continue with Burd’s discoveries to ensure that byproducts of organic decomposition are not carcinogenic, but what a great starting point!

We can’t all be scientific entrepreneurs and make breakthrough discoveries, but every single one of us can help in decreasing plastic pollution by remembering to practice the 3Rs: reuse, reduce and recycle.

Water is Life and Nikken is doing its part to help people access clean water for Active Wellness—not only for drinking, but also for bathing. For the entire month of March, we are offering four Water Packs. Each pack has two state-of-the-art PiMag® products. You get one at the regular price and the second at 50% off! You have your choice of two PiMag MicroJet® Wall Mount Shower Systems, two PiMag MicroJet® Handheld Shower Systems, two PiMag® Sport Bottles of 100% recyclable biogreen materials, or two PiMag® Waterfalls.

1 https://www.thescienceandspace.com/2019/05/the-high-pollution-in-the-oceans-is-big.html?

2 www.intellingentliving.co/amp/students-recycle-polyethylene

3 https://cen.acs.org/environment/recylcing/BioCellection-Miranda-Wang-and-Jeanny-Yao-aim-to-make-treasure-out-of-plastic-trash/98/19

4 https://mitte.co/2018/02/13/water-related-technologies-inventions-inspire-us/

5 https://seabinproject.com/discovery-australia-joins-seabin-project-to-help-clean-up-sydney-harboru-in-world-first-program/

6,7 https://www.treehugger.com/boy-discovers-microbe-that-easts-plastic-4868136