Penta Water - Can someone tell me if this is a scam?

Factual Questions
1

OK, we’ve all seen the new bottled waters coming onto the market - special, healthier water, some with dissolved oxygen, some with caffine. Now there’s Penta Water, which is, well, I’ll quote some of the sales pitch:

"We begin with 100% pure distilled water and process it over two days to modify the structure of the H2O molecule clusters into a tetrahedral structure, similar to the structure of the water molecule clusters found in human cells. This creates a reduced water with a high leeching index and high osmotic drive, resulting in more efficient absorption at the cellular level, quicker re-hydration, more efficient removal of toxins, and faster delivery of O2 to the system. "

and

“The high osmotic drive and low surface tension of the H2O molecular clusters in Penta-Hydrate can be rapidly absorbed by the body. Since our proprietary process already conforms the H2O clusters into a tetrahedral array similar to that of intra-cellular water, the body does not need to expend excess energy to further break down the water into the easily absorbed tetrahedral clusters (as is necessary with other commercially available bottled water). The easy absorption of water across the cell membrane creates hydroelectric energy, another byproduct of drinking water. Thus, with Penta-HydrateTM, not only are you effectively hydrating the body, but creating energy as well. When cells are properly hydrated they work more efficiently, reducing lost energy.”

Special, low surface tension H2O, that is more easily absorbed by the body. Special, different, H2O, one of the most common molocules on the planet? At over $2.00 a bottle!? This has got to be a joke, right?

2

From Penta Water’s web site

http://www.pentawater.net/pages/what_is.html

Cutting to the chase it sounds like they are claiming that they are infusing the water with extra oxygen in some way. Whatever benefits this may have are open to question.
“Penta-hydrate is a PURE WATER”

"A TRUE SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH
Water consists of large clusters of H2O molecules which the cells must breakdown so the body can utilize the water. As we age the cells do this less efficiently. The smaller the cluster of H2O molecules the more easily the water passes through the cell membrane to hydrate the cell, transport oxygen and nutrients, and remove toxins and waste. Bio-Hydration’s process restructures the large molecular formations usually found in nature into the less common small clusters, thereby increasing their ability to hydrate the cells. This process is accomplished using advanced physics, without the use of any chemicals or additives. In addition, pure oxygen is dissolved into the molecularly restructured water to raise the osmotic drive, further increasing the ability of the water to pass into the cells. The result is Penta-hydratetm, a water like none other. "

3

Yes. Drink tap water. It’s better for you (and cheaper).

Do you really need the chemistry bigwigs to tell you that this one’s a scam? In an overcrowded marketplace, some unscrupulous “health” companies will use any pseudo-scientific jargon they can think of to convince you that their product is better for yoy than that other guy’s. Ethical or not.

The first giveaway is that they start with distilled water and don’t add anything to it. Drinking distilled water for long periods of time has negative health effects. It strips your body of electrolytes and minerals and can lead to high blood pressure, heart irregularities, and hair loss.

I wouldn’t drink it.

4

I see what the Penta people say, I just view their claims with skepticism, seeing as they want to sell me water at $2.00 per liter. Is their special “pure water”, with dissolved oxygen added, any different than distilled water, with oxygen added? They are claiming that they are “restructuring” the water into smaller, more readily absorbed “clusters”. I’ve heard of surface tension, but I’ve never heard of water “clusters”. Do such clusters really exist? Can they be “restructured” into smaller clusters that are “more readily absorbed”? Or is this a scam to get people to buy a ridiculously high margin product?

5

It’s been years since I took any chemistry, and I know there are SDers more readily equipped than I to spring forth with some specifics, but I’ll say the first thing I’m having trouble with is the tetrahedral structure of H[sub]2[/sub]O molecule clusters. I don’t remember anything about molecule “clusters” being a factor in osmosis through a water permeable barrier, and the use of tetrahedral makes me twitch to the effect that the use of the word might be beckoning forth the reader’s vagues memory of organic chemistry’s basis in the tetrahedral bonding of carbon atoms (which are absent in any distilled water you might care to drink).

6

Hey, if you think pentagonal water is cool, I’ve got six-sided water I’ll sell you at six bucks a pint.

7

Well you could consider water to have a tetrahedral structure when you consider the extended hydrogen bonded array, but these bonds are transient (except in some (all?) ice forms) and rapidly shifting. If you’re worried about the surface tension, add detergent. Yuck.

If anyone knows the legal side of things (something corresponding to the UK’s Consumer Protection Act?), I’d be more than happy to help with a well worded scientific opinion (I have collegues who study water, how dull) of this bullshit. See if we can spoil their day and get it taken off the website;). I’m not evil, I just hate bad science.

8

Yes. Drink tap water. It’s better for you (and cheaper).
**
[/QUOTE]

Cheaper, sure. Better for you? Questionable.

The water in my area of Oregon is very metallic from the tap. I bought a Pur filter so it can taste decent and not smell. The tap water around here has been tested and has high levels of lead. Lead is not something I think is better for me.

9

The “scientific breakthrough” sounds like pure bullshit. Water molecules don’t “cluster” (unless you consider ice “clustering”) and there’s nothing for the body to break down in order for it to use it. A water molecule is chemically balanced, so it doesn’t need to connect to anything else.

10

Cervaise said
>Hey, if you think pentagonal water is cool, I’ve got six-sided water I’ll sell you at six bucks a pint.

No, no, no! Don’t listen to him! It’s FEWER sides to your water that’s better at balancing your internal chrono-energetic matrix!

I have, in fact, FOUR sided water that I will, at great sacrifice to myself, sell for only four bucks a pint! (plus packaging, handling, and spiritual rebalancing fees, of course)

Right now I’m working on developing three sided water for even better spirituo-rejuevenatory quasi-LaGrangian solubility!

Rumour has it that scientists at the Mobius institute in California, working with Tibetan monks, Wiccan elders and the local plumbers union, have developed ONE-sided water, but won’t release it because they feel it’s too powerful a secret to share.

11

Well, water is already in a pseudo-tetrahedral shape. The energy levels of water in subshells contains two lone pairs. These are highly repulsive. When you have a central-bonded O (which must bond twice) and two H, along with two lone pairs, you have a tetrahedral shape. However, the lone pairs push the H away, leaving bond angles of <109.5 degrees. So basically, they are selling you the same water as usual.

12

They’ve stolen my work! I’m the one who invented one-sided water. Mobius was the janitor in my la-booooor-o-toooory. I thought he was killed when the transmogrifying kretzelreider blew up, but I see I was wrong. . .

That’s all right though, as I’ve left the one-sided water behind. I’ve invented NO-sided water! Not only does it rebalance the energo-orgasmic matrix and purify the magneto-chromo-electrobalance, it’s much lighter to carry and is easily prepared by children.

For only $49.95 I’ll send you three packets of dehydrated no-sided water. Each packet makes a full quart and is available in cherry, grape, or tropical punch flavors. Simply add three-sided water, stir, and enjoy. Add ice if you wish.

Send your checks or credit card numbers (no COD’s please) to:

ZappoLabs, Inc.
Castell Morloch
Springfield, USA 90210
Satisfaction guaranteed or you’re SOL.

Yer pal,

Zappo

13

Look, all these clustered water formulations are a complete scam. See, in order to get the PUREST water, you have to make it yourself at home, out of all natural hydrogen and oxygen. My new PureMaker 6000™ is now available for sale in the United States, after having been tested for hundreds of years by the indian tribes of the Peruvian Andes. Under those dry, desert mountain conditions, tribes regularly make their own water rather than relying on dirty polluted rainwater and filthy mountain streams.

Not only does home-made water taste great, just like Grandma used to make, but it re-optimizes the plasma-fields and demodulates the main deflector dish. It also creates a soothing balance of tetrion particles in the sub-space matrix.

How much would you pay for a simple, efficient source of homemade water? $100,000? $200,000? Well put away that deed to your house, the PureMaker 6000™ is now available for only $10,000!!! We accept VISA, American Express, and Diner’s Club.

14

I don’t drink water for the same reason W. C. Fields didn’t.

15

Don’t you people know that H2O is responsible for thousands of deaths a year!! This chemical should be banned!!

And don’t even get me started on Dihydrogen monoxide.

16

For the record, I do not believe in the reported “healing properties” of this product. But I did email their web site, and asked them what they thought of these comments. Here’s the reply I received:

Crafter_Man:

I do not work for Bio-Hydration Labs (the company who invented the product), but I am a user of the product, and a testimony to the product’s success.

Please feel free to post this response on the SDMB:

I have read some of the comments that you all have posted on your discussion board. It is interesting to me that everybody has an opinion or critique, but nobody has tried the product.

I myself was skeptical at first, but after 2 days of using the product, my allergies were completely healed, and I have had no problems since. Since then, I got so excited about the product that I decided to start distributing it.

Please note that the company makes no medical claims about the product. However, the incredible amounts of testimonials that have poured in about this product (including mine and members of my family) cannot be overlooked.

There are many professional athletes and celebrities who drink it as well. Not that celebrities make much of a difference, though. Also, note that 5 world records were broken at last year’s summer Olympics by athletes who use Penta Water exclusively!

Even the scientist who discovered the product was healed of Fibromyalgia! You can talk about it all you want, but if you haven’t tried it, you’ll never know.

Here are the two types of people who are perfect candidates for the water:

  1. Athletes, and people who are in tune with their bodies.
  2. People who are sick.

If you are not physically active and are not sick, you will probably not notice any difference by using this water, other than maybe better skin. And this would only be the result of consistent usage. However, if you are an athlete or you have some type of sickness, especially allergies, asthma, respiratory problems, etc. you have got to try it!

17

If I rolled my eyes any harder, you could see my optic nerves.

18

As the man once said:

You may talk o’ gin and beer
When your quartered safe out ‘ere,
An’ your sent to penny-fights an’ Aldershot it;
But if it comes to slaughter
You will do your work on water,
An’ you’ll lick the bloomin’ boots of ‘im that’s got it.

Yet another example of the gullibility of the buying public. Water, sir, is water. If it is relatively free of dangerous microbes and toxic chemicals it makes no difference how many sides there are to the molecules. I like the dehydrated water idea, though. Designer water looks to me like theology, not science. Maybe it helps its devotees levitate as well. P.T. Barnum is reputed to have said that there is a sucker born every minute. He may have been right.

19

Do you remember on Star Trek when Geordi La Forge had to reconfigure the dilithium field buffer in the warp core so that their neutrino pulse would be in phase with the Romulans’ shield frequencies? Did you believe that, too?

20

What we’ve got, through the due diligence of Crafter_Man, is a non-answer from the marketing company’s rep. Basically, he or she said that no specific response will be forthcoming as regards the pseudoscience propounded at the company’s website - all we can tell you is that we like it and, I swear, a bunch of other people do, too.

Ahh, some gristle! And those records were…?