The Benefits of Ozonated Water and Its Applications

Ozonated water is not a term you hear often. It makes one think of the ozone layer, and there are only a few among us who have heard of ozone water therapy or have asked their dentist what water they use for mouth rinses. It turns out that ozonated water is believed to be the purest form of water, free from all impurities. Even though there are many ways to purify water, such as chlorination, ozonation offers a lot of unique advantages when compared with other filtration methods. It is an environmentally friendly method of filtration, that works quickly and leaves no trace. Besides being used for purposes where disinfected water is needed, ozonated water also offers health benefits, such as boosting your immune system, reducing inflammation, increasing the oxygen levels in your body, and many more.

What is Ozonation and How Does It Happen? 

Purifying water through ozonation essentially means infusing ozone into water. Ozone is a pale blue and highly reactive gas, that occurs naturally in the stratosphere and troposphere, but also can be synthetically produced. Ozone is composed of three oxygen atoms and has a chemical formula of O3. You have definitely smelled the ozone gas before – the fresh and crisp smell that appears after a thunderstorm is due to the ozone formed during the lightning discharge.

The ozonation process can take place naturally with the help of UV radiation from the Sun. In this case, the UV rays break a single oxygen molecule present in the water down to two free oxygen atoms. These single and free oxygen atoms are highly reactive, so much so that they react with the other oxygen molecules producing ozone. The ozone then attacks and neutralizes the different impurities and contaminants, similarly to how free chlorine works in a pool. Once the water is pure and free from impurities, the ozone converts back to an oxygen molecule.  

Ozonated water can also be produced artificially, with the help of an electrical generator or special ultraviolet lamps. First, ozone is produced by applying high voltage across oxygen gas source. This will force an oxygen molecule to split into two oxygen atoms, which then react with the whole oxygen molecules to form ozone, which will be consequently introduced to water. When the UV lamps are used, the process is identical to the natural ozone production, but a light source is used instead of direct sunlight. Ozone is very reactive, which allows it to act as a disinfectant, but makes it hard to transport. It also has a short half-life, so it is hard to store as well. Therefore, ozone is usually always generated on-site for immediate use.

Ozonation of Water: Advantages and Disadvantages 

When compared to other water purification methods, ozonation offers many unique advantages. First of all, no chemicals are added to the water during ozonation, which makes the process safe and environmentally friendly. Ozonation doesn’t change the taste of the water, on the contrary, it even improves the taste and odor. Ozone is considered to be a more potent disinfectant than chlorine, and it works really fast. Last but not least, the pH level of the water that’s being purified doesn’t matter – ozonation is equally effective for more acidic or more basic water.

There are a few setbacks to consider as well. One example is the cost of the ozonation equipment. Ozonation also doesn’t have any residual disinfection capacity after the initial purification, as the ozone converts back to oxygen. This leaves open the opportunity for the regrowth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It is also hard to ozonate the water to a defined value, which is why ozonated water therapy hasn’t been used more widely in medicine.

Application of Ozonated Water 

Disinfection

Ozone is a broad-spectrum disinfectant, that can inactivate and neutralize various microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, bacterial and fungal spores, and viruses. Hence, ozonated water is used for disinfection purposes as well. Ozonated water can be used to wash fruit, vegetables, and fish to rid them of pesticides that are sometimes found on the produce. Moreover, washing fresh fruit and vegetables with ozonated water instead of regular tap water helps them to stay fresh and not spoil for longer. Ozonated water can also be used to eliminate unpleasant odors from clothing, by soaking or washing the clothes in it. Ozonated water can be used to disinfect certain household items, such as frequently used surfaces, sinks, toothbrushes, kitchen tables, dishes, cutting boards, and more.

Dental Use

The first use of ozonated water in dentistry dates back to the 1930s. It was used to disinfect the oral cavity and help with wound healing. To this day, ozonated water is still used by many dentists during dental treatments to reduce inflammation and disinfect wounds. In addition, it can also be beneficial to rinse your mouth with ozonated water and gargle with it after getting some sort of dental treatment done, to prevent the potential development of bacterial infections and throat diseases. Ozonated water has also been used to soothe tooth pain and for teeth whitening purposes. Moreover, ozone therapy is widely used in the treatment and management of dental cavities, restorative dentistry, for hypersensitive teeth, endodontics, and many other dentistry applications.

Ozone therapy

Ozone water therapy is useful to strengthen a person’s immune system and general health. In addition, ozone therapy can be done complimentary with other treatments, meaning that it increases the potency and effect of supplements that you might be taking at the moment. Ozonated water therapy is believed to work for everyone, regardless of one’s state of health. It is a safe and accessible treatment, that has healing and detoxifying properties. It is especially effective for people with digestive issues, acne, and inflammatory diseases.

The Health Benefits of Ozonated Water 

While ozone gas therapy has demonstrated many health benefits, it hasn’t been widely adopted by present-day medicine because ozone gas is toxic to the lungs. The ozonated water, on the other hand, has no such side effects. Compared with highly reactive ozone gas, ozonated water is a lot easier to handle and store as well.

Ozonated water can eliminate various bacteria, fungi, algae, and parasites upon contact, which is the key principle behind ozone water therapy. Drinking ozonated water allows ozone to come into direct contact with the microflora of your gut, killing the harmful yeast and bacteria, that could be responsible for bloating, digestive issues, weight gain, and even acne. Besides improving gut health, drinking ozonated water is also believed to reduce the inflammation processes in your body, which in turn could benefit people who suffer from inflammatory bowel syndrome, migraines, digestive issues, rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammation-causing diseases. Ozonated water also boosts your immune system and makes your body more able to fight infections. Ozone purifies the blood and enriches it in oxygen, thereby providing more oxygen to the brain, improving focus, concentration, and cognitive abilities. Drinking ozonated water also detoxifies your body, making you feel lighter and more energetic. Besides drinking ozonated water, it can also be used topically, for example, to wash your hands and face to achieve a healthy complexion and youthful glow. Taking baths with ozonated water is believed to alleviate skin disease symptoms and can also help cure muscle stiffness and pain.

There have also been studies that focused on the anti-cancer properties of ozonated water. It has been suggested that drinking ozonated water can help your body fight cancer, and since it’s a safe and simple treatment approach, it could be a great alternative treatment route for cancer patients. However, at the present moment more evidence and research efforts are needed to be able to make judgments about the anti-cancer properties of ozonated water.  

Summary 

Ozonated water has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that allow for a wide range of applications. Ozonation of water is an environmentally friendly method of water filtration that doesn’t use any chemicals as additives and leaves no traces in the water upon purification. The process can take place naturally, when the UV rays from the Sun break down the oxygen molecules in water into single atoms, which then go on to react with the whole oxygen molecules, forming ozone. Ozone is a very potent disinfectant, which can attack and neutralize contaminants, impurities, and microorganisms, such a bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Ozonated water can be produced artificially as well, by introducing synthetic ozone into the water.

Ozonated water is mainly used for disinfecting and cleaning purposes. Some of those include washing fresh produce, fish, and meat; elimination of unpleasant odors from clothing; cleaning and disinfecting different household items, such as toothbrushes. Ozonated water also has a wide array of applications in dentistry, used for treating and disinfecting wounds, soothing toothache, teeth whitening, treatment and management of cavities, and more.

There are many health benefits that ozonated water offers. It can help boost your immune system and has been shown to increase the potency and effect of supplements that you might be taking. Ozonated water has detoxifying properties and has shown to be especially effective for digestive issues, gut flora healing, attacking and neutralizing harmful yeast bacteria, which could be responsible for sugar cravings and weight gain. Ozonated water is also well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties and has even shown some potential in fighting cancer. Ozonated water also helps deliver more oxygen to the brain, improving focus, concentration, and cognitive abilities.