Russell, yes I too raised my eyebrows at the claims about superhydration from smaller clumps of molecules... ;-) but these machines do in fact ionize the water. It's measurable. Despite the fact that "pure" water has to be neutral pH by definition, and is practically impossible to ionize. ;-)

The description is trivial, but perhaps it is true that ionized water exhibits different molecular characteristics. Whether that translates into a macro environment, superhydrating every nook and cranny of the body, is another matter. ;-) A sceptic might also observe that consumed alkaline water first has to traverse the stomach whose pH is as low as 1, then encounters the enormous pH buffering/excretory systems in the body that generally maintain pH at very close to 7.4. But the Japanese health authorities were sufficiently impressed to endorse the technique and at the very least, the attached filter does remove chemicals and toxins from the water. It's certainly not hurting anybody unlike some of the dreadful snake-oil out there and plenty of people say they experience benefit. The cost is not so great as to cause people to mortgage their home unlike some of the other systems out there, so I feel fairly relaxed about it- as long as the people who buy these machines don't complain about the cost of other healthcare!