The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary Federal agency in the USA for conducting and supporting medical research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) spends over 27 billion dollars (US) annually in medical research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) mission is the application of medical and scientific knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) "Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes" (NIH, 2006. Magnesium. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. http://www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations (UN) specialized agency for health. The World Health Organization (WHO) is governed by the 192 Member States of the United Nations. Evalife Water Pty Limited endorses the World Health Organization (WHO) mandate, given by the United Nations: "The attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health".

The World Health Organization (WHO) has studied the importance of dietary magnesium and reached some important conclusions. "Available information from experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies supports the hypothesis that a lower than recommended intake of magnesium is a condition that increases the risk of dying from, and possibly developing, cardiovascular disease, stroke or hypertension" (http://www.who.int/entity/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsindw.pdf)

Most correlation studies show a high mortality for cardiovascular disease and stroke in populations with low magnesium concentrations in drinking water. The World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that steps should be taken to ensure that drinking water contains adequate levels of magnesium: "National governments and water suppliers should be encouraged to practice stabilization of demineralized water with additives that will increase calcium and magnesium levels" (WHO, 2005. Nutrient Minerals in drinking-water. Rolling revision of the WHO guidelines for drinking water quality.
(www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/gdwqrevision/nutminerals/en/print.html)

Evalife Water Pty Limited endorses the World Health Organization (WHO) expert report on nutrients in drinking water published in 2005. This expert's report analyzes in depth the published health benefits of magnesium in drinking water. In the public interest, Evalife Water Pty Limited has copied selected extracts from the World Health Organization (WHO) expert report on nutrients in drinking water and has listed the extracts below.

The National Academy of Sciences (USA) and the associated National Research Council (USA) consists of distinguished scholars who provide independent advice on matters of science, technology, and medicine whenever called upon to do so by any department of the government of the USA. Members of the Academy have won more than 200 Nobel Prizes.

The National Academy of Sciences (USA) and the associated National Research Council (USA) have published evidence that groups of people demonstrate increased longevity (a low death rate) if they reside in areas of the United States that have relatively high levels of magnesium and bicarbonate in alkaline drinking water. In contrast, groups of people demonstrate decreased longevity (a high death rate) if they reside in areas of the United States that have relatively low levels of magnesium and bicarbonate in acidic drinking water. The differences in magnesium and bicarbonate levels and the differences in mortality in the two areas are striking. [See Feder GL (1981). Contrasts in drinking-water quality between the increased-longevity low-death-rate area and the decreased -longevity high-death-rate area in the United States. In Aging and the Geochemical Environment (Panel on Aging and the Geochemical Environment). 92-103. National Research Council. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.]

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In a well defined area of southern New South Wales [Monaro region], specific populations of farm animals appear to have life spans that are beyond the life spans of animals elsewhere in Australia. The animals appear to stay younger for longer. The animals in southern New South Wales that demonstrate increased life spans consume magnesium and bicarbonate in alkaline drinking water. This drinking water originates from springs that are located at the base of ancient volcanoes. In the area of the volcanic springs, horses live over 40 years, sheep live to 20 years and cattle live to 25 years. The sheep and cattle in particular demonstrate outstanding health and fertility. Indeed, the incidence of twins in the sheep and cattle consuming magnesium and bicarbonate is many times the national average. The magnesium and bicarbonate consumed by these highly fertile animals is mimicked by medical specialists in the making of 'in vitro' fertilisation (IVF) solutions to induce changes in the seminal and oviductal fluids which are essential for human fertilisation.

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A major international scientific and medical research effort is attempting to uncover how the consumption of alkaline magnesium bicarbonate solution has such positive beneficial effects in the human body. It is considered that the results of all scientific and medical research will be published concurrently with the publication of the 4th Edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality due in 2008.

What is known with certainty is that magnesium is essential for the optimal functioning of metabolic processes in body cells, particularly those processes providing chemical energy to body cells such as brain cells and muscle cells. Neither the brain nor the muscles of the body can function without either magnesium or bicarbonate. Indeed, the universal energy molecule in the body adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is coupled to magnesium and exists as magnesium-ATP in most if not all, energy reactions in body cells (ATP hydrolysis reactions). In addition, magnesium plays an important role in shielding the negative charges of phosphate groups in essential kinase enzyme reactions in body cells and plays an important role in neutralizing the negatively charged phosphate groups on opposite strands of DNA. This allows the DNA of the genes in body cells to maintain integrity and to express genetic information appropriately.

It is known also that as bicarbonate concentrations in the body increase, acidity in the body decreases. This may lead to improvements in calcium and potassium balance and to decreases in the bone, organ and tissue destruction associated with aging. Indeed, historically, the drinking of natural spring waters rich in magnesium and bicarbonate may have resulted in healthy energetic people with long lifespans which gave rise to mythology surrounding the Fountain of Youth. It now appears that modern science and modern medicine may be providing an explanation to describe how the Fountain of Youth works in the body.

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Ischemic heart disease (IHD) named in the World Health Organization (WHO) expert report (above) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the Western industrialised world - including Australia. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is correlated to a range of diseases including atherosclerosis ("hardening of arteries'), heart attack, cerebrovascular disease (brain stroke) and diabetes. Indeed, more than 90 per cent of patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) have coronary atherosclerosis. A large percentage have diabetes. These are major, serious diseases in Australia. They inflict much pain and anguish and consume a large percentage of Australian health budget. For further information on these diseases and the 'Metabolic Syndrome', visit the International Diabetes Institute website at www.diabetes.com.au or obtain the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) report.

In the public interest, Evalife® Water Pty Limited advises all Australians to consume water, beverages and food products that are rich in magnesium. Please refer to quality nutritional and health publications for an extensive list of foods rich in magnesium.

One litre of Evalife® contains 125 mg of magnesium which is approximately one third of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) or recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium.

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Evalife® Water Pty Limited endorses the conclusions reached in the extensive internatinal scientific and medical literature in relation to health benefits obtained from the consumption of bicarbonate and/or alkaline foods. Alkaline foods include most fresh fruits and vegetables.

It is known that a typical Western diet produces chronic, mild acidosis that may not be compensated by the natural bicarbonate buffering system of the body. Chronic acidosis is not conducive to good health. Specific effects that may occur with chronic acidosis include the loss of calcium from bone and the loss of potassium balance in body cells. The loss of calcium from bone may lead to osteoporosis. Many other deleterious effects related to acidosis are known. For example, many cancers have chronic inflammation and tissue acidosis factors in the disease pathogenesis.

It is considered that dietary bicarbonate enhances the natural buffering capacity of the body and may correct the mild acidosis that occurs commonly in people consuming a Western diet rich in animal protein and poor in fresh fruits and vegetables. Dietary bicarbonate may help the body to retain calcium, may prevent calcium loss, may restore potassium balance and may correct the other deleterious effects of acidosis.

Alkaline foods and dietary bicarbonate are often consumed by athletes to neutralise the effects of lactic acid that builds up during extensive exercise. Lactic acid in muscles causes muscle cramps and pain drastically affects athletic and sports performance and endurance.

One litre of Evalife® contains 650 mg of bicarbonate in alkaline solution.

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Drinking waters that do not contain minerals, in particular drinking waters that do not contain magnesium and calcium, are known as soft waters or distilled waters and are considered by many scientists to be unhealthy. Recent scientific papers presented to a World Health Organization (WHO) conference indicate that distilled water leads to dilution of the normal electrolytes dissolved in body water. This leads to a transfer of water from red blood cells and other body cells and a redistribution of water between body compartments, which may compromise the function of vital body organs. Symptoms at the very beginning of this condition include tiredness, weakness and headache.

Soft water low in calcium and magnesium may cause ill-health. Soft water has caused acute health problems in mountain climbers who had prepared beverages from melted snow. A severe disease coupled with brain oedema, convulsions and metabolic acidosis has been reported in children whose drinks had been prepared with soft or distilled bottled water. In general, soft or distilled waters that do not contain magnesium or calcium increase the elimination of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium ions from the body. For over fifty years, soft drinking waters have been associated with increased mortality. In one study, reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), within weeks or months of a population using home filtration of water a range of complaints occurred including heart disorders, tiredness, weakness and muscle cramps. These complaints were thought to be correlated to low magnesium and calcium levels in the filtered water.

In addition, soft waters absorb many contaminants from their source and may absorb many dangerous chemicals and heavy metals from water pipes and other delivery systems. A scientific paper in a World Health Organization (WHO) report has stated that soft waters containing a low mineral content are unstable and are highly aggressive to materials with which they come in contact.

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