Jason Hartman’s guest on episode #39 of The Longevity Show is Ralph McRae, chairman and CEO of Leading Brands, which distributes Happy Water. For decades we’ve known that an alkaline body is healthier than an acidic one. McRae joins Jason to talk about how naturally occurring lithia in his product can make you feel happier at the end of the day. Additionally, indications are that it aids in the process of creating new brain cells through neurogenesis.

The Lowdown on Happy Water

Happy Water, as explained by McRae, is an alkaline water made by combining water from two Canadian springs. One contains a naturally occurring amount of lithia and the other is a source of critical minerals. Lithia is the main component of the pharmaceutical drug lithium, which has been used for years by the medical community to treat a host of mental illnesses including depression and bi-polar disorder.

While McRae doesn’t claim Happy Water will extend your life expectancy by itself, he says it should add quality to the number of years you are given on earth.

The Science Behind Lithium

Though we have decades of its effective use in medicine to fall back on, McRae points to dozens of studies that support the idea that lithia in water (at a microscopic level) can enhance your mood. Studies have also confirmed that lithia can contribute to lower rates of suicide and violent crime, and an absence of depression. At the same time, users have been shown to experience a greater sense of well-being and happiness.

We’re a Bunch of Acidic Junkies

A perfectly balanced human body will have a blood ph of 7.4. A lower number indicates a more acidity, which creates an environment where cancer and other diseases flourish. Unfortunately, our modern Western diet is loaded to the acidic side. Most medical professionals and anyone else with half a brain realize that overly-processed, sugary foods are making us fat and unhealthy.

It’s no surprise to surmise that a switch to a real food diet, with a high intake of natural fruits and veggies, and a reduction in sugar intake, will alkalinize your body over time. You might be interested to know that cancer cannot survive in an alkaline environment.

Is There Such a Thing as TOO Alkaline?

Not really. While it can happen in rare instances, brought on by a bombardment of raw vegetables, alkalizing fruits, and ionized water, it takes very little of the “wrong” stuff to bring alkalinity back down. For those who might be interested, the main symptom of too high a level of alkalinity is thirst from dehydration. The only way this could happen would be if you began consuming nothing but highly alkaline food and water. Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean that you have too high an alkaline level any time you’re thirsty. Odds are you’re too acidic and have been putting too much crap in your body like…coffee?

Our Acidic Liquids

Coffee and soft drinks are quite acidic, though Jason and Ralph mull over the idea that coffee might be good in moderation. McRae offered the caveat that he wasn’t an expert on this particular subject matter but it might be a good idea to drink alkaline water in equal amounts to balance coffee’s natural acidity. He also pointed out that if you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated; it’s a lagging warning signal from your body.

The Rolaids Solution

Jason queried McRae if there was any way to create alkaline water. We’re pretty sure he was joking when he said to put a Rolaids in your mouth and drink regular tap water.

Lithia Water and the Neurogenesis Effect

Most of us learned, at some point in our academic careers, that brain cell production slows as we age and eventually our bodies won’t create any new brain cells at all. McRae claims that all your biology professors were smoking crack; new brain cells can be manufactured, even at advanced age if you knock back Happy Water on a regular basis. To be honest, it doesn’t HAVE to be Happy Water, though that appears to be a fine product.

Some studies have shown that lithia water can cause the neurogenesis effect, which is simply a fancy way of saying it can cause the creation of brain cells. The obvious takeaway from this is that keeping your brain and cognitive processes energetic and vibrant as we age is a surefire way to enjoy quality of life as well as quantity. The bottom line: more brain cells are better than fewer.

Pharmaceutical Lithium Use

For anyone concerned that drinking products like Happy Water is akin to receiving a good dose of lithium from your friendly neighborhood psychiatrist, lay your fears aside. For alkaline ph purposes, the naturally occurring lithia from the Canadian spring only contains about .1 parts per million. McRae didn’t mention exactly what pharmaceutical use is, for comparison, but indicated it was much, much higher.

The First Lithia Drink

When 7 Up was initially released, McRae said it contained lithia, making it the first alkaline soft drink. Since then, makers have changed the recipe, removing the one ingredient that probably made it at least a little bit healthy.

Sugar and Longevity

As so many of The Longevity Show guests opine, sugar is the devil. Well, maybe not literally the devil, but our modern Western dietary tradition of gulping it down by the pound can’t help but come at the cost of shorter lives. McRae wouldn’t be surprised if the near future, maybe 20 to 30 years away, puts sugar into the same health risk category as smoking.

The State of the Beverage Industry

With a national increase in health consciousness the past few decades, drink manufacturers have pursued the Holy Grail of the beverage industry: a natural artificial sweetener that doesn’t wrinkle our faces from bitter taste/aftertaste. Stevia was the result. Does it taste legit? You be the judge. One thing is for sure. For now, it enjoys a certain popularity as an artificial sweetener that doesn’t taste too bad.

The Bottom Line

If you’re interested in learning more about Ralph McRae and Leading Brand products like True Blue – a juice made from wild blueberries – visit www.LiveHappyWater.com. (Image: Flickr | National Institutes of Health (NIH))

More from Jason Hartman:

The 5 Foods You Should Stop Eating Immediately

The 30 Day No-Alcohol Challenge

The Longevity and Biohacking Show Team