Super-oxygenated Water Kills Superbugs, Heals Wounds -- Safe to Drink!

Oculus Innovative Sciences has developed a special type of water called Microcyn, which is as effective as chlorine bleach at killing microorganisms. It also appears to be a good catalyst for gentle healing of infected wounds. Not only that, you can drink it with no ill effects.

Says Wired News:

The solution looks, smells and tastes like water, but carries an ion imbalance that makes short work of bacteria, viruses and even hard-to-kill spores.
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The company has just been granted approval in the United States to test the solution in the treatment of wounds, and already has government approval in Europe, Canada and Mexico for diverse uses, from disinfectant to wound irrigation.

Doctors conducting trials in Mexico and India are recounting stories at international conferences of their surprise at another feature of the solution: It speeds the healing of severe burns and diabetic ulcers.

According to Hoji Alimi, founder and president of Oculus, the ion-hungry water creates an osmotic potential that ruptures the cell walls of single-celled organisms, and out leaks the cell's cytoplasm. Because multicellular organisms -- people, animals, plants -- are tightly bound, the water is prevented from surrounding the cells, and there is no negative impact.

Update 17 May 2005: The estimable Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit) has weighed in on this issue.