What is Water Viscosity?
Water Viscosity in the cellular context refers to the resistance of water molecules around proteins and membranes. Some research suggests that red/NIR light can reduce this viscosity, potentially accelerating enzyme activity and metabolic flow.
Key Points
- •Interfacial water — proposed "structured water" layers around proteins, said to behave differently from bulk water (a contested, non-mainstream idea)
- •Reaction rates — lower viscosity could increase diffusion and turnover
- •PBM hypothesis — one proposed mechanism for photobiomodulation effects
Why does Water Viscosity matter?
Water viscosity matters because it describes how easily water flows, which affects everything from blood flow to how molecules move inside cells. Viscosity is a physical property: thicker fluids resist flow more, and water's relatively low viscosity lets it move and mix easily.
In the body, blood is more viscous than water because of its cells and proteins. Blood viscosity influences how hard the heart must work, and it rises in conditions with many red blood cells or with dehydration.
What affects Water Viscosity?
Water viscosity depends mainly on temperature: it decreases as water warms and increases as it cools. Dissolved substances such as salts and sugars change it slightly, and pressure has a small effect under ordinary conditions.
Marketing claims that "structured," "hexagonal" or specially treated drinking water has altered viscosity with health benefits are not supported by solid evidence. For health, what matters more is overall hydration, which affects blood volume and, indirectly, blood viscosity, rather than the physical properties of the water itself.
In ONDA Life
The Mitochondrial DNA Red Light article references water viscosity in the context of red light effects.