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Purposeful Deceit from Jeon Hyoung-Tag of Biocera at the 2019 International Conference of the ISHMB held in Korea
The conference: International Conference of the ISHMB, or the International Society of Hydrogen Medicine and Biology. See the ISHMB here.
About Jeon Hyoung-Tag and Biocera
Crystals, alkaline water, and quackery
Biocera’s website, as well as every conversation I have had with the owner, Jeon Hyoung-Tag, have been confusing at best. In addition, every associate in the drinking water additive industry I have spoken to who personally knows Jeon has expressed similar feelings of confusion regarding interactions with him. At this point, I am really not sure how much of this confusion can be attributed to Jeon’s insistence on writing all his content and heading all his correspondence in English, despite his poor English skills, and how much of it can be attributed to his crazy magical thinking. However, I suspect that my bewilderment with his statements arises due to the mixture of both. In addition, the Biocera website is littered with words and phrases such as “energy” and references to their “Biocera balls’ vibrational properties,” while linking these concepts to preventing dementia. Here is a direct quote from their website:
“Silica causes fine vibration when given constant electricity and pressure. Silica is an important material used in electronics, and it is used in semiconductors, solar cells, LEDs, cars, and airplanes. The flowing stream has dark ordinary stones with slippery water moss, but the white brisket, which contains a lot of silica, hides science that does not contain water moss. The reason why water molecules are known to be effective in preventing dementia because of its semiconductor properties. It is because of the silica which is known to be effective in preventing semiconductor properties and dementia that activates the mole molecules by vibrating minutely in a stream flowing with solid white brisket.”
Further, the Biocera website talks about hydrogen, despite no mention of hydrogen concentration, and pushes the “antioxidant water” position. Of course, much of this has been addressed in my Alkaline Water Ionizer False Claims Clarified article.
Here is one nonsensical quote from Jeon that is prominently featured on the Biocera website:
“I remembered that I used to float and drink clear streams flowing through my hands. About 50-60 years ago I was a playground where rivers, rice fields, fields, mountains, sky, and nature were all playgrounds. The flowing streams of white tea stones (Silica) and the various colors and stones of various shapes collide with each other, and the splash of water is scattered. Transparent clear water. I’ve played with flutes and flutes that live only in the first class.”
I have chosen to point out this information to highlight the unscientific and false claims promoted by Jeon of Biocera. Apparently, his quackery has helped him earn money, with which he was able to secure the ability to be a financial sponsor at an otherwise academic conference in the budding H2 biomedical field. Unfortunately, to the chagrin of the unexpecting scientists, his presence and advertising could also stain the field of science by association.
My “relationship” with Jeon of Biocera
Jeon Hyoung-Tag of Biocera and I have been having sporadic and limited conversations for a couple of years now. In February 2019, after Jeon had paid for the privilege of hosting the annual hydrogen conference I mentioned at the start of this article, held in his native Korea that year, he began contacting US domestic parties to inquire what hydrogen technologies are made in the USA and are legal to use. Upon learning that my tablets were legally filed with the FDA, he contacted me and invited me to introduce this technology to Korea.
While I briefly considered going to Korea, I also had upcoming scheduled shoulder surgery and was already booked to go to Orlando to meet with Prof. Ostojic to discuss ongoing research on hydrogen water using my tablets, future research, etc a few days after this conference (you can access my talk with Professor Ostojic here). Due to these previous commitments, I was not able to attend the annual hydrogen show in Korea.
However, Jeon continued to insist on initiating the Korean distribution of my tablets, all the while asking me questions regarding testing.
Moreover, he complimented their efficacy with his own personal anecdote:
Notably, the information I was sending to Jeon regarding testing protocols did not align with his bias. He had already begun to create a plan of the most effective ways to test for H2, despite his recommendation of machines using the probes being heavily discouraged by the International Hydrogen Standards Association (IHSA), which had already carefully analyzed and vetted various other methods over the last several years.
Here is a direct quote from the IHSA :
“Gas chromatography (GC) will be considered the primary method for measuring molecular hydrogen. GC should be the most reliable method for specialists in chemical analyses. In brief, this method requires the transfer of H2 from the aqueous phase to the gas phase using a tightly closed vessel, where hydrogen concentration can be measured by GC. The standard operating procedures (SOP) for measurement by GC will soon be determined by IHSA to mitigate systematic errors.
IHSA will also adopt a secondary method using an electrode that is specific to hydrogen. Several electrodes are currently available commercially; however, each has merits and shortcomings. Thus, one electrode will be carefully selected for the measurement, and the standard operating procedures (SOP) will be established by IHSA. While there may be other suitable options for general consumer use, these will not be considered for use in IHSA performance certifications. For example, IHSA may recommend different brands of electrodes, sensors, use of approved redox titration reagents, etc. However, methods that depend on the measurement of the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) to estimate hydrogen in water, which incorporate electrodes which are not specific to hydrogen, are discouraged. Although a negative ORP is one of the characteristics of hydrogen water, ORP itself does not show the hydrogen concentration. Thus, technologies which rely upon measurement of ORP should not be used as a method to measure the hydrogen concentration.”
Subsequently, I had sent Jeon a gas evolution report, which included a titration report from the reagent manufacturer, titration videos, explanations of how the quasi-dissolved gas cloud works, and even the study where GC was used to test the water created by my tablets, with accompanying methods. I had also pointed out the fact that researchers had tested my tablet using gas probes at another H2 conference held at the University of Beijing and that we had further data regarding pressurization of the cloud and determining the average bubble diameter via methods such as PSI increase and laser backscattering.
Unfortunately, due to the restrictions imposed by Elsevier, the methods of the clinical trial determining the H2 concentration created by my tablets (6mg/L) are behind a paywall. However, here is a screenshot of the study:
In addition, since the time of this correspondence, the IHSA protocol on GC has been developed, and my tablets have been tested in the USA using this method. A few weeks ago, I officially posted the H2 Analytics GC results, using protocols developed over a year of constant testing and R&D to ensure accuracy. Perhaps, the reason for the higher concentration of H2 reported by H2 Analytics compared to by Prof Ostojic’s team is due to the fact that in these tests, the Serbian team lead by Dr. Ostojic tested the tablets at approximately 5 minutes after dropping them in the water; however, the peak concentration would occur around 1 to 1:30 minutes when the tablet finishes disintegrating and we advise to drink the water, which is when H2 Analytics tested the solution.
I had also sent Jeon the report explaining why the “hydrogen sensors” he preferred were inaccurate. Essentially, they give inaccurate and much higher readings of H2 containing water with a pH above 7 and an inaccurate and much lower reading to products with a pH below 7. Jeon’s alkaline-producing equipment would, of course, read much higher H2 concentrations than it contains, whereas my technology would read the concentrations as much lower since the momentary pH is acidic (but the tablets are net alkaline stoichiometrically). Also, the sensors of the technology he used are not capable of measuring the quasi-dissolved nanobubbles:
Further, Jeon and Biocera were in possession of the NDI no objection from the FDA, and both fully knew that the tablets were legal and determined to be reasonably safe by the US FDA:
Jeon’s purposefully deceitful presentation
Subsequently, our talks of importing my tablets had fizzled as I learned more about Jeon’s company and his unbacked, outlandish claims on his product’s benefits, and I had also declined to attend the H2 show and present my technology. As a result, Jeon and Biocera had switched gears and began to directly attack me and my technology, likely due to the fact that they could not commercially profit from it. Moreover, Jeon had also initiated attacks against the Molecular Hydrogen Institute, specifically targeting Tyler W. LeBaron and Prof Noda, due to their accurate teachings that describe H2 as a neutral molecule that does not influence pH, and that any potential health benefits from consuming alkaline ionized water are a result of the H2 gas produced during the process.
During his presentation at the annual hydrogen show in Korea, Jeon dedicated much of his presentation to attacking my technology, the H2BlueTM test reagent which is a validated method, as it did not align with the data he had collected using technology he knew to be incorrect and not supported. Moreover, during his presentation, he had also attacked the Molecular Hydrogen Institute (MHI) and Tyler W. LeBaron because his views did not align with their teachings regarding the pH of H2 and with his false claims regarding micro clustering, likely because he perceived this information as a threat which could negatively affect his bottom line.
Further, Jeon even went as far as saving screenshots in the “Hydrogen water” Facebook group where members had posted questions or made medical claims, and instead of capturing Tyler’s refutation and correction of various statements, Jeon tried to use random posts to misrepresent and implicate MHI in the most bizarre conflation of events. Moreover, the false accusations made by him regarding the tablets and DrinkHRW can certainly be considered libel.
However, since I would need to pursue legal action against him in Korea, a task I am not particularly eager to take, I would rather address each and every one of the incorrect and intentionally falsified positions he has taken. Although this process is time-consuming, while also requiring significant resources to uncover the pseudoscience behind his unbacked claims, I am committed to sharing accurate and objective information out of principle.
A slide used during Jeon’s presentation at the hydrogen show 2019 in Korea, where he questioned the safety and legality of the product, despite his knowledge of its legal status and regulation. Moreover, in his presentation, he had used an image of an incorrect method of preparing the tablets in order to demonstrate it as ‘unappealing.’
Jeon’s attacks on the information presented by the MHI, Tyler W. LeBaron, and Prof Noda.
Attempts to contact researchers
Immediately following the conference in question, Jeon had contacted many of the world’s leading hydrogen researchers, proposing to form a new organization using his version of standards for testing hydrogen and to abandon the IHSA protocols. However, he had not succeeded, likely due to his lack of necessary research background and knowledge of necessary standards and technologies to create or test for H2. What is more, he had even sent this mass email out to members making up the IHSA, which advocated for abandoning the IHSA as an authority and following his advice. Of course, no credible researchers had seriously considered his claims or proposals, but many were concerned with his marketing approach.
Jeon still wanted my tablet technology, despite all of this!
Surprisingly, Jeon has also contacted several of my brands to import the tablets through their labels, after he dedicated time to slander and libel the tablets themselves. He seems to want to attack me personally, as well as the titration method testing the tablets but is still interested in capitalizing on their use, as well as on their clinical validation and popularity. It can be concluded that Jeon has proved himself as one of the most untrustworthy and financially motivated individuals in the hydrogen water industry. He has no qualms about attacking things he does not make an income on, while simultaneously trying to secure the ability to make an income off it. He has no qualms about using methods he knows are not supported to try to justify his point, as he peddles magic and garbage using his vast wealth to purchase a platform, hoping it will grant him legitimacy.
Consumers need to question companies that make false claims, such as Biocera, and vote with their wallets.