Hydrogen water and markers of inflammation

Inflammation, in short

Inflammation is the body's alarm system. A short, sharp response helps you heal. When it runs quietly in the background for a long time, known as chronic low-grade inflammation, researchers link it to how we age and recover.

Oxidative stress and inflammation feed each other, which is why hydrogen's antioxidant behaviour led researchers to ask whether it might affect inflammation too.

What the researchers did

A team at Seoul National University ran a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial: the gold-standard design, where neither the participants nor the researchers know who gets what.

38 healthy adults aged 20 to 59 were split into two groups. One drank 1.5 litres of hydrogen-rich water a day (20 people); the other drank the same amount of plain water (18 people). After four weeks the team analysed their blood.

What they found

Immune cells in the blood (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) showed significantly less apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in the hydrogen-water group.

When the researchers looked at gene activity in those cells, networks tied to inflammatory responses and NF-κB signalling, a central switch for inflammation, were turned down in the hydrogen group. Participants aged 30 and over also showed a rise in the blood's antioxidant capacity.

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Networks tied to inflammatory responses were turned down in the group drinking hydrogen water.

Why this study stands out

Much of the early hydrogen research was done in cells or animals. This one tested people drinking hydrogen water in everyday amounts, with a proper control group and blinding, which makes it one of the stronger human studies in the field.

What this study doesn’t show

• It was small (38 people) and short (four weeks), as the authors themselves point out.
• Participants were healthy adults, mostly recruited from one university.
• It measured markers in the blood, not symptoms, illness or how people felt.

Sources

1. [1]Sim M, Kim CS, Shon WJ, et al. Hydrogen-rich water reduces inflammatory responses and prevents apoptosis of peripheral blood cells in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.Scientific Reports 10:12130, 2020
2. [2]Ichihara M, et al. Beneficial biological effects and the underlying mechanisms of molecular hydrogen: comprehensive review of 321 original articles.Medical Gas Research 5:12, 2015
3. [3]Dhillon G, et al. Hydrogen Water: Extra Healthy or a Hoax? A Systematic Review.International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25(2):973, 2024

This article is an educational summary of published research on molecular hydrogen. It is not medical advice, and these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. OG Hydro products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional before changing your routine.