Hydrogen Water Shows Promise for Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Authors
- Tyler W. LeBaron, Fereshteh Asgharzadeh, Majid Khazei, Branislav Kura, Alex Tarnava, Jan Slezak
- Journal
- EXCLI Journal
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.17179/excli2021-3762
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Slovak Republic
- Health Condition
- Colitis
- Body System
- Digestive System
TL;DR
Drinking water enriched with hydrogen gas (H2) may help reduce inflammation and damage in the bowels of mice with colitis, potentially offering a new treatment option.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water was comparable to sulfasalazine, a standard colitis medication, in reducing inflammation and improving disease markers in mice with induced colitis.
Summary
Researchers gave mice a chemical that causes colitis (bowel inflammation) and then treated them with hydrogen-rich water, a standard colitis drug called sulfasalazine, or both. Both hydrogen-rich water and sulfasalazine improved disease symptoms, reduced inflammation markers, and restored the body's natural antioxidant defenses (molecules that protect cells from damage). The combination of both treatments showed a trend toward being more effective than either alone.
Practical Takeaway
This mouse study suggests hydrogen-rich water may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects relevant to colitis, but results from animal studies do not automatically translate to humans. No human trials have been conducted yet, so it is too early to recommend hydrogen water as a colitis treatment. Anyone with inflammatory bowel disease should continue working with their healthcare provider rather than relying on unproven therapies.
Abstract (excerpt)
Colitis is an inflammatory condition of the bowels associated with abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and fever. Its etiology is multifactorial but related to the overproduction of inflammatory and oxidative mediators. There is currently no cure for this disease, and drugs used to manage it often…