Hydrogen Water Lowers Blood Sugar and Cholesterol in Diabetic Rats
- Authors
- Dan JIN, Sung Hoon RYU, Hyun Won KIM, Eun Ju YANG, Soo Jung LIM, Yong Suk RYANG, Choon Hee CHUNG, Seung Kyu PARK, Kyu Jae LEE
- Journal
- Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry
- Year
- 2006
- DOI
- 10.1271/bbb.70.31
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- South Korea
- Health Condition
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Body System
- Endocrine
TL;DR
Drinking alkaline-reduced water (ARW) helped lower blood sugar and fat levels in diabetic rats.
Key Finding
Rats drinking alkaline-reduced water had significantly lower blood glucose levels after 12 weeks and sustained reductions in triglycerides and total cholesterol compared to rats drinking regular tap water.
Summary
Researchers gave one group of rats prone to developing diabetes a special alkaline-reduced water (water treated to be less acidic and containing hydrogen) while another group drank regular tap water. Over 26 weeks, the rats drinking alkaline-reduced water had lower blood sugar levels starting at 12 weeks, and also had lower cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels throughout the study compared to the control group.
Practical Takeaway
This animal study suggests alkaline-reduced water may help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, but it was conducted only in rats genetically prone to diabetes—not in humans. Much more research in people would be needed before drawing any conclusions about whether this water could help with diabetes or metabolic health in humans.
Abstract
Alkalin-reduced water (ARW) is known to exert several anti-cancer effects, as well as to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduce blood-glucose levels. This study was performed in order to determine the effects of ARW on the control of spontaneous diabetes in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. We assigned 16 male OLETF rats (4 wk) to two groups: an experimental group, which was given ARW, and a control group, which received laboratory tap water. From week 6 to 32, the body weight, lipid composition, and glucose levels in the blood of the rats were measured. The glucose levels of both groups tended to increase. However, the ARW group's glucose levels were significantly lower than those of the control group after 12 weeks (p<0.05). The total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the ARW group were found to be significantly lower than those of the control group during the experimental period. These results suggest that ARW spurred the growth of OLETF rats during the growth stage, and that long-term ingestion of ARW resulted in a reduction in the levels of glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol in the blood.