Hydrogen Water Shows Antibacterial and Antioxidant Effects in Lab Study

TL;DR

Electrolyzed water at different pH levels has potential health benefits, including killing certain bacteria, fighting cancer cells, and acting as an antioxidant.

Key Finding

Electrolyzed water demonstrated pH-dependent antibacterial activity against skin bacteria and showed moderate cytotoxic effects against breast cancer cells in laboratory tests, with alkaline formulations performing better.

Summary

Researchers tested electrolyzed water (water treated with electricity) at different pH levels to see if it could kill bacteria, slow cancer cell growth, and reduce harmful molecules called free radicals. The water showed antibacterial effects against two types of skin bacteria, moderate ability to slow breast cancer cells in lab dishes, and some antioxidant activity (ability to neutralize free radicals). The strength of these effects depended on how acidic or alkaline the water was.

Practical Takeaway

This laboratory study suggests electrolyzed water may have some biological activity, but it was conducted only in test tubes and cell cultures—not in humans or animals. Much more research is needed before any health claims can be made. The findings do not establish whether drinking this water would provide any health benefits.

Abstract (excerpt)

Objective: Electrolyzed oxidizing/reducing water is popular as health beneficial water in Indonesia. In this study, we examined the level of antibacterial,anticancer, and antioxidant activity of the electrolyzed water.Methods: The efficacy of electrolyzed water produced by Enagic® at six level pH…

Read the full abstract via DOI