Hydrogen Water Shows Rapid But Short-Lived Absorption in Breath Tests
- Authors
- Akito Shimouchi, Kazutoshi Nose, Makoto Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Ishiguro, Takaharu Kondo
- Journal
- Biomarker Insights
- Year
- 2009
- DOI
- 10.4137/bmi.s2209
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Neutral
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Milk Intolerance
- Body System
- Gastrointestinal
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen water quickly raises the level of hydrogen in a person's breath, but not as long-lasting as when drinking milk, especially in those who are milk intolerant.
Key Finding
Hydrogen water rapidly increased breath hydrogen levels to peak concentrations within 10-15 minutes in a dose-dependent manner, but this elevation was not sustained, whereas milk produced a delayed but prolonged hydrogen response lasting up to 540 minutes.
Summary
This study measured how much hydrogen gas appears in people's breath after they drink hydrogen water or milk. Five adults drank hydrogen water or regular water, and researchers measured hydrogen levels in their breath over time. Hydrogen water caused breath hydrogen to spike quickly (peaking within 10-15 minutes) and then drop back to normal, while regular water had no effect. Milk produced a slower but much longer-lasting increase in breath hydrogen, especially in people who have trouble digesting milk.
Practical Takeaway
This small study (5 people) shows that hydrogen water does deliver hydrogen gas into the body, but the effect is brief. The practical significance of this rapid, short-lived hydrogen spike is unclear—the study only measured whether hydrogen appeared in breath, not whether it produced any health benefits. More research is needed to determine if the brief hydrogen exposure from drinking hydrogen water has any biological effects.
Abstract
Objective: To compare how and to what extent ingestion of hydrogen water and milk increase breath hydrogen in adults. Methods: Five subjects without specific diseases, ingested distilled or hydrogen water and milk as a reference material that could increase breath hydrogen. Their end-alveolar breath hydrogen was measured. Results: Ingestion of hydrogen water rapidly increased breath hydrogen to the maximal level of approximately 40 ppm 10-15 min after ingestion and thereafter rapidly decreased to the baseline level, whereas ingestion of the same amount of distilled water did not change breath hydrogen (p < 0.001). Ingestion of hydrogen water increased both hydrogen peaks and the area under the curve (AUC) of breath hydrogen in a dose-dependent manner. Ingestion of milk showed a delayed and sustained increase of breath hydrogen in subjects with milk intolerance for up to 540 min. Ingestion of hydrogen water produced breath hydrogen at AUC levels of 2 to 9 ppm hour, whereas milk increased breath hydrogen to AUC levels of 164 ppm hour for 540 min after drinking. Conclusion: Hydrogen water caused a rapid increase in breath hydrogen in a dose-dependent manner; however, the rise in breath hydrogen was not sustained compared with milk.