Hydrogen Water Reduces Joint Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
- Authors
- Toru Ishibashi, Bunpei Sato, Mariko Rikitake, Tomoki Seo, Ryosuke Kurokawa, Yuichi Hara, Yuji Naritomi, Hiroshi Hara, Tetsuhiko Nagao
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2012
- DOI
- 10.1186/2045-9912-2-27
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Body System
- Musculoskeletal
TL;DR
Drinking water with a high concentration of molecular hydrogen reduced signs of oxidative stress and improved symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Key Finding
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who drank high-concentration hydrogen water for 4 weeks showed a 14.3% reduction in a marker of cellular damage and significant improvement in disease activity scores, with the most dramatic response in early-stage patients.
Summary
This small study tested whether drinking water with high levels of molecular hydrogen (a gas) could help people with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease where the immune system attacks joints. Twenty patients drank hydrogen-enriched water for 4 weeks, then stopped for 4 weeks, then drank it again for 4 weeks. The researchers measured markers of cellular damage and disease severity and found both improved while patients were drinking the hydrogen water.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage pilot study suggests hydrogen water may reduce inflammation markers in rheumatoid arthritis, but the study was small (20 patients), had no control group, and was not blinded, which limits how much we can conclude. Larger, more rigorous studies would be needed before hydrogen water could be recommended as a treatment. Anyone with rheumatoid arthritis considering this should discuss it with their doctor, as it should only complement—not replace—conventional medical care.
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the destruction of bone and cartilage. Although its etiology is unknown, the hydroxyl radical has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of RA. Recently, molecular hydrogen (H2) was demonstrated to be a selective scavenger for the hydroxyl radical. Also, the method to prepare water containing extremely high concentration of H2 has been developed. We hypothesized that H2 in the water could complement conventional therapy by reducing the oxidative stress in RA. Methods: Twenty patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drank 530 ml of water containing 4 to 5 ppm molecular hydrogen (high H2 water) every day for 4 weeks. After a 4-week wash-out period, the patients drank the high H2 water for another 4 weeks. Urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanine (8-OHdG) and disease activity (DAS28, using C-reactive protein [CRP] levels) was estimated at the end of each 4-week period. Results: Drinking high H2 water seems to raise the concentration of H2 more than the H2 saturated (1.6 ppm) water in vivo. Urinary 8-OHdG was significantly reduced by 14.3% (p < 0.01) on average. DAS28 also decreased from 3.83 to 3.02 (p < 0.01) during the same period. After the wash-out period, both the urinary 8-OHdG and the mean DAS28 decreased, compared to the end of the drinking period. During the second drinking period, the mean DAS28 was reduced from 2.83 to 2.26 (p < 0.01). Urinary 8-OHdG was not further reduced but remained below the baseline value. All the 5 patients with early RA (duration < 12 months) who did not show antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides (ACPAs) achieved remission, and 4 of them became symptom-free at the end of the study. Conclusions: The results suggest that the hydroxyl radical scavenger H2 effectively reduces oxidative stress in patients with this condition. The symptoms of RA were significantly improved with high H2 water.