Safe Methods for Taking Hydrogen Therapy: Water, IV, and Breathing
- Authors
- Ryosuke Kurokawa, Tomoki Seo, Bunpei Sato, Shin-Ichi Hirano, Fumitake Sato
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2015
- DOI
- 10.1186/s13618-015-0034-2
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- General
TL;DR
Scientists figured out the safest and easiest ways to give patients a special gas called hydrogen—whether they drink it, get it through an IV, or breathe it in—and measured how much hydrogen stays in their bodies so doctors can use it properly as a treatment.
Key Finding
Three safe and practical delivery methods for molecular hydrogen were established with standardized protocols for measuring hydrogen concentration in drinking water, intravenous saline, and inhaled gas forms.
Summary
Researchers developed three practical methods for delivering molecular hydrogen (H2, a gas) to patients: drinking hydrogen-saturated water, receiving hydrogen-rich salt water through an IV, and inhaling hydrogen gas. The study measured how much hydrogen was present in each delivery system over time to create safe, standardized procedures that hospitals and researchers could use consistently.
Practical Takeaway
This study focused on the technical development of hydrogen delivery devices rather than testing health effects in people. While it provides useful standardization for how hydrogen can be safely administered, it does not demonstrate whether hydrogen water or other delivery methods actually benefit human health. More research testing these methods in actual patients would be needed to determine clinical value.
Abstract
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is clinically administered; however, in some hospitals, H2 is given to patients without consideration of its safe use. In the present study, we prepared convenient and safe devices for the drinking of super-saturated H2 water, for intravenous drip infusion of H2-rich saline, and for the inhalation of H2 gas. In order to provide useful information for researchers using these devices, the changes in H2 concentration were studied. Our experimental results should contribute to the advance of non-clinical and clinical research in H2 medicine.