How Water Type and Storage Affect Hydrogen Water Quality and Benefits
- Authors
- Nobuhiko Miwa, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Fumio Teraoka, Masafumi Nakagawa
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.4103/2045-9912.285559
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Oral Health
TL;DR
This study shows that the quality of water before electrolysis, temperature, and container material affect the levels of hydrogen and antioxidant potential in hydrogen-water, which can temporarily alter the antioxidant properties of saliva when used for oral care or drinking.
Key Finding
Mineral content, temperature, and container material significantly affect how much hydrogen remains dissolved in hydrogen-water, with aluminum and stainless steel containers preserving hydrogen far better than plastics.
Summary
Researchers tested how different water properties and storage methods affect the amount of dissolved hydrogen in hydrogen-water made by electrolysis machines. They found that water with more minerals produced less hydrogen, pure water produced very little hydrogen, and temperature affected hydrogen levels. Metal containers (aluminum and stainless steel) kept hydrogen in the water much better than plastic containers. When people rinsed their mouth or drank hydrogen-water, their saliva showed temporary changes in oxidation-reduction potential (a measure related to oxidative stress), and drinking it regularly for several weeks appeared to cause longer-lasting changes.
Practical Takeaway
If you use a hydrogen-water generator, this study suggests using mineral-rich or moderately hard water rather than purified water, keeping the water cool, and storing it in metal rather than plastic containers to maintain hydrogen levels. The study also indicates that drinking hydrogen-water may produce temporary changes in mouth chemistry, though the long-term significance of these changes is unclear and requires further research.
Abstract (excerpt)
Widely distributed electrolytic-generators for hydrogen-water are not fully considered for the dependencies of post-electrolytic values of the dissolved hydrogen concentration (DH) and the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) on the properties of the pre-electrolytic water. We investigated…