Hydrogen Water Reduces Gum Inflammation in Periodontitis Study
- Authors
- Markus B. Rahardjo, Rini D. Ridwan, Delaneira A.D. Hikmah
- Journal
- Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
- Year
- 2018
- DOI
- 10.4314/tjpr.v17i2.6
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Indonesia
- Health Condition
- Aggressive Periodontitis
- Body System
- Oral
TL;DR
Drinking electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) can reduce inflammation-causing cells in rats with severe gum disease without affecting certain damage indicators.
Key Finding
Electrolyzed reduced water reduced neutrophil cell accumulation in gum tissue of rats with aggressive periodontitis by approximately 74% compared to control water.
Summary
Researchers gave rats with a severe gum infection either regular water or electrolyzed reduced water (water treated with electricity to increase hydrogen content and raise pH). After three days of treatment, the rats receiving electrolyzed reduced water had significantly fewer neutrophil cells (immune cells that accumulate during inflammation) in their gum tissue compared to the control group. Markers of oxidative stress (cellular damage) showed only minor differences between groups.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study suggesting electrolyzed reduced water may have anti-inflammatory effects on gum disease, but the findings cannot yet be applied to humans. The study was very short (three days) and conducted only in rats, so much more research—including human trials—would be needed before drawing any conclusions about its usefulness for people with gum disease.
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the effects of electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) on malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and neutrophil cells in Wistar rats suffering from aggressive periodontitis. Methods: Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were infected with A. actinomycetemcomitans before being divided into a control group and a treatment group. The control group was treated orally with distilled water (pH 7.0), while the treatment group was administered with ERW (pH 9.8, 20 ml/day) for three successive days. Gingival tissue taken post-treatment was examined to determine the number of neutrophils and MDA level. Hematoxylin eosin staining was performed to identify neutrophil cells while MDA levels were determined by colorimetric assay. Results: The number of neutrophils in the control group (30.04 ± 15.30) was higher than that of the treatment group (7.76 ± 2.52), while the MDA levels of the control and treatment groups were 4.58 ± 0.66 and 4.30 ± 0.81, respectively (p < 0.05). Conclusion: ERW demonstrates the ability to reduce neutrophil cells without altering MDA levels in Wistar rats suffering from aggressive periodontitis. This is an indication that ERW was an effective material to manage aggressive periodontitis. © 2018, Pharmacotherapy Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, 300001 Nigeria.