Hydrogen Water Speeds Up Wound Healing in Diabetic Rats
Effect of hydrogen-enriched water on healing of excisional full-layer skin wounds in diabetic and non-diabetic rats
Research hubs: Skin & Dermatology System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Muhammed Deniz, Yeliz Akkuş, Gülden Yıldız, Hatice Beşeren Havadar, Mustafa Makav
- Journal
- Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology
- Year
- 2025
- PMID
- 40643649
- Study Type
- Rat
- Participants
- 38
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Dose
- HRW dressing once a day for 14 days
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 0 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Turkey
TL;DR
Daily hydrogen-enriched water dressings sped up wound healing in both diabetic and non-diabetic rats by reducing inflammation and boosting tissue repair.
Key Finding
Wounds dressed with hydrogen-enriched water closed significantly faster in both diabetic and non-diabetic rats, with reduced inflammatory markers and improved tissue repair compared to saline-treated wounds.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-enriched water (water infused with hydrogen gas) could improve wound healing in rats with and without diabetes. They created identical skin wounds in both groups and dressed some wounds with hydrogen-enriched water and others with saline (salt water) for 14 days. Wounds treated with hydrogen-enriched water closed faster and showed lower levels of inflammatory markers (chemical signals that cause swelling and inflammation), along with better tissue repair activity.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen-enriched water may support faster wound healing, particularly by reducing inflammation. However, this is early-stage animal research only—human studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn about its effectiveness for people with diabetes or other wound conditions.
Abstract (excerpt)
This study was carried out in an experimental study design with experimental and control groups to investigate the effect of hydrogen-enriched water (HRW) on healing in excisional full-layer skin wounds. The rats were divided into diabetic group (n = 20) and non-diabetic group (n = 18) (n = 38)…