Hydrogen Water Reduces Gut Inflammation Caused by Common Food Additive in Mice
- Authors
- Oumaima Anachad, Wafaa Taha, Hicham Wahnou, Imad Fenjar, Mohamed Rida Salam, Hasnae Zekhnini, Houssam Assoui, Amina Kardoudi, Abdelouaheb Benani, Faiza Bennis, Fatima Chegdani
- Journal
- Recent Advances in Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery
- Year
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.2174/0127722708469109260622071700
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Morocco
- Health Condition
- Colitis
- Body System
- Gastrointestinal
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich water reduced carrageenan-induced colitis in weaned mice, mainly by suppressing inflammation rather than altering gut bacteria.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water significantly reduced intestinal inflammation markers in mice with carrageenan-induced colitis, lowering pro-inflammatory molecules and partially restoring protective immune factors.
Summary
This preliminary study tested whether hydrogen-rich water could help reduce intestinal inflammation in weaned mice exposed to carrageenan, a food additive found in many processed foods. Mice that drank hydrogen-rich water showed reduced signs of colitis (intestinal inflammation), including better weight maintenance, shorter disease symptoms, and lower levels of inflammatory molecules, though the effect on beneficial gut bacteria was limited.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study that suggests hydrogen-rich water may help protect against food additive-induced intestinal inflammation, but it does not yet provide evidence for human use. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before any health recommendations could be made.
Abstract
Introduction: Food additives such as carrageenan, which are widely present in processed foods, can aggravate intestinal inflammation, particularly during the weaning period, a stage of high gut vulnerability. Weaned mice provide a relevant model to study how early dietary exposures influence intestinal health. This preliminary study explores the potential applicability of Hydrogen-rich Water (HRW), a non-pharmacological approach with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as an early-stage and potentially patentable supportive strategy against carrageenan-induced colitis. Methods: Weaned female Swiss albino mice were assigned to four groups: normal control, UC, HRW, and diclofenac. Except for controls, all groups were exposed to kappa-carrageenan in drinking water for three months to induce chronic colitis, followed by a two-week treatment with HRW or diclofenac. Clinical signs, colon length, histopathology, cytokine expression, and gut microbiota composition were analyzed. Results: Carrageenan exposure in weaned mice caused significant colitis, evidenced by body weight loss, an increase in disease activity index, colon shortening, and severe inflammatory lesions. Pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL1β, and IL6 were significantly upregulated with a concomitant decrease in IL10. HRW treatment significantly attenuated disease severity by reducing disease activity index, preserving colon length, decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and partially restoring IL10 expression. However, HRW had limited effects on the relative abundance of beneficial gut microbes such as Bifidobacterium spp. and Akkermansia spp. Discussion: These preliminary findings support existing evidence that early-life exposure to food additives disrupts immune regulation in the immature gut. The protective effects of HRW appear to be mainly host-mediated, suggesting an innovative but early-stage immunomodulatory mechanism rather than a microbiota-driven effect. Conclusion: Overall, this exploratory proof-of-concept study suggests that HRW may represent a promising and potentially patentable supportive approach for reducing diet-induced intestinal inflammation during weaning. Further validation is required before any translational or industrial application can be considered.