Hydrogen Water Protects Hearts from Damage During Heart Attacks
- Authors
- Liangtong Li, Tongtong Liu, Li Liu, Shaochun Li, Zhe Zhang, Ruisha Zhang, Yujuan Zhou, Fulin Liu
- Journal
- Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10863-019-09814-7
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Drinking water enriched with hydrogen gas may help protect the heart from damage caused by temporary loss and restoration of blood flow by activating a protective signaling pathway in the body.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water activated protective cellular pathways in rat heart tissue, significantly increasing antioxidant proteins and reducing oxidative stress markers during simulated heart attack and blood flow restoration.
Summary
Researchers studied whether hydrogen-rich water could protect rat heart tissue from damage caused by temporarily cutting off blood flow and then restoring it (a condition called ischemia-reperfusion injury). They compared hearts treated with hydrogen-rich water to untreated hearts and measured levels of protective proteins and antioxidants (substances that reduce harmful chemical damage). Hearts treated with hydrogen-rich water showed higher levels of protective proteins and antioxidants, and experienced less oxidative stress damage compared to untreated hearts.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage rat study showing hydrogen-rich water may have heart-protective properties at the cellular level. However, these results are from isolated rat hearts in a laboratory setting, not living animals or humans, so it's unclear whether the same effects would occur in people. More research, including human studies, would be needed before drawing conclusions about health benefits.
Abstract (excerpt)
The effects of hydrogen-rich water on oxidative stress via the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway were studied in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). Sixty rats were randomly divided into a hydrogen-rich water group and a control group, with 30 rats in each group. The two groups were…