Hydrogen Water Shows No Benefit for Bladder Pain in Clinical Trial

Drinking hydrogen-rich water did not significantly help most patients with bladder pain syndrome compared to a placebo.

Hydrogen-rich water did not reduce interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome symptoms more effectively than placebo water in this randomized controlled trial.

Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich water could help people with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (a chronic condition causing bladder pain and urinary urgency). In a controlled study of 28 participants who received either hydrogen-rich water or regular water for 8 weeks, both groups experienced reduced bladder pain. However, hydrogen-rich water worked no better than placebo water overall, though it did help a small group (11%) of patients significantly.

This human study suggests hydrogen-rich water is not an effective treatment for interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome as a whole, though the small sample size (28 people) and the fact that both groups improved means more research would be needed to fully understand its role. The finding that a small subset benefited suggests individual responses may vary, but current evidence does not support using it as a standard treatment for this condition.

To investigate the efficacy of hydrogen-rich water for the treatment of patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of hydrogen-rich water in patients with IC/PBS. Inclusion criteria…

Read the full abstract on PubMed