Hydrogen Water Improves Body Composition and Metabolism in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome
Effects Of 12-Week Hydrogen-Rich Water Consumption on Body Composition and Metabolic Biomarkers in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome Stratified by Breath Hydrogen Levels: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Research hubs: Metabolic Syndrome · Cardiovascular System · Endocrine System
- Authors
- Nikola Todorovic, David Nedeljkovic, Darinka Korovljev, Milos Obrenovic, Laszlo Ratgeber, Jozsef Betlehem, Viktoria Premusz, Pongrac Acs, Alex Tarnava, Sergej M. Ostojic
- Journal
- Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.37290/ctnr.v23i2.29
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Serbia
- Health Condition
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) improved body composition and several metabolic health markers in adults with metabolic syndrome, with greater benefits observed in those with lower baseline breath hydrogen levels.
Key Finding
Adults with metabolic syndrome who drank hydrogen-rich water for 12 weeks showed significant reductions in waist circumference, body fat, fasting blood glucose, and cholesterol compared to those who drank placebo water, with the largest benefits seen in those with lower baseline breath hydrogen levels.
Summary
This 12-week randomized controlled trial tested whether drinking hydrogen-rich water (water infused with molecular hydrogen gas) could improve health markers in 40 adults with metabolic syndrome — a condition involving a combination of high blood sugar, excess belly fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels that raises the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Participants drank either 1,000 mL of hydrogen-rich water or plain placebo water daily. Those who drank hydrogen-rich water showed significant improvements in body weight, waist size, body fat, blood sugar, cholesterol, and a marker of inflammation called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. People who started the study with lower natural hydrogen production (measured through breath testing) tended to benefit more.
Practical Takeaway
This human trial suggests that drinking hydrogen-rich water daily may support improvements in several markers of metabolic syndrome, including body composition and blood sugar. The findings also raise the possibility that people who naturally produce less hydrogen in their gut may respond more strongly — though with only 40 participants, larger trials are needed to confirm these results and the personalized dosing concept.
Abstract (excerpt)
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) has been proposed as a nutritional strategy to improve metabolic health, although individual differences in endogenous hydrogen production may…