Long-Term Hydrogen Therapy Changes Body Chemistry in Healthy Rats
- Authors
- Zhi-ming Xun, Qing-hui Zhao, Yan Zhang, Fang-di Ju, Jin He, Ting-ting Yao, Xiao-kang Zhang, Yang Yi, Sheng-nan Ma, Peng-xiang Zhao, Xiao-yan Jin, Ying-xian Li, Xiao-yang Li, Xue-mei Ma, Fei Xie
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-020-75492-w
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Healthy/Normal Physiology
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas or drinking hydrogen-rich water can significantly affect heart-related enzymes and other blood markers, with inhalation showing stronger effects than drinking.
Key Finding
Long-term hydrogen administration altered multiple blood chemistry markers in healthy rats, with hydrogen inhalation producing more pronounced changes than hydrogen-rich water intake.
Summary
Researchers gave rats hydrogen through two methods—drinking hydrogen-rich water or breathing hydrogen gas—for six months and measured changes in blood chemistry. Both methods caused significant changes in 13 different blood markers, with the most notable changes in enzymes related to heart muscle. Breathing hydrogen gas produced stronger effects than drinking hydrogen-rich water.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests that different ways of delivering hydrogen to the body may have different effects on blood chemistry. However, this is animal research only, and it's unclear whether these changes in rats would apply to humans or whether they would be beneficial or harmful. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before drawing any conclusions about hydrogen's effects on health.
Abstract
The potential therapeutic effects of molecular hydrogen (H2) have now been confirmed in various human and animal-disease models. However, the effects of H2 on the physiological function in a normal state have been largely neglected. Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) intake and hydrogen inhalation (HI) are the most common used methods for hydrogen administration, the difference in the effects between HRW intake and HI remains elusive. In the present study, the body weight and 13 serum biochemical parameters were monitored during the six-month hydrogen intervention, all these parameters were significantly altered by oral intake of HRW or HI. Among the 13 parameters, the most striking alterations induced by hydrogen treatment were observed in serum myocardial enzymes spectrum. The results also showed that the changes in these parameters occurred at different time points, and the alterations in most of the parameters were much more significant in HI than HRW. The results of this study provides the basic data for the mechanism research and application of molecular hydrogen in the future.