Hydrogen Water Shows Promise for Memory Loss in At-Risk Individuals
- Authors
- Kiyomi Nishimaki, Takashi Asada, Ikuroh Ohsawa, Etsuko Nakajima, Chiaki Ikejima, Takashi Yokota, Naomi Kamimura, Shigeo Ohta
- Journal
- Current Alzheimer Research
- Year
- 2018
- DOI
- 10.2174/1567205014666171106145017
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-infused water may help reduce brain damage and memory loss in mice and improve cognitive function in certain people at risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Key Finding
In people with mild cognitive impairment who carry the APOE4 gene variant, drinking H2-water for one year significantly improved cognitive test scores and word recall compared to placebo, though the overall study group showed no significant benefit.
Summary
Researchers tested whether water infused with molecular hydrogen (H2) could help protect the brain from damage caused by oxidative stress (a harmful chemical process). In mice with a genetic condition that causes memory problems, H2-water reduced markers of oxidative stress and slowed memory decline. In a one-year study of 73 people with mild cognitive impairment (early memory problems), H2-water didn't help the overall group, but it did improve memory and cognitive test scores in people who carry a specific gene variant called APOE4.
Practical Takeaway
This early evidence suggests H2-water may help protect memory in people with the APOE4 genetic variant and mild cognitive impairment, but the results are limited to one genetic subgroup in a small study. More research is needed to confirm these findings and determine whether H2-water benefits people without this specific gene variant. Anyone concerned about cognitive decline should consult a healthcare provider rather than relying on H2-water alone.
Abstract
Background: Oxidative stress is one of the causative factors in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. We previously reported that molecular hydrogen (H2) acts as a therapeutic and preventive antioxidant. Objective: We assess the effects of drinking H2-water (water infused with H2) on oxidative stress model mice and subjects with MCI. Methods: Transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative form of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 were used as a dementia model. The mice with enhanced oxidative stress were allowed to drink H2-water. For a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study, 73 subjects with MCI drank ~300 mL of H2-water (H2-group) or placebo water (control group) per day, and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) scores were determined after 1 year. Results: In mice, drinking H2-water decreased oxidative stress markers and suppressed the decline of memory impairment and neurodegeneration. Moreover, the mean lifespan in the H2-water group was longer than that of the control group. In MCI subjects, although there was no significant difference between the H2- and control groups in ADAS-cog score after 1 year, carriers of the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) genotype in the H2-group were improved significantly on total ADAS-cog score and word recall task score (one of the sub-scores in the ADAS-cog score). Conclusion: H2-water may have a potential for suppressing dementia in an oxidative stress model and in the APOE4 carriers with MCI.