Hydrogen Water Protects Liver from Damage in Mouse Study
Effects of oral intake of hydrogen water on liver fibrogenesis in mice
Research hubs: Digestive System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Yukinori Koyama, Kojiro Taura, Etsuro Hatano, Kazutaka Tanabe, Gen Yamamoto, Kojiro Nakamura, Kenya Yamanaka, Koji Kitamura, Masato Narita, Hiromitsu Nagata, Atsuko Yanagida, Taku Iida, Keiko Iwaisako, Hikohito Fujinawa, Shinji Uemoto
- Journal
- Hepatology Research
- Year
- 2014
- PMID
- 23682614
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Water (Dissolved)
- Dose
- oral intake of hydrogen water
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 42 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water helped reduce liver damage in mice by targeting harmful oxygen molecules, but it didn't work in all types of liver injury models.
Key Finding
Oral hydrogen water suppressed liver fibrosis in mice by protecting liver cells from oxidative damage, though this protective effect did not occur in all types of liver injury models tested.
Summary
Researchers gave mice hydrogen-enriched water or regular water, then induced liver damage using different methods to see if hydrogen water could prevent liver scarring (fibrosis). Hydrogen water significantly reduced liver scarring in two of the three damage models tested. In lab experiments, hydrogen water protected liver cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called hydroxyl radicals (a type of reactive oxygen species), which are involved in liver injury.
Practical Takeaway
This animal study suggests hydrogen water may help protect liver cells from oxidative stress-related damage, but these are early findings in mice only. The effect was not universal across all liver injury types, and human studies would be needed to determine if these results apply to people with liver disease.
Abstract (excerpt)
AimLiver fibrosis is the universal consequence of chronic liver diseases. Sustained hepatocyte injury initiates an inflammatory response, thereby activating hepatic stellate cells, the principal fibrogenic cells in the liver. Reactive oxygen species are involved in liver injury and are a promising…