Hydrogen Water Shows Mixed Results for Type 2 Diabetes Patients
- Authors
- Susumu Ogawa, Yusuke Ohsaki, Manami Shimizu, Kazuhiro Nako, Masashi Okamura, Shigeru Kabayama, Kiyoshi Tabata, Yasuhisa Tanaka, Sadayoshi Ito
- Journal
- Diabetology International
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13340-021-00524-3
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Body System
- Endocrine
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water did not significantly improve insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes, but it did lower blood lactate levels, which might be beneficial.
Key Finding
Electrolyzed hydrogen-rich water did not significantly improve insulin resistance compared to filtered water, though it did reduce serum lactate levels that correlated with improvements in insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.
Summary
This study tested whether drinking electrolyzed hydrogen-rich water could help people with type 2 diabetes improve their insulin resistance (a condition where the body doesn't respond well to insulin). Fifty patients either drank hydrogen-rich water or regular filtered water for an unspecified period. While the hydrogen water didn't directly improve the main measure of insulin resistance, it did lower lactate levels (a substance in the blood), and this decrease was linked to better insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.
Practical Takeaway
This is a small, early-stage human trial that did not find the primary benefit the researchers were looking for. While the reduction in lactate levels is interesting and suggests hydrogen water may have some metabolic effects, the study's authors themselves concluded that larger and longer studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn about its usefulness for type 2 diabetes.
Abstract
Introduction: Electrolyzed hydrogen-rich water (EHW) is known to have suppressive effects on oxidative stress (OS). However, its benefit in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of EHW on T2DM. Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of 50 patients with T2DM who were assigned to the EHW or filtered water (FW) groups. The primary endpoint was changes in insulin resistance (IR) evaluated using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). OS markers such as urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine excretion (8-OHdG), plasma diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM), and plasma biological antioxidant potential (BAP) and other clinical data, including serum lactate concentration (lactate), were evaluated. Results: There were no significant differences in the changes in HOMA-IR between the EHW and FW groups. However, lactate levels decreased significantly in the EHW group, and this decrease was significantly correlated with a reduction in HOMA-IR, fasting plasma glucose, and fasting plasma insulin level. Serum lactate level also significantly correlated to decreased insulin bolus secretion after 90 min with glucose loading in the EHW subjects with HOMA-IR > 1.73. No EHW treatment-related adverse effects were observed. Conclusion: There were no significant effect of EHW in the change in HOMA-IR in this study; larger-scale and longer-term study are needed to verify the effects of EHW in T2DM patients. Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13340-021-00524-3.