Hydrogen Water May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease Brain Damage
- Authors
- Jin-Sun Lee, Seul-Ki Park, Sang-Kyu Park
- Journal
- Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences
- Year
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13530-016-0261-5
- Study Type
- Nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- South Korea
- Health Condition
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
A special type of water created through electrolysis, called electrolyzed-reduced water, may help delay the damaging effects of Alzheimer's disease in worms.
Key Finding
Electrolyzed-reduced water delayed amyloid beta-induced paralysis and age-related movement decline in worms through a cellular mechanism involving the DAF-16 protein.
Summary
Researchers tested electrolyzed-reduced water (water treated with electricity to add antioxidants) on tiny worms genetically engineered to produce amyloid beta, a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease. Worms drinking this water showed slower paralysis and better movement as they aged compared to control worms. The protective effect appeared to work through a specific cellular pathway involving a protein called DAF-16.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage study in worms only, not humans, so it cannot yet support any health claims about hydrogen water and Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest electrolyzed-reduced water may have antioxidant effects worth studying further, but human research would be needed to determine if similar benefits occur in people.
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disease. Extracellular aggregation of amyloid beta is a well-known hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and believed to be critical for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Lots of efforts have been put on finding an intervention alleviating amyloid beta toxicity. Electrolyzed-reduced water is generated near cathode by electrolysis of water and shown to have strong anti-oxidant and lifespan-extending activities in C. elegans. Here, we examined the effect of electrolyzed-reduced water on amyloid beta toxicity and investigated underlying cellular mechanism involved. Worms grown in media prepared with electrolyzedreduced water showed delayed amyloid beta-induced paralysis and age-related decline in motility. DAF-16, a FOXO transcription factor modulating insulin/IGF-1-like signal, is required for the protection against amyloid beta toxicity. These findings indicate that electrolyzed-reduced water can prevent amyloid beta toxicity via DAF-16 and suggest that electrolyzedreduced water could be utilized for the development of therapeutic intervention to Alzheimer’s disease.