Hydrogen Water Reduces Dialysis Side Effects in Kidney Patients
Electrolyzed-reduced water reduced hemodialysis-induced erythrocyte impairment in end-stage renal disease patients
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System
- Evidence type
- Controlled trial (non-randomized) · Human study
- Authors
- K.-C. Huang, C.-C. Yang, S.-P. Hsu, K.-T. Lee, H.-W. Liu, S. Morisawa, K. Otsubo, C.-T. Chien
- Journal
- Kidney International
- Year
- 2006
- PMID
- 16760903
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 43
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Dose
- ERW administration for 6 months
- Duration
- 6 months
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 56 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Taiwan
TL;DR
Drinking electrolyte-reduced water (ERW) can help reduce blood damage and inflammation caused by long-term hemodialysis treatment.
Key Finding
Electrolyzed-reduced water reduced oxidative stress and red blood cell damage in dialysis patients over 6 months, improving blood cell counts and reducing inflammatory markers without the side effects seen with vitamin C supplementation.
Summary
This study tested whether electrolyzed-reduced water (water treated with electricity to add hydrogen) could help protect red blood cells in 43 patients undergoing long-term kidney dialysis. Dialysis treatment normally damages red blood cells through oxidative stress (a type of cellular damage). After 6 months of drinking electrolyzed-reduced water, patients showed improved red blood cell counts, reduced markers of cell damage, and lower levels of inflammation compared to patients who received standard dialysis or other antioxidant treatments.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests electrolyzed-reduced water may help protect red blood cells during dialysis treatment, though the study size (43 patients) is modest and results should be confirmed in larger trials before drawing firm conclusions. The finding is encouraging because it showed benefits comparable to other antioxidant treatments without certain complications, but more research is needed to determine if these effects would be meaningful for dialysis patients in practice.
Abstract (excerpt)
Chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients increase erythrocyte susceptibility to hemolysis and impair cell survival. We explored whether electrolyte-reduced water (ERW) could palliate HD-evoked erythrocyte impairment and anemia. Forty-three patients undergoing chronic HD were enrolled and received ERW…