Electrolyzed Water Shows Promise for Fighting Infections and Disease
- Authors
- Bo-Kai Chen, Chin-Kun Wang
- Journal
- Molecules
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.3390/molecules27041222
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Taiwan
- Health Condition
- Bacterial Infections
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Scientists created a special type of water using electricity that can kill germs and bacteria, and early studies suggest it might also help heal wounds and prevent diseases like diabetes and cancer. This matters because it's cheap, safe, and could be used in hospitals, farms, and food production instead of harsh chemical cleaners.
Key Finding
Electrolyzed water shows antimicrobial properties in laboratory and animal studies, with reported effects on wound healing and potential applications in treating infections and preventing chronic diseases, though human clinical evidence remains limited.
Summary
This review article summarizes research on electrolyzed water (EW), a liquid created by passing an electric current through salt water. The article describes two types: acidic electrolyzed water, which kills bacteria and disinfects, and basic electrolyzed water, which is claimed to promote health. The review collects findings from laboratory and animal studies suggesting electrolyzed water may help with wound healing, oral health, blood sugar control, and fighting infections, though most evidence comes from animal experiments rather than human trials.
Practical Takeaway
While this review suggests electrolyzed water has antimicrobial properties supported by laboratory and animal research, most claims about health benefits come from non-human studies. The review itself notes that further clinical trials in humans are needed to establish whether these effects actually work in people and to determine safe and effective treatment protocols. Anyone considering electrolyzed water for health purposes should consult a healthcare provider, as robust human evidence is currently lacking.
Abstract
Electrolyzed water (EW) is a new type of cleaning and disinfecting agent obtained by means of electrolysis with a dilute sodium chloride solution. It has low cost and harm to the human body and is also friendly to the environment. The anode produces acidic electrolyzed water (AEW), which is mainly used to inhibit bacterial growth and disinfect. The cathode provides basic electrolyzed water (BEW), which is implemented to promote human health. EW is a powerful multifunctional antibacterial agent with a wide range of applications in the medicine, agriculture, and food industry. Studies in vitro and in vivo show that it has an inhibitory effect on pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Therefore, EW is used to prevent chronic diseases, while it has been found to be effective against various kinds of infectious viruses. Animal experiments and clinical trials clearly showed that it accelerates wound healing, and has positive effects in oral health care, anti-obesity, lowering blood sugar, anti-cancer and anti-infectious viral diseases. This review article summarizes the application of EW in treating bacteria and viruses, the prevention of chronic diseases, and health promotion.