Hydrogen Water Protects Brain Cells in Parkinson's Disease Study
- Authors
- Kyota Fujita, Toshihiro Seike, Noriko Yutsudo, Mizuki Ohno, Hidetaka Yamada, Hiroo Yamaguchi, Kunihiko Sakumi, Yukiko Yamakawa, Mizuho A. Kido, Atsushi Takaki, Toshihiko Katafuchi, Yoshinori Tanaka, Yusaku Nakabeppu, Mami Noda
- Journal
- PLoS One
- Year
- 2009
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0007247
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Parkinson's Disease
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Drinking water with a small amount of hydrogen gas can protect the brain from damage linked to oxidative stress, which may help prevent or slow down neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-enriched drinking water significantly protected dopamine-producing brain cells from damage in mice with a Parkinson's disease model, with protective effects observed even at very low hydrogen concentrations (0.08 ppm).
Summary
Researchers gave mice a Parkinson's disease-like condition and then provided some of them with drinking water containing hydrogen gas. The mice that drank hydrogen water showed significantly less damage to brain cells that produce dopamine (a chemical important for movement and mood), compared to mice that drank regular water. The protective effect occurred even at very low hydrogen concentrations, and the researchers found that hydrogen reduced markers of cellular damage caused by oxidative stress (harmful chemical reactions in cells).
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage animal study suggests hydrogen water may help protect against oxidative stress in the brain, but it is only a mouse study and does not demonstrate whether these effects would occur in humans. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before any health claims could be made about hydrogen water and neurological health.
Abstract (excerpt)
It has been shown that molecular hydrogen (H(2)) acts as a therapeutic antioxidant and suppresses brain injury by buffering the effects of oxidative stress. Chronic oxidative stress causes neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we show that drinking H(2)-containing water…