Hydrogen Therapy Reduces Blood Clotting in Lab Study
- Authors
- Satoru Takeuchi, Kojiro Wada, Kimihiro Nagatani, Hideo Osada, Naoki Otani, Hiroshi Nawashiro
- Journal
- Internal Medicine
- Year
- 2012
- DOI
- 10.2169/internalmedicine.51.7161
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Blood Clotting Disorders
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Hydrogen treatment can reduce the clumping together of blood platelets that is triggered by collagen.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline and hydrogen gas both significantly reduced collagen-induced platelet aggregation in human blood samples and in rats, suggesting hydrogen may modulate platelet activation.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen could reduce platelet clumping (a process involved in blood clotting) triggered by collagen. They used blood samples from six healthy people and also tested hydrogen in rats. In both cases, hydrogen-rich solutions significantly reduced the clumping response compared to regular saline, suggesting hydrogen may have an effect on how platelets (blood cells involved in clotting) behave.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage research in human blood samples and rats suggests hydrogen might influence platelet function, but these are laboratory and animal studies only—not human trials. Much more research would be needed to determine whether hydrogen water could have any practical effect on blood clotting or cardiovascular health in people.
Abstract (excerpt)
Hydrogen selectively reduces hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite, and numerous experimental and clinical studies suggest that hydrogen can exert potent cellular protective effects against a wide variety of diseases. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that antioxidants can modulate platelet…