Hydrogen Water Protects Against Cell Damage and Restores Health in Mice
- Authors
- Davide Mizzoni, Mariantonia Logozzi, Rossella Di Raimo, Massimo Spada, Stefano Fais
- Journal
- International Joutnal of Molecular Sciences
- Year
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.3390/ijms25126736
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Italy
- Health Condition
- Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich alkaline water reduced oxidative stress and DNA damage in mice treated with a harmful substance.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich alkaline water reduced harmful free radicals and DNA damage in mice exposed to hydrogen peroxide, while increasing the body's natural antioxidant defenses.
Summary
Researchers gave mice hydrogen-rich alkaline water to see if it could counteract damage caused by hydrogen peroxide, a chemical that creates harmful molecules called free radicals in the body. Mice that drank the hydrogen-rich water showed lower levels of these harmful molecules, higher levels of a natural antioxidant called glutathione, and less damage to their DNA compared to untreated mice.
Practical Takeaway
This study was conducted only in mice exposed to a specific chemical stressor, so it cannot be directly applied to human health. While the results suggest hydrogen-rich water may have antioxidant effects in this controlled laboratory setting, human studies would be needed to determine whether similar benefits occur in people under normal conditions.
Abstract
Water is a major requirement for our bodies, and alkaline water has induced an antioxidant response in a model of natural aging. A series of recent reports have shown that aging is related to reduced water intake. Hydrogen-rich water has been suggested to exert a general antioxidant effect in relation to both improving lifestyle and preventing a series of diseases. Here, we wanted to investigate the effect of the daily intake of hydrogen-rich alkaline water (HAW) in counteracting the redox imbalance induced in a model of H2O2-treated mice. Mice were treated with H2O2 for two weeks and either left untreated or supplied with HAW. The results show that HAW induced a reduction in the ROS plasmatic levels that was consistent with the increase in the circulating glutathione. At the same time, the reduction in plasmatic 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine was associated with reduced DNA damage in the whole body. Further analysis of the spleen and bone marrow cells showed a reduced ROS content consistent with a significantly reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and superoxide accumulation and an increase in spontaneous proliferation. This study provides evidence for a clear preventive and curative effect of HAW in a condition of systemic toxic condition and redox imbalance.