Hydrogen Water Protects Kidneys from Damage in Rats

Authors
Journal
Journal of Surgical Research
Year
DOI
10.1016/j.jss.2010.11.005
Study Type
Rat
Outcome
Positive
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
China
Health Condition
Acute Kidney Injury
Body System
Renal

TL;DR

Hydrogen-rich saline can reduce kidney damage caused by temporary loss and restoration of blood flow in rats.

Key Finding

Hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced oxidative stress markers, inflammatory molecules, and kidney cell death in rats with ischemia/reperfusion injury, while preserving the activity of the kidney's natural antioxidant enzymes.

Summary

Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen gas) could protect rat kidneys from damage caused by temporarily cutting off blood flow and then restoring it. They found that hydrogen-rich saline reduced markers of cellular damage, decreased inflammation, and preserved the kidney's natural antioxidant defenses better than regular saline, while also reducing cell death in kidney tissue.

Practical Takeaway

This rat study suggests hydrogen-rich saline may help protect kidneys from damage during ischemia/reperfusion events, but these results are preliminary and from animal studies only. Human clinical trials would be needed to determine if hydrogen water or hydrogen-rich saline could have similar protective effects in people facing kidney injury risk.

Abstract (excerpt)

Recently it has been demonstrated that hydrogen, as a novel antioxidant, can selectively reduce hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and peroxynitrite anion (ONOO-) in vitro and exert therapeutic antioxidant activity in many diseases. This study was designed to investigate the effect of hydrogen-rich saline…

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