Hydrogen Water Improves Blood Sugar in Pre-Diabetic Patients
- Authors
- Bing Liang, Le Shi, Dongyue Du, Hua Li, Ning Yi, Yue Xi, Jianjiao Cui, Ping Li, Hongbin Kang, Mami Noda, Sun Xuejun, Jiankang Liu, Shucun Qin, Jiangang Long
- Journal
- Antioxidants
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.3390/antiox12061245
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Impaired Fasting Glucose
- Body System
- Endocrine
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) slightly improved blood sugar levels and gut health in people with higher-than-normal fasting blood sugar.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water produced greater reductions in fasting blood glucose and higher fatty liver remission rates (62.5% vs. 31.6%) compared to placebo water in people with impaired fasting glucose, with effects potentially linked to changes in gut bacteria composition.
Summary
This study tested whether drinking hydrogen-rich water could help people with impaired fasting glucose (higher-than-normal blood sugar levels when fasting). Seventy-three patients drank either hydrogen-rich water or regular water for eight weeks. The hydrogen-rich water group showed greater reductions in fasting blood glucose and higher rates of fatty liver improvement compared to the placebo group. The researchers also found that hydrogen water changed the composition of gut bacteria (microbiota) in ways that correlated with improvements in metabolic markers.
Practical Takeaway
This human study suggests hydrogen-rich water may modestly support blood sugar regulation and metabolic health in people with impaired fasting glucose, though improvements were small. However, this is an early-stage finding from a single study; larger and longer studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions about whether hydrogen water should be used as a treatment for glucose or metabolic issues.
Abstract
Objective: Molecular hydrogen (H2) exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, and has shown benefits in glucose and lipid metabolism in certain animal metabolic disorder models. However, the potential benefits of H2 treatment in individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) has seldom been studied. This randomized controlled study (RCT) aims to investigate the effects of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on IFG subjects and explore the underlying mechanism involved. Methods: Seventy-three patients with IFG were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. These patients were assigned to receive either 1000 mL per day of HRW or placebo pure water (no H2 infusion) for a duration of eight weeks. Metabolic parameters and fecal gut microbiota were assessed at baseline (week 0) and at week 8. A combined analysis of metabolomics and intestinal microbiota was conducted to investigate the correlation between the effect of H2 on the metabolisms and the diversity of intestinal flora in the IGF patients. Results: Both pure water and HRW demonstrated a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose in IFG patients, with a significant difference between pure water and HRW after eight weeks. Among IFG patients with abnormal pre-experimental fatty liver, 62.5% (10/16) in the HRW group and 31.6% (6/19) in the pure water group achieved remission. Furthermore, 16S RNA analysis revealed HRW-modified gut microbiota dysbiosis in the fecal samples of IGF patients. Through Pearson correlation analysis, the differential gut microbiota obtained by 16S analysis was found to be highly correlated with nine metabolites. Conclusion: H2 slightly improved metabolic abnormalities and gut microbiota dysbiosis, providing a novel target and theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of blood glucose regulation in patients with IFG.