Hydrogen Water Protects Bone Marrow from Radiation Damage in Mice
Hydrogen-Rich Water Ameliorates Total Body Irradiation-Induced Hematopoietic Stem Cell Injury by Reducing Hydroxyl Radical
Research hubs: Immune System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Junling Zhang, Xiaolei Xue, Xiaodan Han, Yuan Li, Lu Lu, Deguan Li, Saijun Fan
- Journal
- Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
- Year
- 2017
- PMID
- 28243358
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Water (Dissolved)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 34 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water helps protect the blood-forming stem cells in mice from damage caused by full-body radiation exposure.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water reduced harmful free radicals and DNA damage in blood-forming stem cells of irradiated mice, improving their survival and ability to multiply.
Summary
Researchers gave mice exposed to whole-body radiation either regular water or hydrogen-rich water to see if it could protect blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow. Mice that drank hydrogen-rich water showed less damage to these stem cells, including reduced harmful molecules called hydroxyl radicals, less DNA damage, and better cell survival and growth compared to mice that received regular water.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage mouse study showing hydrogen-rich water may help protect bone marrow cells from radiation damage. However, this is animal research only—human studies would be needed to determine if these effects apply to people undergoing cancer treatment. The study does not yet support using hydrogen water as a medical treatment.
Abstract (excerpt)
We examined whether consumption of hydrogen-rich water (HW) could ameliorate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) injury in mice with total body irradiation (TBI). The results indicated that HW alleviated TBI-induced HSC injury with respect to cell number alteration and to the self-renewal…