Hydrogen Water Protects Brain After Traumatic Injury in Rats
- Authors
- Runfa Tian, Zonggang Hou, Shuyu Hao, Weichuan Wu, Xiang Mao, Xiaogang Tao, Te Lu, Baiyun Liu
- Journal
- Brain Research
- Year
- 2015
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.01.029
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) helped reduce brain damage and inflammation in rats after a traumatic brain injury.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water reduced brain damage and inflammation in rats with traumatic brain injury, improving survival rates and neurological function compared to control animals.
Summary
Researchers gave rats with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) either hydrogen-rich water or regular water to see if it would help reduce brain damage. Rats that received hydrogen-rich water showed better survival rates, less brain swelling, better blood-brain barrier function (a protective layer around the brain), and improved neurological function compared to the control group. The hydrogen-rich water also reduced inflammatory markers (chemical signals that cause inflammation) in the brain tissue.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen-rich water may help protect the brain after traumatic injury by reducing inflammation, but it is early-stage research in animals only. Human studies would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about its potential use in TBI patients.
Abstract (excerpt)
Inflammation and oxidative stress are the two major causes of apoptosis after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Most previous studies of the neuroprotective effects of hydrogen-rich water on TBI primarily focused on antioxidant effects. The present study investigated whether hydrogen-rich water (HRW)…