Hydrogen Water Protects Against Brain Injury in Rat Study
Hydrogen-rich water attenuates oxidative stress in rats with traumatic brain injury via Nrf2 pathway
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Jia Yuan, Difen Wang, Ying Liu, Xianjun Chen, Hailing Zhang, Feng Shen, Xu Liu, Jiangquan Fu
- Journal
- Journal of Surgical Research
- Year
- 2018
- PMID
- 29907217
- Study Type
- Rat
- Participants
- 78
- Delivery
- Water (Dissolved)
- Duration
- 1 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 62 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may help protect the brain from damage after a traumatic injury by reducing harmful oxidative stress and activating a protective protein pathway.
Key Finding
In rats with traumatic brain injury, hydrogen-rich water reduced oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules) and activated the Nrf2 protective pathway, resulting in improved survival rates and reduced neurological deficits.
Summary
Researchers gave rats with traumatic brain injury (a serious head injury) hydrogen-rich water and compared them to injured rats that didn't receive it. They found that hydrogen-rich water reduced harmful molecules called free radicals that damage brain cells after injury, and it activated a protective protein called Nrf2 that helps cells defend themselves. Rats treated with hydrogen-rich water had better survival rates and fewer neurological problems than untreated injured rats.
Practical Takeaway
This study provides early evidence that hydrogen-rich water may help protect brain cells after traumatic injury by reducing oxidative stress. However, this research was conducted only in rats, so it's unclear whether these effects would occur in humans. More research, including human studies, would be needed before hydrogen-rich water could be considered a treatment for traumatic brain injury.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Several studies have recently found that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and may represent a target in TBI treatment. Hydrogen-rich water was recently shown to exert neuroprotective effects in various neurological diseases…