Hydrogen Water Reduces Mouth Sores from Cancer Radiation

Authors
Journal
Gut Microbes Reports
Year
DOI
10.1080/29933935.2025.2595392
Study Type
Mouse
Outcome
Positive
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
China
Health Condition
Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis
Body System
Oral

TL;DR

Hydrogen-rich water reduced radiation-induced oral mucositis and restored gut barrier function by modulating inflammation and the microbiome in a mouse model.

Key Finding

Hydrogen-rich water reduced radiation damage to the mouth and intestines in mice and partially restored healthy gut bacteria populations that radiation had disrupted.

Summary

Researchers gave mice head and neck radiation (similar to cancer treatment) and found it damaged tissue in both the mouth and intestines, along with harmful changes to gut bacteria. When these mice drank hydrogen-rich water, the mouth damage improved, the intestinal lining strengthened, and the gut bacteria shifted back toward healthier types. The study suggests hydrogen-rich water may help protect against radiation damage by reducing inflammation and stabilizing beneficial bacteria.

Practical Takeaway

This is an early-stage mouse study, so results cannot yet be applied to humans. While the findings are promising and suggest hydrogen-rich water may help protect against radiation-related mouth damage through multiple mechanisms, human clinical trials would be needed before any health recommendations could be made for cancer patients undergoing head and neck radiation.

Abstract

Radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) frequently complicates head and neck radiotherapy, leading to severe pain, compromised nutrition, and often requiring treatment modifications. Although craniofacial-only irradiation is confined to the head and neck region, it can still disrupt gut homeostasis. Mice subjected to head and neck irradiation developed marked epithelial damage in both the oral and intestinal mucosa, as evidenced by pronounced RIOM and diminished barrier integrity. Histological examination revealed substantial mucosal thinning and leukocyte infiltration in the tongue, along with reduced occludin and ZO-1 expression in colonic tissues. Supplementation with hydrogen-rich water (HW) markedly decreased the severity of oral lesions and preserved epithelial thickness, while restoring the expression of tight junction proteins in the colon. Fecal 16S rRNA sequencing showed that radiation alone provoked expansions of Streptococcus and Helicobacter, coupled with a decline in short-chain fatty acid-producing families (Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae). In contrast, HW supplementation partially reversed these microbial shifts, which correlated with reduced oral inflammatory markers. Collectively, these findings underscore an oral-gut axis whereby HW fosters mucosal healing through microbiome stabilization and decreased inflammatory stress, suggesting that HW as a promising adjunct for managing head and neck irradiation-related complications.