Hydrogen Water Helps Reduce Gut Inflammation in Colitis Mice Study
Hydrogen-rich water partially alleviate inflammation, oxidative stress and intestinal flora dysbiosis in DSS-induced chronic ulcerative colitis mice
Research hubs: Digestive System · Immune System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Lihua Song, Yao Zhang, Chuang Zhu, Xinwen Ding, Li Yang, Hongli Yan
- Journal
- Advances in Medical Sciences
- Year
- 2021
- PMID
- 34784538
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Water (Dissolved)
- Dose
- 0.8 ppm hydrogen-rich water administered daily throughout the experiment (62 days total)
- H₂ concentration
- 0.8 ppm
- Duration
- 62 days
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 34 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water helped reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and harmful bacteria in mice with a condition similar to human ulcerative colitis.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water partially reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, and harmful bacterial overgrowth in mice with chronic ulcerative colitis, while also lowering inflammatory markers like TNF-α and increasing protective antioxidants.
Summary
Researchers gave mice with artificially-induced ulcerative colitis (a chronic intestinal inflammation disease) hydrogen-rich water to see if it could help. The hydrogen-rich water reduced inflammation markers, boosted the mice's natural antioxidant defenses (protective molecules that fight cellular damage), and helped restore a healthier balance of gut bacteria. The treatment also affected the activity of hundreds of genes, particularly those involved in inflammation.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage mouse study suggests hydrogen-rich water may help address some of the underlying problems in ulcerative colitis, but these results cannot yet be applied to humans. Much more research, including human clinical trials, would be needed to determine if hydrogen water could be beneficial for people with this condition.
Abstract (excerpt)
Purpose: Oxidative damage and intestinal flora dysbiosis play important roles in the progression of chronic ulcerative colitis (UC). This study explored the effect and mechanism of molecular hydrogen in chronic UC. Materials and methods: Male C57BL/6 mice (19.6 ± 0.4 g, 7 weeks) were randomly…