Hydrogen Water Protects Brain Cells from Stroke-Like Damage
Hydrogen-rich water reduces cell damage by reducing excessive autophagy in mouse neuronal cells after oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Cardiovascular System
This research was done on cells or tissue in a lab, not in people or animals.
- Evidence type
- Laboratory study (cells or tissue)
- Authors
- Yehong Li, Ying Liu, Junling Tao, Shixin Li
- Journal
- Chinese Critical Care Medicine
- Year
- 2023
- PMID
- 37366131
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Dose
- hydrogen-rich water in culture medium for 4 hours after 90 minutes OGD
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 0 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may help protect brain cells from damage caused by a lack of oxygen and glucose followed by reoxygenation.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water improved survival of brain cells damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation by about 29% compared to untreated damaged cells, and this protection was associated with reduced markers of excessive autophagy.
Summary
Researchers grew mouse brain cells in a lab and exposed them to conditions mimicking a stroke (lack of oxygen and sugar followed by restoration). When they treated damaged cells with hydrogen-rich water, the cells recovered better than untreated cells. The improvement appeared to work by reducing excessive autophagy (a cellular self-digestion process that can become harmful when overactive).
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage laboratory study in mouse cells only, not humans. While the results suggest hydrogen-rich water may help protect brain cells from stroke-like injury, much more research—including animal studies and human trials—would be needed before any health claims could be made. The findings are interesting enough to warrant further investigation but should not be interpreted as evidence that hydrogen water prevents or treats stroke in people.
Abstract (excerpt)
Objective: To investigate whether hydrogen-rich water exerts a protective effect against cellular injury by affecting the level of autophagy after oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) in a mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line (HT22 cells). Methods: HT22 cells in logarithmic growth phase…