Hydrogen Water Reduces Inflammation and Cell Death in Healthy Adults
- Authors
- Minju Sim, Chong-Su Kim, Woo-Jeong Shon, Young-Kwan Lee, Eun Young Choi, Dong-Mi Shin
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-020-68930-2
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- South Korea
- Health Condition
- Inflammation
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may boost antioxidant levels and reduce inflammation in adults over 30.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water consumption reduced cell death in immune cells and decreased the activity of inflammatory signaling pathways (particularly NF-κB) in healthy adults, with stronger antioxidant effects observed in those aged 30 and older.
Summary
In this 4-week study, 38 healthy adults drank either hydrogen-rich water or plain water daily. Researchers measured markers of oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules) and immune cell health. While overall antioxidant markers didn't differ between groups, people over 30 in the hydrogen-water group showed greater increases in antioxidant protection. Hydrogen-water drinkers also had fewer dying immune cells and showed reduced activity in genes related to inflammation compared to the plain-water group.
Practical Takeaway
This small, short-term study in healthy adults suggests hydrogen water may support immune function and reduce inflammation markers at the cellular level. However, the study lasted only 4 weeks with fewer than 40 participants, so larger and longer studies are needed to confirm whether these cellular changes translate to meaningful health benefits in real-world conditions.
Abstract
The evidence for the beneficial effects of drinking hydrogen-water (HW) is rare. We aimed to investigate the effects of HW consumption on oxidative stress and immune functions in healthy adults using systemic approaches of biochemical, cellular, and molecular nutrition. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, healthy adults (20-59 y) consumed either 1.5 L/d of HW (n = 20) or plain water (PW, n = 18) for 4 weeks. The changes from baseline to the 4th week in serum biological antioxidant potential (BAP), derivatives of reactive oxygen, and 8-Oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine did not differ between groups; however, in those aged ≥ 30 y, BAP increased greater in the HW group than the PW group. Apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was significantly less in the HW group. Flow cytometry analysis of CD4+, CD8+, CD20+, CD14+ and CD11b+ cells showed that the frequency of CD14+ cells decreased in the HW group. RNA-sequencing analysis of PBMCs demonstrated that the transcriptomes of the HW group were clearly distinguished from those of the PW group. Most notably, transcriptional networks of inflammatory responses and NF-κB signaling were significantly down-regulated in the HW group. These finding suggest HW increases antioxidant capacity thereby reducing inflammatory responses in healthy adults.