Hydrogen Water Reduces Inflammation and Cell Death in Healthy Adults
Hydrogen-rich water reduces inflammatory responses and prevents apoptosis of peripheral blood cells in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial
Research hubs: Inflammation · Oxidative Stress · Immune System
- Evidence type
- Randomized controlled trial · Human study
- Authors
- Minju Sim, Chong-Su Kim, Woo-Jeong Shon, Young-Kwan Lee, Eun Young Choi, Dong-Mi Shin
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2020
- PMID
- 32699287
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 38
- Delivery
- Water, Commercial (Korean Hydrogen WateRr)
- Dose
- 1.5 L/day hydrogen-rich water for 4 weeks
- H₂ concentration
- 0.753 ± 0.012 mg/L
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Funding
- Coway Co., Ltd.; National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2018R1D1A1B07048023)
- Conflicts of interest
- None declared
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 116 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- South Korea
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 (excerpt)
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…