Hydrogen Water Boosts Liver's Natural Detox System in Rats
- Authors
- Hsien-Tsung Yao, Yu-Hsuan Yang, Mei-Ling Li
- Journal
- Molecules
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.3390/molecules24142627
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Taiwan
- Health Condition
- Drug Toxicity
- Body System
- Hepatic
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) for four weeks did not change the way rats' bodies processed toxins or their levels of oxidative stress, but it might help the liver get rid of toxins more effectively.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water increased liver proteins that pump toxins and drugs out of cells, but did not affect the enzymes that metabolize xenobiotics (foreign chemicals) or markers of oxidative stress in rats.
Summary
Researchers gave rats hydrogen-rich water for four weeks to see how it affected the liver's ability to process and eliminate drugs and toxins. The study found that hydrogen water increased production of two proteins (p-glycoprotein and Mrp2) that help move harmful substances out of liver cells into bile for elimination, but it did not change the activity of enzymes that break down drugs or affect oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules) in the liver.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen water may help the liver eliminate certain toxins more efficiently through enhanced transport mechanisms. However, this is early animal research with unknown clinical relevance to humans, and the study did not measure actual improvements in health or disease outcomes. More research in humans would be needed to determine whether this effect has practical health benefits.
Abstract
Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that may reduce the development and progression of many diseases. In this study, hydrogen-rich water (HRW) was obtained by reacting hybrid magnesium-carbon hydrogen storage materials with water. Then, the effects of intake of HRW on the activities of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, membrane transporters, and oxidative stress in rats were investigated. Rats were given HRW ad libitum for four weeks. The results showed that intake of HRW had no significant effect on the activities of various cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes (CYP1A1, 1A2, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E1, 3A, and 4A), glutathione-S-transferase, and Uridine 5'-diphospho (UDP)-glucuronosyltransferase. Except for a mild lower plasma glucose concentration, intake of HRW had no effect on other plasma biochemical parameters in rats. p-Glycoprotein and multidrug resistance-associated protein (Mrp) 2 protein expressions in liver were elevated after intake of HRW. However, HRW had no significant effects on glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, or lipid peroxidation in liver. The results from this study suggest that consumption of HRW may not affect xenobiotic metabolism or oxidative stress in liver. However, intake of HRW may increase the efflux of xenobiotics or toxic substances from the liver into bile by enhancing p-glycoprotein and Mrp2 protein expressions.