Hydrogen Water Protects Liver Cells and Fights Liver Cancer
- Authors
- Yuanren Gao, Shuai Jiang, Ying Xing, Yingwen Hou, Yi Yang, Xunbo Hou, Wanbin Chen, Jingwen Zhang, Luhao Chen, Yan Liu
- Journal
- ResearchSquare
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.21203/rs.3.rs-201468/v1
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Liver Cancer
- Body System
- Hepatic
TL;DR
Drinking water with added hydrogen may help protect against liver damage and slow down liver cancer growth by affecting certain cell signals.
Key Finding
In laboratory cell cultures, hydrogen-rich water protected normal liver cells from injury and inhibited the growth of liver cancer cells by altering the activity of specific signaling proteins.
Summary
This laboratory study tested hydrogen-rich water on liver cells grown in dishes to see if it could protect normal liver cells from damage and slow the growth of liver cancer cells. Researchers found that hydrogen-rich water appeared to protect injured normal liver cells and reduced the growth of cancer cells by affecting specific proteins involved in cell signaling (the GP73/TGF-β pathway).
Practical Takeaway
While these early laboratory results are intriguing, this study was conducted only in cells grown in dishes, not in animals or humans. Much more research—including animal studies and human clinical trials—would be needed before hydrogen-rich water could be considered a treatment for liver disease or cancer. The findings suggest a potential mechanism worth investigating further, but cannot yet inform real-world health decisions.
Abstract (excerpt)
Abstract BackgroundLiver cancer is an extremely heterogeneous malignant disease among tumors identified to date. In recent years, a large number of studies have found that low-concentration hydrogen or hydrogen-rich water or hydrogen-saturated physiological saline has a protective effect on many…