Hydrogen Water Helps Diabetic Mice Lose Weight and Control Blood Sugar

Authors
Journal
Obesity
Year
DOI
10.1038/oby.2011.6
Study Type
Rat
Outcome
Positive
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
Japan
Health Condition
Type 2 Diabetes
Body System
Endocrine

TL;DR

Drinking water with dissolved hydrogen gas can help reduce obesity and diabetes symptoms in mice by reducing oxidative stress and stimulating energy metabolism.

Key Finding

Drinking hydrogen-enriched water significantly reduced body weight, liver fat, blood glucose, and insulin levels in obese diabetic mice, with effects comparable to calorie restriction.

Summary

Researchers gave obese diabetic mice water containing dissolved hydrogen gas and found it reduced liver fat, lowered blood sugar and insulin levels, and helped control weight gain. The hydrogen appeared to work by activating a hormone called FGF21 that helps the body burn more fat and glucose for energy. The effects were similar to what happens when animals eat less food.

Practical Takeaway

This animal study suggests hydrogen water may influence metabolism and fat accumulation, but it was conducted only in mice with a specific genetic form of obesity and diabetes. Human studies would be needed to determine if these effects apply to people with typical obesity or type 2 diabetes.

Abstract

Recent extensive studies have revealed that molecular hydrogen (H(2)) has great potential for improving oxidative stress-related diseases by inhaling H(2) gas, injecting saline with dissolved H(2), or drinking water with dissolved H(2) (H(2)-water); however, little is known about the dynamic movement of H(2) in a body. First, we show that hepatic glycogen accumulates H(2) after oral administration of H(2)-water, explaining why consumption of even a small amount of H(2) over a short span time efficiently improves various disease models. This finding was supported by an in vitro experiment in which glycogen solution maintained H(2). Next, we examined the benefit of ad libitum drinking H(2)-water to type 2 diabetes using db/db obesity model mice lacking the functional leptin receptor. Drinking H(2)-water reduced hepatic oxidative stress, and significantly alleviated fatty liver in db/db mice as well as high fat-diet-induced fatty liver in wild-type mice. Long-term drinking H(2)-water significantly controlled fat and body weights, despite no increase in consumption of diet and water. Moreover, drinking H(2)-water decreased levels of plasma glucose, insulin, and triglyceride, the effect of which on hyperglycemia was similar to diet restriction. To examine how drinking H(2)-water improves obesity and metabolic parameters at the molecular level, we examined gene-expression profiles, and found enhanced expression of a hepatic hormone, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), which functions to enhance fatty acid and glucose expenditure. Indeed, H(2) stimulated energy metabolism as measured by oxygen consumption. The present results suggest the potential benefit of H(2) in improving obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.