How Hydrogen Water Helps Multiple Health Conditions Through Brain-Gut Connection
- Authors
- Mami Noda Kyota Fujita
- Journal
- Journal of Neurological Disorders
- Year
- 2014
- DOI
- 10.4172/2329-6895.1000189
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Parkinson's Disease
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Scientists found that a special kind of hydrogen (H2) can help treat brain diseases like Parkinson's, and it works better when you drink it in water than when you breathe it in—the trick is that it activates your stomach to release a helpful hormone that protects your brain.
Key Finding
Molecular hydrogen may work through multiple mechanisms—both by neutralizing harmful free radicals and by triggering longer-lasting protective effects in the brain through a stomach-brain connection involving a hormone called ghrelin, with drinking H2-enriched water appearing more effective than inhalation for neurodegenerative conditions.
Summary
This review examines how molecular hydrogen (H2)—a gas that can be consumed by breathing it in, drinking water containing it, or receiving it through injections—may help treat various diseases. Researchers found that H2 appears to work in multiple ways: it can neutralize harmful molecules called hydroxyl radicals, and it may also trigger longer-lasting protective effects in the brain by activating certain signaling pathways and stimulating the release of a stomach hormone called ghrelin. Studies in animals with brain injuries and Parkinson's disease showed promising results, with drinking H2-enriched water appearing more effective than inhaling it.
Practical Takeaway
While animal studies and early clinical trials suggest hydrogen water may have therapeutic potential, particularly for neurological conditions, most evidence comes from animal models rather than large human studies. The review indicates this is an emerging area of research with promising early results, but more rigorous human clinical trials are needed before definitive recommendations can be made about hydrogen water's effectiveness for specific health conditions.
Abstract (excerpt)
Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been reported to be effective for a variety of disorders and its effect has been ascribed to a selective scavenge of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) at the beginning. Consumption of H2 was either by inhalation, drinking H2-containing water (H2 water), or infusion…