Hydrogen Water Reduces Oxidative Stress and Body Fat in Healthy Adults
- Authors
- Young Ah Choi, Dong Hyeon Lee, Doo-Yeoun Cho, Yong-Jae Lee
- Journal
- Antioxidants
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.3390/antiox9070564
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- South Korea
- Health Condition
- Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Whole Body
TL;DR
Drinking electrolyzed-reduced water (ERW) may help reduce oxidative stress and body fat more effectively than regular mineral water.
Key Finding
After 8 weeks, people drinking electrolyzed-reduced water showed significantly lower oxidative stress markers and higher antioxidant levels compared to those drinking regular mineral water, along with reductions in total, visceral, and subcutaneous fat mass.
Summary
This study tested whether drinking electrolyzed-reduced water (water treated with electricity to add hydrogen) could reduce oxidative stress—a chemical imbalance linked to aging and disease. Sixty-one healthy adults drank either 1.5 liters of this special water or regular mineral water daily for 8 weeks. The group drinking electrolyzed-reduced water showed lower levels of oxidative stress markers and higher antioxidant activity after 8 weeks, and also had reductions in body fat compared to the mineral water group.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests that electrolyzed-reduced water may help reduce oxidative stress and support fat loss in healthy adults, though the study lasted only 8 weeks and involved just 61 people. More research is needed to confirm whether these effects persist over longer periods and whether they translate to meaningful health benefits for different populations.
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been associated with many diseases as well as aging. Electrolyzed-reduced water (ERW) has been suggested to reduce oxidative stress and improve antioxidant potential. This study investigated the effects of drinking ERW on biomarkers of oxidative stress and health-related indices in healthy adults. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on 65 participants, who were allocated into two groups. Of these, 61 received intervention (32 with ERW and 29 MW [mineral water]). All participants were instructed to drink 1.5 L/day of ERW or MW for eight weeks. Biomarkers of oxidative stress and health-related indices were assessed at baseline as well as after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of intervention. Of the primary outcome variables assessed, diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) and biological antioxidant potential showed a significant interaction between the groups and time, with d-ROMs levels significantly decreased at 8 weeks in ERW compared to those in MW. Among the secondary outcome variables, total, visceral, and subcutaneous fat mass significantly changed over time, with a significant association observed between the groups and time. Thus, daily ERW consumption may be a potential consideration for a sustainable and innovatively simple lifestyle modification at the workplace to reduce oxidative stress, increase antioxidant potential, and decrease fat mass.