Hydrogen Water Shows Promise But Safety Concerns Raise Red Flags

Some special water machines make water that might help with stomach problems and could fight harmful stuff in your body, but scientists aren't sure if they're safe because the machines can leak tiny toxic particles into the water and nobody's really checking if that's okay.

Dissolved hydrogen in electrolyzed reduced alkaline water may neutralize free radicals in the body, but devices producing this water can release platinum nanoparticles whose toxicity remains unclear.

This report reviews electrolyzed reduced alkaline water (ERAW)—water treated with electricity to add dissolved hydrogen gas. The active ingredient appears to be hydrogen, which may help neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals in the body. While Japan approved these devices for digestive problems in 1965, the report warns that devices can release tiny platinum particles during use, and the safety of these particles hasn't been fully studied. The authors recommend that health authorities regulate these devices more carefully since they're currently sold without medical oversight.

This is a review article rather than a new study with human testing, so it doesn't provide direct evidence about health benefits. While early research suggests hydrogen water may have potential, the report highlights important safety concerns about unregulated devices and contamination that need to be addressed before these products can be recommended for general health use.

The consumption of alkaline reduced water produced by domestic electrolysis devices was approved in Japan in 1965 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the cure of gastro-intestinal disorders. Today, these devices are freely available in several countries and can be easily purchased…

Read the full abstract via DOI