Hydrogen Water Protects Brain Cells from Oxidative Damage
Protective effect of hydrogen-rich water on oxidative stress cell model and the impact of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B pathway
Research hubs: Oxidative Stress · Brain & Nervous System
This research was done on cells or tissue in a lab, not in people or animals.
- Evidence type
- Laboratory study (cells or tissue)
- Authors
- Ruiting Lu, Yadi Liu, Difen Wang
- Journal
- Chinese Critical Care Medicine
- Year
- 2019
- PMID
- 31315738
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Delivery
- Water (Dissolved)
- Dose
- hydrogen-rich water pretreatment for 3, 6, 9, and 12 hours at various concentrations
- H₂ concentration
- 25, 50, 100, and 200 μmol/L
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 3 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may help protect brain cells from oxidative damage by activating a cell-survival signaling pathway.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water protected lab-grown mouse brain cells from oxidative stress damage by activating the PI3K/Akt cellular pathway, and blocking this pathway eliminated the protective effect.
Summary
Researchers grew mouse brain cells in a lab and exposed them to hydrogen peroxide to simulate oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules). They then treated some cells with hydrogen-rich water and found it protected the cells from damage by activating a specific cellular pathway called PI3K/Akt, which helps cells defend themselves. When they blocked this pathway with a chemical inhibitor, the protective effect disappeared, suggesting this pathway is essential for hydrogen-rich water's protective action.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage laboratory study using cultured cells, not living organisms or humans, so results cannot yet be applied to health claims. The findings suggest a potential mechanism by which hydrogen-rich water might protect brain cells from oxidative damage, but much more research—including animal and human studies—would be needed to determine if this translates to real-world benefits.
Abstract (excerpt)
Objective: To explore the protective effect of hydrogen-rich water on the oxidative stress injury of astrocytes in mice and its effect on phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signal pathway. Methods: In vitro, mice astrocytes were cultured and the logarithmic growth period…