Gut Bacteria Hydrogen Production in Lab Cell Studies
Quantification of hydrogen production by intestinal bacteria that are specifically dysregulated in Parkinson's disease
Research hubs: Parkinson's Disease · Brain & Nervous System · Digestive 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
- Anzu Suzuki, Mikako Ito, Tomonori Hamaguchi, Hiroshi Mori, Yuka Takeda, Ryuko Baba, Takeshi Watanabe, Ken Kurokawa, Susumu Asakawa, Masaaki Hirayama, Kinji Ohno
- Journal
- PLoS One
- Year
- 2018
- PMID
- 30586410
- Study Type
- Human
- Delivery
- Gas
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 90 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may improve Parkinson's disease symptoms, potentially linked to low levels of hydrogen-producing bacteria in the gut of patients.
Key Finding
People with Parkinson's disease produce approximately 2.2 times less hydrogen in their intestines compared to healthy controls, primarily because they have fewer hydrogen-producing bacteria like Blautia coccoides and Clostridium leptum.
Summary
Researchers measured how much hydrogen is produced by different types of bacteria in the human gut. They found that people with Parkinson's disease have significantly fewer hydrogen-producing bacteria than healthy people, resulting in about 2.2 times less hydrogen production in their intestines. Specific bacteria called Blautia coccoides and Clostridium leptum are the strongest hydrogen producers, and these are less abundant in Parkinson's patients.
Practical Takeaway
This research suggests that reduced intestinal hydrogen production may be associated with Parkinson's disease, and that restoring hydrogen-producing bacteria could potentially be therapeutic. However, this is observational research that identifies a correlation rather than proving cause-and-effect, and much more research is needed to determine whether increasing intestinal hydrogen production would actually benefit Parkinson's patients.
Abstract (excerpt)
Oral administration of hydrogen water ameliorates Parkinson's disease (PD) in rats, mice, and humans. We previously reported that the number of putative hydrogen-producing bacteria in intestinal microbiota is low in PD compared to controls. We also reported that the amount of hydrogen produced…