Hydrogen Drinking and Breathing Combined in Rats
Simultaneous oral and inhalational intake of molecular hydrogen additively suppresses signaling pathways in rodents
Research hubs: Oxidative Stress · Cardiovascular System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Sayaka Sobue, Kazuaki Yamai, Mikako Ito, Kinji Ohno, Masafumi Ito, Takashi Iwamoto, Shanlou Qiao, Tetsuo Ohkuwa, Masatoshi Ichihara
- Journal
- Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
- Year
- 2015
- PMID
- 25707580
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 52 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas (H2) can affect the body's genes and cell signaling, potentially helping with inflammation and oxidative stress, and it seems to work best when both inhaled and drunk as hydrogen-rich water.
Key Finding
Molecular hydrogen suppressed inflammatory signaling pathways in rodent tissues, with combined oral and inhalational administration producing stronger effects than either delivery method alone.
Summary
Researchers gave mice molecular hydrogen (H2) through two methods: drinking H2-rich water and breathing H2-containing air. They measured how much H2 reached different parts of the body and examined how it affected genes and cell signaling pathways (the chemical communication systems inside cells). The study found that H2 reduced activity in inflammatory pathways, particularly one called NF-κB, and that using both methods together produced stronger effects than either method alone.
Practical Takeaway
This animal study suggests that H2 may work against inflammation through multiple biological pathways, and that combining different delivery methods might be more effective than one alone. However, this is early-stage research in mice—human studies would be needed to determine if these findings apply to people and whether the benefits are clinically meaningful.
Abstract (excerpt)
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is an agent with potential applications in oxidative stress-related and/or inflammatory disorders. H2 is usually administered by inhaling H2-containing air (HCA) or by oral intake of H2-rich water (HRW). Despite mounting evidence, the molecular mechanism underlying…