Hydrogen Water Improves Blood Sugar and Cholesterol in Diabetics
- Authors
- Sizuo Kajiyama, Goji Hasegawa, Mai Asano, Hiroko Hosoda, Michiaki Fukui, Naoto Nakamura, Jo Kitawaki, Saeko Imai, Koji Nakano, Mitsuhiro Ohta, Tetsuo Adachi, Hiroshi Obayashi, Toshikazu Yoshikawa
- Journal
- Nutrition Research
- Year
- 2008
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.nutres.2008.01.008
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Body System
- Endocrine
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water might help improve blood sugar control and reduce heart disease risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes or high blood sugar levels.
Key Finding
Drinking 900 mL of hydrogen-rich water daily for 8 weeks reduced modified LDL cholesterol by 15.5%, small dense LDL by 5.7%, and urinary oxidative stress markers by 6.6% in patients with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.
Summary
Researchers tested whether drinking water enriched with hydrogen gas could help people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes (impaired glucose tolerance). In a controlled study, 36 patients drank either hydrogen-rich water or plain water for 8 weeks. Those who drank hydrogen-rich water showed improvements in cholesterol levels, reduced markers of cellular damage from oxidative stress (a harmful chemical process in the body), and in 4 out of 6 prediabetic patients, their glucose tolerance test results normalized.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests hydrogen-rich water may help reduce oxidative stress and improve cholesterol profiles in people with diabetes or prediabetes. However, the study involved only 36 people and lasted just 8 weeks, so larger and longer studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions. Anyone with diabetes considering hydrogen water should discuss it with their doctor, as it should complement—not replace—established treatments like medication and lifestyle changes.
Abstract
Oxidative stress is recognized widely as being associated with various disorders including diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. It is well established that hydrogen has a reducing action. We therefore investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich water intake on lipid and glucose metabolism in patients with either type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study in 30 patients with T2DM controlled by diet and exercise therapy and 6 patients with IGT. The patients consumed either 900 mL/d of hydrogen-rich pure water or 900 mL of placebo pure water for 8 weeks, with a 12-week washout period. Several biomarkers of oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and glucose metabolism, assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test, were evaluated at baseline and at 8 weeks. Intake of hydrogen-rich water was associated with significant decreases in the levels of modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (ie, modifications that increase the net negative charge of LDL), small dense LDL, and urinary 8-isoprostanes by 15.5% (P < .01), 5.7% (P < .05), and 6.6% (P < .05), respectively. Hydrogen-rich water intake was also associated with a trend of decreased serum concentrations of oxidized LDL and free fatty acids, and increased plasma levels of adiponectin and extracellular-superoxide dismutase. In 4 of 6 patients with IGT, intake of hydrogen-rich water normalized the oral glucose tolerance test. In conclusion, these results suggest that supplementation with hydrogen-rich water may have a beneficial role in prevention of T2DM and insulin resistance.