Hydrogen Water Improves Liver Health in Fatty Liver Disease Patients
- Authors
- Zuzana Sumbalova, Jarmila Kucharska, Zuzana Rausova, Anna Gvozdjakova, Maria Szantova, Branislav Kura, Viliam Mojto, Jan Slezak
- Journal
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.3390/ijms241512477
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Slovakia
- Health Condition
- Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Body System
- Hepatic
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water improved the health of cell powerhouses (mitochondria) and increased antioxidant levels in patients with a common liver condition not caused by alcohol.
Key Finding
Eight weeks of hydrogen-rich water supplementation increased coenzyme Q10 levels in platelets, improved how efficiently cells produce energy, and reduced oxidative stress markers in NAFLD patients compared to placebo.
Summary
This study tested whether drinking hydrogen-rich water could help patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD—a condition where fat builds up in the liver). Thirty NAFLD patients either drank hydrogen-rich water or placebo water for 8 weeks. Researchers measured coenzyme Q10 (a substance that helps cells produce energy), oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules), and how well the energy-producing structures in blood platelets were working. After 8 weeks, the hydrogen-rich water group showed improvements in all three measures compared to the placebo group.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests hydrogen-rich water may support mitochondrial (cellular energy) function in people with fatty liver disease. However, the study lasted only 8 weeks and included just 30 patients, so longer and larger studies are needed to confirm whether these benefits persist and whether they translate to meaningful improvements in liver health or overall wellness.
Abstract
Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been recognized as a novel medical gas with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a liver pathology with increased fat accumulation in liver tissue caused by factors other than alcohol consumption. Platelet mitochondrial function is considered to reflect systemic mitochondrial health. We studied the effect of adjuvant therapy with hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) content and platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics in patients with NAFLD. A total of 30 patients with NAFLD and 15 healthy volunteers were included in this clinical trial. A total of 17 patients (H2 group) drank water three × 330 mL/day with tablets producing HRW (>4 mg/L H2) for 8 weeks, and 13 patients (P group) drank water with placebo tablets producing CO2. The concentration of CoQ10-TOTAL was determined by the HPLC method, the parameter of oxidative stress, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), by the spectrophotometric method, and mitochondrial bioenergetics in platelets isolated from whole blood by high-resolution respirometry. The patients with NAFLD had lower concentrations of CoQ10-TOTAL in the blood, plasma, and platelets vs. the control group. Mitochondrial CI-linked LEAK respiration was higher, and CI-linked oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and CII-linked electron transfer (ET) capacities were lower vs. the control group. Plasma TBARS concentrations were higher in the H2 group. After 8 weeks of adjuvant therapy with HRW, the concentration of CoQ10 in platelets increased, plasma TBARS decreased, and the efficiency of OXPHOS improved, while in the P group, the changes were non-significant. Long-term supplementation with HRW could be a promising strategy for the acceleration of health recovery in patients with NAFLD. The application of H2 appears to be a new treatment strategy for targeted therapy of mitochondrial disorders. Additional and longer-term studies are needed to confirm and elucidate the exact mechanisms of the mitochondria-targeted effects of H2 therapy in patients with NAFLD.