Hydrogen Water's Effects on Gut Immunity and Parasites in Mice
The immunological effects of electrolyzed reduced water on the Echinostoma hortense infection in C57BL/6 mice
Research hubs: Digestive System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Kyu Jae Lee, Dan Jin, Byung Soo Chang, Yung Chien Teng, Dong Heui Kim
- Journal
- Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin
- Year
- 2009
- PMID
- 19252295
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 16 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- South Korea
TL;DR
Drinking electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) affects the immune response in the intestines of mice but not their overall body immunity.
Key Finding
Electrolyzed reduced water increased anti-inflammatory immune responses in the intestines but paradoxically allowed parasitic worms to survive better, suggesting the immune changes may have actually helped the infection rather than fought it.
Summary
Researchers gave electrolyzed reduced water (water treated with electricity to add hydrogen) to mice infected with a parasitic worm to see how it affected their immune system. The water increased certain immune proteins in the intestines that reduce inflammation, but surprisingly, the mice that drank this water actually had more adult worms surviving in their bodies compared to mice that didn't drink it.
Practical Takeaway
This is an animal study in mice with a parasitic infection, not a human study, so results may not apply to people. The unexpected finding—that immune changes associated with hydrogen water correlated with worse parasite clearance—raises questions about how hydrogen water affects immunity and warrants caution in interpreting claims about its immune benefits. More research in humans would be needed to understand any relevance to health.
Abstract (excerpt)
Electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) is widely used for drinking by people in Asia. The purpose of this study was to examine the immunological effect of ERW on the immunity of animals by supplying ERW to C57BL/6 mice infected with Echinostoma hortense metacercariae. In the non-infected groups…