Hydrogen Water Reduces Chronic Pain and Depression in Mice Study
- Authors
- Santiago Coral-Pérez, Ignacio Martínez-Martel, Maria Martínez-Serrat, Gerard Batallé, Xue Bai, Christie Leite-Panissi, Olga Pol
- Journal
- Antioxidants
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.3390/antiox11112153
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Spain
- Health Condition
- Chronic Inflammatory Pain
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water reduced pain, depression, and anxiety in mice with chronic inflammation, while also decreasing signs of inflammation and cell damage.
Key Finding
In mice with chronic inflammatory pain, hydrogen-rich water reduced pain sensitivity and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors while decreasing inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in both peripheral tissues and the brain.
Summary
Researchers gave mice with chronic inflammatory pain (pain caused by long-term inflammation) hydrogen-rich water and measured whether it reduced pain and mood problems. The treatment reduced pain responses, depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors, and decreased markers of cellular damage and inflammation in both the injured paws and a brain region involved in emotion (the amygdala). The benefits appeared to work through the body's natural antioxidant defense systems.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen-rich water may have pain-relieving and mood-supporting properties in chronic inflammatory pain conditions. However, these results are from mice only and have not been tested in humans, so it's too early to draw conclusions about whether these benefits would apply to people. Further human research would be needed to determine if hydrogen water could be useful for chronic pain management.
Abstract (excerpt)
Chronic inflammatory pain is manifested in many diseases. The potential use of molecular hydrogen (H2) as a new therapy for neurological disorders has been demonstrated. Recent studies prove its analgesic properties in animals with neuropathic pain, but the possible antinociceptive, antidepressant…