What is Hydrogen Water?
Hydrogen water is pure water scientifically charged with extra hydrogen molecules through special electrolysis. Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless, non-toxic gas that binds to other elements like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon to form various compounds, including sugar and water (1Trusted Source). Ordinary water molecules consist of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, but research has shown that infusing water with additional hydrogen produces benefits that plain water cannot deliver.
It’s thought that the body can’t effectively absorb the hydrogen in plain water, as it’s bound to oxygen. By adding extra hydrogen molecules to the water it allows these “free” hydrogen molecules to be more acccesible to your body.
Hydrogen water is used to decrease inflammation, boost athletic performance, and even slow your aging process. Research published in 2020 shows Hydrogen Water increases antioxidant capacity thereby reducing inflammatory responses in healthy adults.
This clinical trial adds credence to the therapeutic efficacy of hydrogen water, which has come under fire as being all hype and no substance. What is additionally interesting about this study is that the benefits of hydrogen water were more significant in individuals over age 30. Because aging is often accompanied by increased systemic oxidative stress and damage, it makes sense that as one ages, the need for enhanced antioxidant defenses would also increase and, therefore, those individuals would get more benefit from hydrogen water. This is also true for individuals dealing with dysregulated redox balance and systemic inflammation due to illness.
For endurance athletes, the same is true in regards to systemic oxidative stress and damage, as Hydrogen Water increases antioxidant capacity thereby reducing inflammatory responses in healthy adults.
References
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Yang Q, Ji G, Ran R, et al. Protective effect of hydrogen-rich water on liver function of colorectal cancer patients treated with mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy. Mol Clin Oncol. 2017;7(5):891-896.
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LeBaron TW, Singh RB, Fatima G, et al. Effects of 24-week, high-concentration hydrogen-rich water on body composition, blood lipid profiles, and inflammation biomarkers in men and women with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Diabetes, Metab Syndr Obes. 2020;13:889-896.
Ishibashi T, Sato B, Rikitake M, et al. Consumption of water containing a high concentration of molecular hydrogen reduces oxidative stress and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an open-label pilot study. Med Gas Res. 2012;2(27).
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Mizuno K, Sasaki AT, Ebisu K, et al. Hydrogen-rich water for improvements of mood, anxiety, and autonomic nerve function in daily life. Med Gas Res. 2017;7(4):247-255.
Sha J, Zhang S, Lu Y, et al. Effects of the long-term consumption of hydrogen-rich water on antioxidant activity and the gut flora in female juvenile soccer players from Suzhou, China. Med Gas Res. 2018;8(4):135-143.
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