Let’s explore the buzz around hydrogen water: are the health benefits worth your investment or are you pouring money down the drain? Dive in with us to find out.
Plain water is made of two molecules of hydrogen bound to one molecule of oxygen (H2O). Hydrogen water is simply plain water enriched with additional hydrogen gas (1).
Hydrogen water relies on the idea that hydrogen can act as an antioxidant (1,2). When our body transforms food into energy, free radicals are produced as a byproduct. These can steal electrons from other molecules, altering their structure or function. Too many free radicals leads to oxidative stress, a condition linked to cellular damage and disease. Antioxidants help prevent oxidative stress by donating electrons to free radicals, neutralizing them without causing further damage (3,4).
As of now, only a few studies have tested the health benefits of hydrogen water on humans.
Some small and short-term studies have found that drinking 600 mL to 2 L of hydrogen water per day might help with recovery (5), mood (6), cholesterol levels (7), athletic endurance (8,9,10,11,12), inflammation (13), and allergies (14). While these results are encouraging, especially for athletes, they remain inconclusive due to their numerous limitations (1,15).
While hydrogen water might provide some benefits, there are currently no regulations as to how much hydrogen should be added to water and how much one person should drink to potentially see those benefits (1).
Overall, considering that hydrogen water can be very expensive, and that the evidence is limited, it might be better to focus on eating a variety of healthy food which we know helps keep us healthy (1,16,17).
Sources: https://tinyurl.com/SUFHydrogenWater
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Let's explore the buzz around hydrogen water: are the health benefits worth your investment or are you pouring money down the drain?
— ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord (@ScienceUpFirst) March 22, 2024
Dive in with us to find out. https://t.co/aLmiIYqAI7#ScienceUpFirst pic.twitter.com/S1FJWOTuAO
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