The benefits of hydrogen (H\u2082) were discovered centuries ago and used for medical purposes. Recently, this chemical element has become incredibly popular as an additive to drinking water known as \u201chydrogen water\u201d for similar medical and health benefits. Advantages linked to consuming hydrogen-infused water include weight loss, increased energy, and a stronger immune system. Hydrogen can also neutralize and reduce oxidative damage in your cells, giving it the coveted antioxidant status. It can help maintain healthy cells and tissues and is safe to consume in water.<\/p>\n
What Is Hydrogen?<\/strong> What Is Hydrogen Water?<\/strong> Hydrogen water \u2013 also called hydrogen-enriched water, hydrogen-infused water, or hydrogenated water \u2013 is just water infused with hydrogen gas. Many natural springs, now shut down, contained a higher concentration of hydrogen and were used for centuries to help heal certain illnesses. This healing ability is what may have prompted finding ways to infuse water with molecular hydrogen.<\/p>\n Hydrogen Water vs. Alkaline Water<\/strong> What Are the Health Benefits of Hydrogen Water?<\/strong> People with type 2 diabetes, for example, noticed their glucose levels normalize after receiving hydrogen water therapy. Researchers attribute this to the fact that the hydrogen atom is so tiny that it can immediately permeate cells. This ability can start a natural healing process that balances glucose levels.<\/p>\n A Powerful Antioxidant<\/strong> Unlike other antioxidants, hydrogen is not an electron donor, but rather a strategic antioxidant that only reacts with cell-damaging free radicals. Your body harbors a balance of different free radicals, some of which can be helpful towards maintaining your overall health. Molecular hydrogen scavenges harmful free radicals like hydroxyl radicals and superoxides, while leaving free radicals that help us sustain life untouched.[2]<\/p>\n Discourages Cellular Aging<\/strong> Suppresses Inflammation<\/strong> Promotes Weight Loss<\/strong> Research has shown that people who consume hydrogen water over a specified period of time saw improvements in weight loss and weight maintenance in people with metabolic syndrome. These results were attributed to hydrogen\u2019s ability to reduce oxidative stress in cells, and its ability to optimize certain metabolic functions. Hydrogen-enriched water also helps to restore a healthy gut, and maintaining healthy gut bacteria is a significant contributor to overall wellness.<\/p>\n Resets Healthy Gut Bacteria<\/strong> Boosts the Immune System<\/strong> Increases Energy Levels<\/strong> Since hydrogen can permeate cells and protect mitochondria \u2013 also known as the \u201cpowerhouse of the cell\u201d \u2013 from oxidative stress, it can help increase ATP production and assist with routine cell maintenance.<\/p>\n Molecular hydrogen can also stimulate the metabolic hormone FGF21. FGF21 is a liver hormone that increases cellular metabolism which helps with weight management and increases energy. Hydrogen also triggers all five complexes of the electron transport chain (ETC), which is the primary mechanism the mitochondria in your cells use to produce ATP, or energy.<\/p>\n Are There Side Effects to Drinking Hydrogen Water?<\/strong>
\nHydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and is listed as number one on the periodic table. Stars, like our sun, consist primarily of this element. Hydrogen is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-toxic, and can be found primarily in soil, water, and to a lesser degree, air. Because a hydrogen atom is so small, it can penetrate cells and deploy all of its benefits on a cellular level.<\/p>\n
\nHydrogen water, hydrogen-enriched water, or hydrogenated water, is regular water (H\u2082O) that has been infused with hydrogen gas. This gas raises the concentration levels of molecular hydrogen in water for easy digestibility and immediate penetration in cells, which encourages overall health benefits.<\/p>\n
\nH2 water benefits are head and shoulders above alkaline water. Alkaline water is water that has a higher pH balance than ordinary water (which has a pH of 7, or neutral water). Alkaline water has fewer benefits than hydrogen water. A high pH level alkaline water may, however, have therapeutic advantages when it comes to reducing acid in the digestive tract as well as being a good acid-buffer for people with acid reflux issues.<\/p>\n
\nHydrogen water may alleviate symptoms of various conditions and help restore health and vitality.The health benefits of water are extensive. However, drinking water infused with molecular hydrogen is shown to alleviate symptoms associated with many different illnesses and restore certain aspects of a person\u2019s health. More than 700 studies have been conducted regarding molecular hydrogen and its therapeutic effects on health issues \u2013 including 170 studies done on humans with various illnesses.<\/p>\n
\nStudies have found that hydrogenated water can enter cellular membranes and function as an antioxidant in your cell\u2019s mitochondria. This means that hydrogen water interacts with your body on a molecular level, bypassing the digestive process entirely.<\/p>\n
\nMolecular hydrogen\u2019s natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities make this element a great anti-aging tool. Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, like the plastic tips at the end of a shoelace. In studies, water containing molecular hydrogen positively affected telomerase activity \u2013 a process that encourages healthier telomeres. The length and stability of telomeres are directly linked to the lifespan of a human cell, which makes it a useful biomarker for anti-aging practices.<\/p>\n
\nAs you age, your cells accumulate cell damage, often from oxidative stress caused by lifelong exposure to the sun and toxic chemicals in the environment. Hydrogen-rich water can reduce cell damage caused by oxidation and reduce or inhibit inflammatory reactions. This is particularly true with bones and joints. In studies where patients with stiff joints were given 4-5 ppm of hydrogen-infused water daily for four weeks, oxidative stress lessened, and their symptoms improved.<\/p>\n
\nHydrogen stimulates gastric leptin and ghrelin, hormones in the body that regulate fat storage, energy, and a number of other metabolic functions. Regular water usage on its own promotes hydration and gastrointestinal tract cleansing, but ingesting water infused with hydrogen can support better digestion and help with the breakdown of unwanted fat.<\/p>\n
\nYour body makes hydrogen gas in the gut during the digestion process. The typical Western diet, however, lacks the water-soluble fiber needed to break certain foods down to make hydrogen gas. Introducing this much-needed element through hydrogen-enriched water, along with a good probiotic, into your diet can help restore a healthy balance of gut bacteria and encourage or enhance healthy digestion in your gut.<\/p>\n
\nSixty percent of your immune system is tied to gut health. Damage in the gastrointestinal tract can cause a number of health issues that can, in turn, affect other organs in your body. Hydrogen\u2019s ability to help counteract toxins in the gut and increase the secretions of healthy hormones directly affects the body\u2019s ability to fight off illness and infection.<\/p>\n
\nH\u2082 can give you energy in several ways because it can so quickly enter your cells and release its many benefits. Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is known as the energy currency of the cell. Once ATP is broken down to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), energy is released. This energy promotes all cellular activities.<\/p>\n
\nAccording to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, hydrogen water is safe, even over long periods of time.
\nYou may wonder, \u201cis it safe to ingest hydrogen?\u201d Water infused with molecular hydrogen has yielded many benefits with no major adverse effects. Studies have shown positive results after consuming water infused with hydrogen over a period of time, and according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it is safe to ingest.[14] Always use water that meets public water safety standards. Distilled or purified water usually meets or surpasses standards over regular filtered water.[15] It\u2019s always a good idea to ask your healthcare provider if hydrogen-infused water is something that will help you feel better or make you healthier on your journey towards overall wellness.<\/p>\n