Hydrogen water is water that has been infused with additional hydrogen to increase antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, based on years of research by medical professionals who have been exploring the benefits of inhaled hydrogen for heart patients , people coming in and out of surgery. , and other medical applications. Hydrogen gas can neutralize many of the reactive oxygen species responsible for oxidative stress and pre- and perioperative hydrogen inhalation. does it appears to help patients recover more quickly and avoid many of the side effects inherent in surgery. But this is hydrogen gas inhaled in a medical setting. Does commercial hydrogen water have similar benefits?
I was actually surprised to find the research quite convincing. let’s dig
Hydrogen water improves physical performance
Both acute and long-term intake of hydrogen water can improve your performance in the gym, on the bike, or on the field.
One study had cyclists drink either hydrogen water or placebo water before cycling. Those who drank hydrogen water had more endurance and reported less fatigue during exercise.
Hydrogen water has also been shown to reduce lactate, an objective measure of fatigue, when consumed 30 minutes before a workout. Lactate builds up with exhaustive exercise: the harder and longer you go, the more lactate you’ll produce and the more tired you’ll feel. The researchers hypothesized that hydrogen water reduces lactate by increasing mitochondrial respiration and ATP production.
However, another study found that a 7-day course of hydrogen water only improved exercise performance in trained athletes. Non-athletes saw no benefit. To really see the benefits of hydrogen water for physical performance, you probably need to be doing some serious training.
If you’re doing serious training or competing and need to maintain performance despite fatigue, hydrogen water can help. A recent study found that drinking hydrogen water rescued the antioxidant capacity of athletes who engaged in three uninterrupted days of intense physical training. Furthermore, they experienced no performance degradation.
Hydrogen water improves metabolic health
Metabolic syndrome is the most common disease in the country. Your diabetic hypertensive average adult with low HDL and high triglycerides who is due for a heart attack at any moment? He has metabolic syndrome.
In patients with probable metabolic syndrome, hydrogen water consumption increases HDL and reduces LDL oxidation. Since oxidized LDL is a risk factor for heart attacks and high HDL is protective, everyone agrees that this is a positive development.
Another study of patients with probable metabolic syndrome found that hydrogen water reduced inflammatory markers while improving blood lipids and antioxidant capacity. Greater antioxidant capacity combined with reduced inflammatory markers suggest greater resistance to oxidative stress.
Hydrogen water reduces high oxidative stress
However, hydrogen water only reduces oxidative stress if there is oxidative stress to be reduced. Time and time again, we see no effect in healthy people who do not suffer from oxidative stress.
One study gave hydrogen water to people between the ages of 20 and 59. Only those 30 and older saw an increase in their antioxidant capacity. Younger people with a presumably lower oxidative stress load didn’t really benefit, while older people who had had more time to pick up some stress along the way saw benefits.
Another study found that healthy people who drank hydrogen water for four weeks in a row saw no effect (good or bad) on their levels of oxidative stress compared to a placebo.
Meanwhile, patients with chronic hepatitis B infections see large decreases in oxidative stress after ingesting hydrogen water.
Even the exercise research I discussed above proves this. When you train hard, you are creating a transient state of oxidative stress. You are not “unhealthy” for a moment, and this is where hydrogen water has an effect.
Hydrogen water improves aging
Other things being equal, the older you are, the more oxidative stress you are exposed to. Older people also tend to be more inflamed and have lower antioxidant capacities. Hydrogen water can help with all three.
In adults over 70, hydrogen water has been shown to increase the nutrient content of the brain, lengthen telomeres, and improve how quickly a person can stand up from a chair, all of which are extremely important. as we age.
In both mouse models and human studies, hydrogen water improves symptoms of mild cognitive impairment.
How it works?
The evidence is there, but how does hydrogen exert its antioxidant effects? There are two main theories and both have supporting evidence.
Theory 1: Hydrogen water is a direct antioxidant that selectively scavenges and neutralizes harmful reactive oxygen species. For example, in one study, butter was washed with plain water, hydrogen-infused water, or magnesium water. Both magnesium and hydrogen water washing prevented the formation of amines (amino acid breakdown metabolites) in butter during long-term storage by removing the responsible oxidizing species. Regular water allowed the formation of amines.
Theory 2: Hydrogen water is a hormetic stressor. Hormesis describes the exposure of an organism to a mild stress that causes an adaptive response. Examples of hormesis include exercise (damage muscles and get stronger as a result), intermittent fasting/caloric restriction (mild “starvation” improves metabolic health), cold exposure, and even dietary polyphenols that act as to mild pesticides that cause an anti-inflammatory. antioxidant response in the body. Hydrogen water triggers the same NrF2 pathway that other hormetic stressors also trigger.
These are not necessarily contradictory. Both can be true to some extent. In fact, many researchers believe that hydrogen water is also a direct scavenger i a hormetic stressor. What definitely seems to be the case is that hydrogen water exerts antioxidant effects and can stem the tide of oxidative stress.
Do you need hydrogen water?
Not everyone.
However, if you need it, it really seems to work. The fact that it is selectively effective, having little or no effect on otherwise healthy young people who really don’t have much oxidative stress, but improving the health of people with high oxidative stress, is a good sign . It is not something that everyone should take. It’s a supplement that can help people who suffer from specific disease states: metabolic syndrome, inflammatory diseases, even something like depression. It is probably also useful for people who engage in hard physical training.
In other words, it helps if you need it and has little or no effect if you don’t. It’s good if you’re sick or stressed and benign if you’re not.
I’d say it’s worth a shot if you’re interested.
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