Is Hydrogen Water the Savior It’s Hyped to Be?

Hydrogen water has gained a lot of popularity within the health community lately. But is it worth the hype? Is hydrogen water a mythical prophet with lots of miracles to offer? Can it actually change your life?

Hydrogen water is exactly what you think it is: water with extra hydrogen ions in it. Although water contains hydrogen atoms itself, they’re bound to oxygen, which would make the hydrogen less available to our cells compared to the free-floating ions in hydrogen water. 

This increased availability is thought to help our physical and even mental health in a few ways. 

This article is all about those ways. So stay tuned to find out if you actually need hydrogen water or if it’s a hoax!

Hydrogen Water Benefits: What Can Hydrogen Water Do for Your Body?

Whether you’re considering hydrogen water bottles for yourself or as a Christmas gift for your friends and family, you need to know the facts before you can make your ultimate decision. So, let’s dig in!

Studies on hydrogen water and its benefits have been few and far between. However, most of these studies show promising results. The main benefits of hydrogen water are the reduction of oxidative stress and improving its symptoms. 

Oxidative stress happens when there’s an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body, which can ultimately cause cell damage and chronic inflammation.  

Under normal circumstances, your inflammatory response acts as a healthy reaction to invaders such as germs, viruses, and bacteria. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is a slow yet prolonged inflammatory response that might last for months to years. 

Chronic inflammation is observed in conditions such as metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. So, by reducing oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation as a result, many hope to improve their health and prevent possible complications. 

It’s believed that the excess ions in hydrogen water contain antioxidants that can be therapeutic for symptoms of oxidative stress. This can impact your life in a few ways:

Hydrogen Water Benefits

1- Reduce Inflammation

When your body is injured or damaged, your immune system’s reaction is triggered to fight off any germs or bacteria that might enter the body. More specifically, certain immune system cells called macrophages release free radicals into your blood. These free radicals are one of the reasons for inflammation during infections and diseases. 

Under normal circumstances, the inflammation should go away once the body has successfully gotten rid of the germs or bacteria. However, oxidative stress can elongate this process, causing a condition called chronic inflammation. 

With its anti-inflammatory properties, hydrogen water is believed to help with symptoms of chronic inflammation. 

2- Boost Athletic Performance

A study from 2020 suggests that hydrogen water can improve athletic performance in trained athletes. During high-intensity exercise, there is a boost of reactive oxygen in our bodies, which can cause oxidative stress. 

This oxidative stress can disrupt bodily functions by harming cell membranes and mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell, remember?). The damage leads to inflammation and fatigue, which are common side effects of working out.

To eliminate these side effects, many athletes regularly consume antioxidants as a source of recovery. While most antioxidants are limited to cellular distribution, hydrogen can successfully penetrate biomembranes and organelles, including mitochondria, making it more effective than other antioxidants. 

The aforementioned study found that a week-long period of drinking hydrogen water had a positive impact on muscle fatigue and the performance of trained athletes (both in aerobic and anaerobic activities). There were, however, no significant changes in nonathletes who participated in the trial. 

3- Treat Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to a cluster of symptoms and complications that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. These symptoms may include insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and obesity. 

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by oxidative stress. As mentioned before, the majority of research on hydrogen water benefits targets its ability to reduce signs of oxidative stress and the conditions it’s associated with.

Back in 2010, a study from the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition overviewed the impacts of 8-week-long consumption of hydrogen water in participants with potential metabolic syndrome. The study concluded that hydrogen water might have a positive impact on MetS-related factors.

4- Improve Side Effects of Radiation Therapy

A study of 49 cancer patients in South Korea suggested that the consumption of hydrogen water for a 6-week period could improve the side effects of radiation therapy and patients’ quality of life (QoL).

Radiotherapy is associated with reactive oxygen (a free radical) and oxidative stress in the body, which can have several side effects, including fatigue, inflammation, sore skin, and stiff joints and muscles. 

The study revealed reduced reactive oxygen levels in the blood and suggested improved quality of life in patients who consumed hydrogen water for the duration of the trial. 

5- Support Emotional Well-Being

Oxidative stress is also associated with anxiety, panic disorders, and a number of other mental health problems. As a result, it seems rational to consider hydrogen water as a novel, non-invasive way to improve symptoms of such conditions.  

There was a study in 2017 that tested this theory, aiming to find mental health improvements related to hydrogen water consumption. 26 people participated in the study, with equal male and female members. 

The study showed a reduction in anxiety and mood disorders and suggested a positive impact on the autonomic nerve functions of the participants, highlighting the potential for further evaluations to use the therapeutic properties of hydrogen water. 

Hydrogen Water Negative Side Effects

There aren’t any negative side effects to hydrogen water, except that it might be a bit pricey, with high-end brands selling 12-packs for nearly $36. Despite that, if you get yourself a hydrogen water bottle that makes hydrogen water anywhere, anytime, you can save a lot of money in the long run. 

How to Make Hydrogen Water?

There are many big companies that sell hydrogen water, ready for you to drink. Despite its apparent convenience, this method can cost you a pretty penny. You can also purchase hydrogen tablets that dissolve in water. 

Both these methods have one major downside: you need to drink the hydrogen water ASAP. The more time passes, the more likely it is for the water to lose its extra benefits. 

There’s a third way, though, and that’s to go about it yourself and make hydrogen water in the comfort of your own house. To do so, you can get yourself a portable hydrogen water bottle. These bottles use a simple yet effective method to ionize the water. 

They use an electric current to split the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gas, which get dissolved in the water and create the therapeutic effect you’re looking for. 

Hydrogen Water Nutritional Facts

Much like regular water, hydrogen water doesn’t contain any fat, protein, carbohydrates, or calories. However, depending on the brand of water or bottle you use, there could be some minerals added to it. These minerals include: 

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Calcium carbonate
• Magnesium sulfate
• Potassium
• Sodium sulfate

Hydrogen Water Nutritional Facts

Wrap-Up: Is Hydrogen Water Good for You?

There has been a lot of small-scale research about the benefits of hydrogen water. While most of the research shows promising results, especially for conditions related to oxidative stress, there still needs to be more large-scale studies to fully explore the therapeutic potential of hydrogen water. 

What we know so far is that hydrogen water positively impacts the symptoms of oxidative stress-related conditions, such as chronic inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and anxiety. Moreover, the consumption of hydrogen water can alleviate the side effects of radiation exposure and boost athletic performance. 

To access hydrogen water, you can buy it online, get hydrogen tablets, or use hydrogen water bottles (the editor’s pick, for sure). 

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