Everyone knows that drinking water is good for you. But could you get more bang for your buck by drinking hydrogen water?
Pure water (H2O) already contains hydrogen and oxygen. But those molecules are bound together, making the hydrogen more difficult for your body to absorb. Hydrogen-enriched water is plain water with hydrogen gas (H2) added.
Adding “free” hydrogen molecules to the mix ensures hydrogen is easily accessible. Hydrogen is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can benefit your health.
Possible health benefits of hydrogen water
There is limited information on how hydrogen water affects humans — most research revolves around animal studies. But the findings are promising.
A review of 30 human studies found that drinking hydrogen water may be beneficial for many aspects of health, including:
- Anti-aging: Oxidative damage can speed up the aging process, but hydrogen reduces oxidative stress. Hydrogen water also positively affects other signs of aging, such as brain function and lower body strength.
- Cancer risk: Hydrogen reduces the oxidative damage to cells that can cause cancer. But it may also help treat cancer and reduce tumors.
- Heart health: The anti-inflammatory properties of hydrogen water may improve heart health by helping decrease cholesterol and blood glucose levels. It may also improve body mass index (BMI), a risk factor for heart disease.
- Liver function: Inflammation and oxidative stress are often underlying causes of liver dysfunction. Hydrogen-enriched water helps with both.
- Mental health: Drinking hydrogen water daily for at least four weeks may improve anxiety and mood.
- Physical endurance: Drinking hydrogen water before exercise may decrease fatigue and increase endurance. One way pre-workout hydrogen water does this may be by reducing lactic acid that builds up in muscles during exercise. Too much lactic acid causes your muscles to tire more easily and recover slowly.
Remember, while hydrogen-rich water may have some positive health benefits, no evidence suggests that it is a better option than other proven practices for health and well-being.
How much hydrogen water should you drink?
There are no standard recommendations for how much hydrogen water to drink daily. In studies, participants drank anywhere from 20 to 70 ounces a day.
The good news is that, so far, researchers have not found any harmful effects associated with drinking hydrogen-rich water. Most studies also find that hydrogen-rich water needs to have a high concentration of hydrogen to have health benefits. But experts have not agreed on what that concentration is. There is no formal way to regulate or measure the concentration of hydrogen available in consumer products.
How to get hydrogen water
There are several ways to get hydrogen-rich water, including:
- Pre-hydrogenated water: Prepackaged water infused with hydrogen is the easiest way, but can be expensive. Manufactured hydrogen water is not regulated, so quality (amount of hydrogen) can vary.
- Hydrogen tablets: Adding hydrogen tablets — which typically contain magnesium — makes it easy to hydrogenate any water. Look for third-party testing (evaluation by an organization that is not the manufacturer) and expect some trial and error with taste.
- Hydrogen water generator: At-home electric hydrogen water generators typically create higher hydrogen concentrations. They separate water into hydrogen and oxygen and then infuse the hydrogen gas into your drinking water.
- Portable hydrogen bottle: These battery-operated or rechargeable water bottles work quickly to hydrogenate a small amount of water. There is no evidence that portable bottles supply enough hydrogen to have health benefits.
No matter how you choose to get hydrogen water, drink it quickly to get the highest hydrogen concentration. Like carbonated (sparkling) beverages, gas escapes the container once opened, weakening the hydrogen concentration.
Should you drink hydrogen water? The bottom line
The most important thing is to get enough hydration in your day. If drinking hydrogen water helps you achieve that goal, it might be a good choice. But don’t forget that drinking plain water is the best way to stay hydrated and has proven health benefits.
