Hydrogen water is a fast-growing trend in the medical industry. For the lightest molecule on the periodic table, hydrogen makes an extraordinary difference to your health. Here’s why consumers are excited about it:
With around 60% of our bodies being water, it is no wonder that such an emphasis has been placed on the type of water we are drinking. Numerous studies have been done on which type of water, minerals, pH level, and water source offers the highest health benefits.
Water is the life source of the world. It keeps your body functioning properly. A few benefits of drinking sufficient water throughout the day include: carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells, normalizing blood pressure (1), aiding digestion and weight loss, keeping your immune system and skin healthy, and stabilizing your heartbeat (2).
Hydrogen water is quickly gaining traction as one of the best waters you can drink for your health. Originally known as the “Shin’nooru solution,” hydrogen water has been popular in Japan since the 1960s.
Some health benefits include reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, restoring gut health, improving digestion, increasing energy and cognitive function, functioning as a selective antioxidant to combat free radicals (3), and helping patients with inflammatory related illnesses.
Understanding Hydrogen Water
Water already has hydrogen in it, so why add more? During the digestion process, our guts are meant to be constantly creating hydrogen gas.
However, antibiotics, pollution, alcohol, not eating enough water-soluble fiber, and living on a typical western diet contribute to our guts not being able to produce enough hydrogen.
Because 70% of the immune system is housed in our gut (4), hydrogen water is essential for supporting good gut bacteria and in turn boosting our overall health.
Hydrogen water is made when two streams of water run through a hydrogen water machine. One stream is the hydrogen water that you drink, and the other stream is used for harvesting the hydrogen and goes through electrolysis to change the water’s oxidation-reduction potential.
What Is Electrolysis?
Electrolysis is defined as the process by which an electric current (5) passes through a substance to create a chemical change (6). In the case of hydrogen water machines, electrolysis is used to harvest hydrogen gas without changing the pH of the water.
Through this process, the electrical charge of the water, known as the oxidation reduction potential (7), is changed to -450mV, which is optimal for promoting good bacteria in the gut and supporting anaerobic microflora growth.
Health Benefits of Echo® Hydrogen Water
- Functions as a selective antioxidant
The phytonutrients found in broccoli or kale are a great antioxidant. However, the average person is not eating enough antioxidant-rich foods for the full effects of these antioxidants to be felt. Hydrogen water functions as a selective antioxidant (8).
This is because when you drink hydrogen water, the hydrogen triggers a messenger called NRF2. NRF2 goes to the nucleus of cells and tells our DNA to make antioxidant proteins.
Our cells then become an antioxidant factory, which means that we don’t use the antioxidants up as quickly as getting antioxidants from food because our body is being told to make more antioxidants because of the hydrogen.
- Reduces oxidative stress
As long as you are breathing, oxidation is taking place. The process of oxidation is an essential chemical reaction that happens when free radicals form within our cells.
Essentially, oxidative stress is “… an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body which leads to cell and tissue damage.” (9) When our oxidative stress levels are too high, our cells and genes are being destroyed by an unhealthy amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals.
Oxidative stress is caused by a lack of sleep, emotional stress, job stress, not getting enough exercise, and poor diet habits. Hydrogen water promotes healing on a cellular level, which is exactly where oxidative stress is taking place. Hydrogen water rids your body of oxidative stress by neutralizing the free radicals that cause harm to your cells.
- Improves mood, anxiety, and autonomic nerve function
Hydrogen-rich water has been proven to improve mood, lessen anxiety, and enhance autonomic nerve function (10).
It does this by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, ameliorating the effects of aging, and functioning as an antioxidant to leave you happier and more energised throughout the day.
- Prevents exercise-induced declines in muscle function in elite athletes
Hydrogen water has been proven to help with muscle fatigue caused by acute exercise in elite athletes (11).
The hydrogen does this by reducing oxidative stress, acting as an antioxidant, and combating muscle inflammation, which plays a role in muscle fatigue. The hydrogen water also reduced blood lactate levels, which causes lactic acid buildup in muscles.
- Enhances focus, increases cognitive function, and supports nervous systems
Unlike caffeine stimulants or energy boosts from sugars and carbs, hydrogen-rich water allows your mind to be clear, focused, and centered.
In addition to enhancing focus, hydrogen water has been proven to increase cognitive function (12). Due to its antioxidant properties, hydrogen water functions as a neuron protective that prevents spatial memory decline and age-related brain alterations.
Hydrogen-rich water has also been proven to support central and peripheral nervous systems, in addition to increasing brain function and energy (13).
- Accelerates wound healing
By activating the Nrf2-Antioxidant defense pathways, hydrogen-rich water has been proven to accelerate wound healing (14). This is because the hydrogen water reduces oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokine levels, thereby promoting healing associated genes.
- Prevents aging and supports longevity
Aging skin is characterized by a decrease in energy production. Hydrogen-rich water combats aging and supports longevity by increasing the production of ATP in mitochondria, which raises energy levels (15).
This further helps your gut to take in nutrients more efficiently and help eliminate free radicals. By eliminating free radicals, your cells are able to repair more efficiently. This all helps keep you younger longer.
- Increases energy and mitochondrial function
Are you tired of going home at the end of the work day with very little energy? Or do you have barely enough energy to get you through the day as is? Hydrogen-rich water will give you more energy by boosting mitochondrial function (16).
This is essential for the production of ATP, which is what gives us energy.
- Boosts immune function
70% of your immune system is housed in your gut. Hydrogen water has been proven to boost immune function by supporting gut health (17). It does this by having an oxidation-reduction potential of -450mV, which is optimal for promoting good gut bacteria.
- Prevents inflammation and inflammatory related diseases
Inflammation is one of the leading causes of disease. Chronic inflammation is associated with heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and Crohn’s disease. Hydrogen water has been proven to combat fatigue and inflammation in patients treated with radiotherapy (18).
It has also been proven to help patients with diabetes, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, metabolic syndrome, mitochondrial myopathies, and other inflammatory processes (19).
The Takeaway
Despite it being popular in Japan since the 1960s, hydrogen-rich water has drastically risen in popularity within the western medical community and is raising excitement among consumers.
Numerous studies have been done on the health benefits of hydrogen water machines coupled with electrolysis.
Hydrogen Water Studies
- Functions as a selective antioxidant. See the study.
- Improves mood, anxiety, and autonomic nerve function. See the study.
- Improves endurance in athletes. See the study.
- Enhances focus and increases cognitive function. See the study.
- Supports central and peripheral nervous systems and increases brain function and energy. See the study.
- Accelerates wound healing. See the study.
- Prevents aging and supports longevity. See this study and this study.
- Increases energy and mitochondrial function. See the study.
- Boosts immune function. See the study.
- Prevents inflammation. See this study and this study.
- Combats Alzheimer’s disease. See the study.
- Combats fatigue and inflammation and improves the quality of life of patients treated with radiotherapy. See the study.
- Helps patients with diabetes, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, metabolic syndrome, mitochondrial myopathies, and other inflammatory processes. See the study.
Disclaimer:
This article is purely informative & educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional.
