Hydrogen Water | Is All The Hype Backed by Science?

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Hydrogen is the most ubiquitous element in the universe, making up a staggering 75% of everything around us. But its presence isn't just cosmic — much of the hydrogen present on Earth is found in water.

And on a (much) smaller scale, you've probably spotted hydrogen-infused water popping up on health-food store shelves.  

If you have taken notice of these overpriced bottles, you've probably questioned whether they're worth the price tag. But as absurd as it seems, preliminary human studies suggest hydrogen water benefits are quite promising.

Let's take a deep dive into hydrogen water and its potential health benefits.

What Is Hydrogen Water?

Hydrogen water is basically regular water with extra hydrogen molecules added to it. That's why it's also known as “hydrogen-rich water” or “hydrogen-infused water."

A big chunk of the hydrogen on Earth is present in water. While drinking water provides hydrogen bonded to oxygen (H2O), this isn't the same as ingesting molecular hydrogen since water and hydrogen gas (H2) have distinct properties and actions in the body.

How Is Hydrogen Water Made?

Hydrogen water is commonly produced by electrolysis (ionization) of water. However, water electrolysis is costly and remains impractical as an everyday resource for hydrogen water.

A simpler, more cost-efficient way to produce hydrogen water is by dunking a small amount of metallic magnesium into purified water, according to a 2019 report in the Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 

Magnesium hydroxide is not readily soluble in water. It’s also a strong antacid and the main ingredient in Milk of Magnesia, which is known for its laxative effects. Thankfully, the relative concentration of magnesium hydroxide produced when generating near-saturated hydrogen water is minimal and won’t have much biological effect.

The Health Benefits of Hydrogen Water 

There aren't too many human studies on hydrogen water, and more research needs to be done to confirm any of the purported health benefits. But the limited data that is available shows promise.

It May Improve Athletic Performance 

Some research shows that drinking hydrogen-rich water before a workout can help reduce fatigue and boost endurance.

For example, in one study, cyclists who drank hydrogen-rich water for a week performed better than those who didn't. Exercise typically leads to a build-up of lactic acid in muscles, but pre-workout hydrogen-rich water has been shown to lower blood lactic acid levels and improve breathing efficiency during intense activity.

According to a 2024 meta-analysis in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, studies also suggest hydrogen water can lessen fatigue and enhance endurance during repeated sprints.

It May Help With Arthritis 

Hydrogen water may have promising effects on alleviating swollen, painful joints.

A 2012 Medical Gas Research study in patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed that drinking roughly half a liter of hydrogen water daily cleared their symptoms and helped them achieve remission. And these benefits persisted even after they stopped drinking hydrogen water.

It May Have Antioxidant Properties and May Lower Inflammation

Hydrogen water appears to help lower oxidative stress and inflammation.

In contrast to normal tap water, hydrogen water has a highly negative redox potential, which is the nerdy way of saying that it has antioxidant capacity and can reduce oxidative stress.

A 2020 randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in Scientific Reports showed that hydrogen-rich water helped reduce inflammation and boost antioxidant levels in healthy adults.

Antioxidants are molecules that accept electrons from harmful free radicals and reactive oxygen species, thereby neutralizing them. Chronic oxidative stress is the putative underlying cause of many modern health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and much more.

It May Help People With Metabolic Syndrome

About one-third of Americans have metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that raise your risk for chronic health diseases like diabetes and stroke. Preliminary research suggests that hydrogen water may help treat this prevalent condition, perhaps thanks to its antioxidant capacity.  

In a 10-week study in the Journal of Lipid Research, researchers gave 20 people with metabolic syndrome 30 to 34 ounces (0.9 to 1 liter) of hydrogen-infused water daily. By the end of the study, they saw significant drops in "bad" LDL and total cholesterol, increases in "good" HDL cholesterol, higher antioxidant activity, and lower levels of inflammation.

It May Have Anti-Aging Properties

A 6-month pilot study looked at women and men over 70 years old and the findings suggest that hydrogen water may possess anti-aging potential.

The study observed that the older adults who drank hydrogen-enriched water saw improvements in classic symptoms of the aging process, like pain, metabolic processes in the brain, strength in the lower extremities, and researchers even noticed an increase in telomere length. 

Other Potential Benefits

A 2016 study in Open Medicine is one of the first human studies on hydrogen water. It suggests that hydrogen-rich water may have a protective effect on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a congenital disease in which the brain doesn’t get enough oxygenated blood. 

In the study, researchers split newborns with HIE into two groups. One group was orally administered hydrogen water for 10 days (0.6 ppm, about 50 mL per day), and the other was treated with conventional medications for HIE.

After the study period, the researchers found that the newborns who received hydrogen water had significantly lower serum levels of HIE biomarkers than those treated conventionally. In addition, the newborns that drank hydrogen water scored markedly better on developmental testing, which included things like muscle tone, disturbance of consciousness, and primitive reflex recovery time.

Disadvantages of Hydrogen Water

Unlike regular water, hydrogen H2O may have a shelf life. 

Ideally, hydrogen-rich water should be consumed as quickly as possible (i.e. within an hour) after it’s opened. And the bottle it’s in should remain tightly sealed and out of direct sunlight between sips. 

Realistically, hydrogen water kept at the supermarket for weeks or months at a time might lose a good amount of the hydrogen gas by the time it reaches the consumer, making the efficacy and potency of such products questionable.

That means, hydrogen-infused water may not be worth all the extra cash you shell out on it.

What's The Deal With Molecular Hydrogen Supplements?

Many supplement companies are now selling hydrogen water supplements that are egregiously overpriced magnesium pills cleverly branded as “molecular hydrogen tablets.” However, consumers are likely to believe these supplements contain actual molecular hydrogen, which they most certainly do not.

Why’s that? Well, molecular hydrogen exists as a gas at room temperature and standard pressure conditions. That’s why, in most clinical settings, people use molecular hydrogen by inhaling it as a gas.

For molecular hydrogen to become a liquid, it requires extremely low temperatures — negative 423oF (-253oC), to be exact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This is why liquid hydrogen is often used in cryogenics and can cause severe frostbite upon contact.

Plus, molecular hydrogen readily reacts with oxygen in the air and combusts, which would make it quite dangerous to carry around molecular hydrogen tablets even if it were possible/practical.

Therefore, the concept of molecular hydrogen water tablets is just silly.

So Should You Drink Hydrogen Water?

So far, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the prospect of hydrogen water.

Early human research suggests that hydrogen water may help boost athletic performance, help treat metabolic syndrome, help alleviate inflammation, and may even have anti-aging effects.

Still, the scanty amount of human research that’s currently available only goes so far.

Until more conclusive human research on hydrogen water benefits surfaces, your best bet is to stick to good ol' pure water, spring/mineral water, and carbonated/sparkling water (which also all just happen to be way more affordable).

If you want to try the magnesium method for creating your own hydrogen-rich water, there are a handful of options out there — simply search for molecular hydrogen tablets. Just be realistic with your expectations — no molecular hydrogen supplement will be a panacea for all that ails you. 

We simply don’t know if there are any long-term benefits of hydrogen water in humans. Pragmatically speaking, drinking plenty of purified water — regardless if it's saturated with hydrogen gas — sets the foundation for your health and athletic performance.