Upgrade Your Hydration: Hydrogen Water

I love water.

Those are words no one would’ve ever expected me to say (unless I was referring to the beach!), however over the years I’ve come to love water more and more.

I’ve researched it, tried lots of types, and the more I learn the more fascinated I am.

Our body is predominantly made up of water – estimated at 70% (Munteanu et al., 2021). It’s an essential requirement for our healthy cell function, all 50 trillion of them.

Yet most people don’t drink enough.

If that’s you, here’s were to get started – drink 1-2 glasses of water before breakfast and 4-5 glasses throughout the day. You will learn what it truly feels like to be hydrated.

But if you’re already doing this and want to know how to upgrade your water intake even more, than this article is for you.

The molecular nature of water is simple, H20, 2x hydrogen atoms and 1x oxygen atom bound together.

Japanese researcher, Masaru Emoto, is famous for playing certain types of music and observing how it influences the structure of water (it’s referred to as the emotional imprinting on water). I won’t get into that in this article; however, his work is amazing and the photographs he’s taken of water that have been imprinted with classical music is stunning (Pitkanen, 2018).

There are many ‘types’ of water – still, sparkling, filtered, distilled, structured, alkaline and my favourite, hydrogen water.

I stumbled across hydrogen water by accident, when exploring options to help clients with long-COVID. The research around hydrogen water and inflammatory and autoimmune conditions is growing… and amazing! Here’s a few.

1. In a pilot study, 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis drank 530ml of hydrogen water (4-5 ppm) for 4 weeks. By the end of the study, all patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (<12 months) and who did not show antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides (ACPAs) achieved remission and 20% of patients became symptom-free (Ishibashi et al., 2012).

2. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 20 healthy adults (20–59 y) consumed 1.5 L/day of hydrogen water (n = 20) while 18 healthy adults consumed 1.5 L/day of plain water for 4 weeks. Based on blood serum analysis, inflammatory responses and NF-κB signalling were significantly down-regulated in those that consumed the hydrogen water, suggesting that it increases antioxidant capacity and reducing inflammatory responses in healthy adults. (Sim et al., 2020).

3. In a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study, 30 people with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) consumed either 900 mL/day of hydrogen water or normal for a 12-week period. Hydrogen water was associated with significant reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and urinary 8-isoprostanes. There was also a trend of reduced fatty acids, suggesting that hydrogen water may have a beneficial role in T2DM and insulin resistance (Kajiyama et al., 2008).

4. In a small single-blind study, 8 cyclists were randomised and provided 2 L/day of normal water or hydrogen water daily, with testing performed at baseline and after each 2 weeks. Those consuming hydrogen water had less exhaustion and more power through sprints (Da Ponte et al., 2018).

So how does it work?

It’s thought to come down to 3 things.

1. Size – Hydrogen is the smallest molecule, enabling it to diffuse every cell in the body. “The size feature allows for protection in the subcellular compartments and scavenge cytotoxic oxygen radicals, thus protecting the DNA, RNA and proteins from oxidative stress.” (Hydrogen Health)

2. Antioxidant – Hydrogen triggers the activation of antioxidant enzymes and cytoprotective proteins, which protect against damage - powerful!

3. Signal – Acts as a signal to improve cell health including anti-inflammatory effects, anti-allergic effects, and anti-apoptotic (or anti-cell death) effects - yes please, I want this.

What did I notice?

Like I said, I’ve been fascinated with water for a little while now – we got an alkaline water filter (which I also love) for the benchtop about 5 years ago.

Since adding in the hydrogen water into my daily hydration habits a few months ago, the biggest things I’ve noticed is an increase in energy in the morning (waking naturally now at 5.45/6am), my complexion is even clearer, and gut heath being good (despite being ‘glutened’ – click here to learn more about my story).

Where to get hydrogen water?

The best way is to get hydrogen water is to buy a bottle so you can make your own. I bought myself one from Hydrogen Health for Christmas last year, and it’s been one of the best presents I’ve ever got! [see below for my 20% off coupon code)

I put alkaline water in it – you can use filtered water – and press the button for the magic to happen. The pretty blue light comes on and it takes about 3-4 minutes, then it’s ready to drink.

Most clients tell me they find it much easier to drink more water when using this bottle. It seems smoother, easier to consume.

The bottle is glass, all pieces come apart for easy washing, and you can get a protective cover (I did this as I carry it around with me all day).

About 1 month after getting my bottle one of my kids dropped it. The great news, the glass only slightly cracked and I was able to replace just that bit. Shipping was quick – thank goodness as I missed not having it for a few days.

How much to drink per day?

The research isn’t clear just yet on how much is beneficial to consume on a daily basis. In some papers, such as the one for people with rheumatoid arthritis, they were having 500ml/day for 4 weeks. Whereas for the athletes, they were drinking 2L per day.

My suggestions are, like anything new, start slow and monitor the impact on your body.

To secure a 20% discount when buying your Hydrogen Health bottle, filter and accessories, click here and use the coupon code: healthygut. Prices are in Australian Dollars. Hydrogen Health ships internationally.

References:

DA PONTE, A., GIOVANELLI, N., NIGRIS, D. & LAZZER, S. 2018. Effects of hydrogen rich water on prolonged intermittent exercise. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 58, 612-621.

ISHIBASHI, T., SATO, B., RIKITAKE, M., SEO, T., KUROKAWA, R., HARA, Y., NARITOMI, Y., HARA, H. & NAGAO, T. 2012. Consumption of water containing a high concentration of molecular hydrogen reduces oxidative stress and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an open-label pilot study. Med Gas Res, 2, 27.

KAJIYAMA, S., HASEGAWA, G., ASANO, M., HOSODA, H., FUKUI, M., NAKAMURA, N., KITAWAKI, J., IMAI, S., NAKANO, K., OHTA, M., ADACHI, T., OBAYASHI, H. & YOSHIKAWA, T. 2008. Supplementation of hydrogen-rich water improves lipid and glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. Nutr Res, 28, 137-43.

MUNTEANU, C., TEOIBAS-SERBAN, D., IORDACHE, L., BALAUREA, M. & BLENDEA, C.-D. 2021. Water intake meets the Water from inside the human body – physiological, cultural, and health perspectives - Synthetic and Systematic literature review. Balneo and PRM Research Journal, 12, 196-209.

PITKANEN, M. 2018. The experiments of Masaru Emoto with emotional imprinting of water.

SIM, M., KIM, C.-S., SHON, W.-J., LEE, Y.-K., CHOI, E. Y. & SHIN, D.-M. 2020. Hydrogen-rich water reduces inflammatory responses and prevents apoptosis of peripheral blood cells in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Scientific Reports, 10, 12130.