Hydrogen water therapy for inflammatory conditions.

Molecular hydrogen-enriched water, or ‘Hydrogen Water’, or even ‘Miracle Water’ as it is often called, has been found to reduce symptoms of many medical conditions and may even be helpful in reducing inflammation caused by a range of problems. Read on to learn how Hydrogen Water can be therapeutic to people with joint degeneration, osteroarthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

A growing body of research indicates that hydrogen water could be used as a kind of antioxidant in many diseases.

Hydrogen is able to neutralise the free radicals that result from oxidative damage, such as ROS (reactive oxygen species) and reactive nitrogen species. What’s more, hydrogen is considered to be totally safe for consumption – in fact there has been no negative influence found from ingesting or inhaling any amount.

Since its discovery as an antioxidant in 2007, multiple studies have shown numerous beneficial effects of molecular hydrogen. In chemistry molecular hydrogen is expressed as H2. Recent medical discoveries reveal it has a powerful ability to neutralise the most harmful free radicals peroxynitrite (ONOO-) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH)

Two hydrogen ions bonded together form molecular hydrogen (H2)

Joint Degeneration

Arthritis is the most common form of chronic musculo-skeletal disease worldwide. Together with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (arthritis) are the most common disabling diseases, especially among elderly people.

Arthritis is a degenerative disease involving abnormalities in chondrocytes (cartilage cells), articular cartilage and other joint tissue. Oxidative stress plays a leading role in the initiation and progression of the disease process, and a recent study showed that molecular hydrogen protected chondrocytes from death.

Osteoarthritis

A 2012 investigation aimed to describe whether molecular hydrogen can be used as a new treatment to slow the progression of OA (osteoarthritis). The authors reported that hydrogen has several potential advantages as a safe and potent therapeutic medical gas to treat arthritis compared with current pharmaceutical drugs. Additionally, hydrogen was shown to protect DNA from damage! This is due to the powerful ability of molecular hydrogen in neutralising the most damaging free radicals.

Most of the earlier studies were conducted in laboratory models of disease, or in animal models, but this study found that molecular hydrogen has the potential to treat arthritis, reduce pain and slow the progression of the disease. Further research is eagerly awaited, using larger clinical studies.

How does molecular hydrogen help with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?

Although not life-threatening, rheumatoid arthritis can make the day-to-day a literal pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to pain and swelling, mainly in the joints. There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. However, along with traditional medicine, molecular hydrogen has shown great potential in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

In this 2012 study, twenty patients with RA drank 530 ml of water containing 4 to 5 ppm molecular hydrogen (high H2 water) every day for 4 weeks. After a 4-week wash-out period (i.e., drinking regular water) the patients drank the high hydrogen water for another 4 weeks. All the 5 patients who had early onset of RA (for less than 12 months) and did not have antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CPP) went into remission. Four of them became symptom-free by the end of the study.

The results suggest that molecular hydrogen effectively reduces oxidative stress in patients with RA – most likely due to it’s hydroxy radical neutralising power. In short, the symptoms of RA were significantly improved with high H2 water.

An interesting study published in 2013 found that drinking hydrogen-enriched water daily had a preventive effect against the development of RA, compared to those who drink regular water.

How does this Work?

Quite simply: Molecular hydrogen has incredibly powerful antioxidant properties. What’s more, molecular hydrogen can permeate every tissue in the body, thus can get everywhere. Unlike supplemental antioxidants, it does not impair your body’s natural ability to produce other types of antioxidants.

People with RA have oxidative stress, caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules. This is because they only contain one electron. As electrons need to be in pairs, free radicals often steal electrons from other cells. This action causes oxidation stress, and cells can get damaged or even die. This often leads to pain and inflammation,

Since molecular hydrogen (H2) contains two hydrogen atoms, it is able to donate one to free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules. Thus, when molecular hydrogen donates a hydrogen atom, the formula for water (H2O) is complete. Thus, molecular hydrogen neutralises free radicals by turning them into healthy and harmless water.

Additional investigations of the benefits of molecular hydrogen for RA patients are urgently needed, as molecular hydrogen therapy has tremendous potential, but is currently under-utilised and its benefits are not thoroughly explored.

Molecular hydrogen can permeate every tissue in the body. Making your own hydrogen-water is an incredibly safe and cost-effective therapy.

Hydrogen water has been found to improve skin conditions such as psoriasis and parapsoriasis en plaques.

A 2018 study reported that the use of hydrogen water resulted in significant and rapid improvement in disease severity and quality of life for patients with psoriasis and parapsoriasis en plaques, through bathing in the hydrogen-enriched water.

“At week 8, our parallel-controlled trial revealed 24.4% of patients (10/41) receiving hydrogen-water bathing achieved at least 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI)”, suggesting that hydrogen water bathing therapy could fulfill an unmet need for these chronic inflammatory skin diseases.

Psoriatic lesions can be hard to treat.

Another study published in 2018 found that treatment with molecular hydrogen improved skin lesions associated with psoriasis associated arthritis. The skin lesions almost disappeared at the end of the treatment. While this was only conducted in three cases, the application of molecular hydrogen-enriched water reduced inflammation associated with psoriasis. Certainly a worthwhile treatment option for psoriasis-associated skin lesions and arthritis.

Clinical improvement of psoriasis of an 8-week course of hydrogen-water bathing therapy. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5966409/figure/Fig1/)

Make your own hydrogen water with our selection of Hydrogen Water Generators!

To go with the portable generator, we recommend also purchasing an EcoTANKA (600ml or 800mL) with cap top lid. This means you can hydrogenate your water right in your drinking bottle – perfect for travelling or just being “out and about”.

NOTE: molecular hydrogen will pass through the walls of whatever container it is in. Drinking soon after generating is recommended (you can “recharge” it anytime), but after an hour there is likely no remaining dissolved hydrogen.