Hydrogen Water Significantly Lowers Cholesterol and Triglycerides
- Authors
- Nikola Todorovic, Julen Fernandez-Landa, Asier Santibanez, Branislav Kura, Valdemar Stajer, Darinka Korovljev, Sergej M. Ostojic
- Journal
- Pharmaceuticals
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.3390/ph16020142
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Serbia
- Health Condition
- High Cholesterol
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Drinking water with extra hydrogen in it might help lower bad cholesterol and fat levels in your blood, which could be good for your heart health—but scientists need to do more research to make sure it really works and figure out how much people should drink.
Key Finding
Drinking hydrogen-rich water was associated with statistically significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides across seven clinical studies, though the effect sizes were small to moderate.
Summary
This review combined results from seven studies examining whether drinking hydrogen-rich water affects cholesterol and fat levels in the blood. The combined analysis found that people who drank hydrogen-rich water had small but measurable reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol), and triglycerides (a type of blood fat). However, the individual studies were small, and researchers note that more large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Practical Takeaway
While this review suggests hydrogen-rich water may support healthier blood lipid levels, the evidence is still preliminary—based on only seven small studies. Anyone considering hydrogen-rich water for cholesterol or triglyceride management should discuss it with their doctor and continue any prescribed treatments, as these findings are not yet strong enough to replace established medical approaches.
Abstract
Over the last two decades, a plethora of disease models and human studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of molecular hydrogen (H2), a simple biotherapeutic gas. Recent small-scale studies evaluating the effects of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on various metabolic conditions pointed to advantageous effects of HRW in regulating blood lipid profiles. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, no systematic review and/or meta-analysis (SRMA) were published considering HRW consumption and lipid/lipoprotein status. Therefore, the aim of this SRMA was to assess the effects of HRW consumption on blood lipid panel in clinical populations. The search strategy was designed using PRISMA guidelines, and the databases PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus were explored from inception until 4 October 2022. A total of seven studies satisfied all the eligibility criteria and were included in SRMA. The results for the pooled meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides after HRW intake (p = 0.01), with small to moderate effects (pooled SMD = -0.23 (from -0.40 to 0.05); pooled SMD = -0.22 (from -0.39 to 0.04); pooled SMD = -0.38 (from -0.59 to 0.18), respectively). Our findings indicate that drinking HRW can significantly improve lipid status in the clinical populations. Additional studies are warranted to further validate this connection.