Since my encounter and experience with Hydrogen, I have been fascinated by the extent of its benefits and wanted to understand why they are so numerous and varied. How does Hydrogen work in our bodies?
“H2 enriched water is clearly a hot topic in research since the articles are all very recent and extremely interesting!
There are many studies (on animal metabolisms) that come from renowned journals such as: 'Scientific reports', which is part of Nature, Impact factor 4.6 (2022), 'Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity', Impact factor 6.79 (2022), or 'Nutrients' from MDPI, Impact factor 5.72. 1-5
The mechanism of H2 is not really understood. There are observations that have been made in these scientific studies and that have led to hypotheses.
Among these hypotheses is the idea of a modification of the intestinal microbiota. Hydrogen-enriched water could provide an additional substrate for hydrogenotrophic bacteria (which consume hydrogen) in the intestinal flora, and thus allow their increase. In parallel, the growth of anaerobic bacteria and butyrate-producing bacteria would be favored by an attenuation of the redox potential in the intestinal lumen. The metabolites produced by these bacteria (propionic acid, butyric acid, acetate, etc.) have beneficial effects on the intestine - systemic immunomodulation, gene expression and cell signaling.
The target of H2 in the body has not been clearly elucidated, but there is consensus on its antioxidant activity, by modulation of the redox system. H2 could be involved in the reduction of NADP to NADPH, and thus modulate certain biological pathways such as the pentose phosphate pathway or the Krebs cycle (which occurs in the mitochondria).
Also, it should be noted that our body produces large amounts of endogenous hydrogen ( this hydrogen is not normally in the form of molecular hydrogen... it is mostly hydrogen ions, or protons ) in its normal functioning. So why are there effects on our body by the addition of exogenous hydrogen brought by enriched water? One hypothesis would be that the intake of exogenous H2 would produce a sharp increase in H2 levels in the intestine (which occurs quickly after consumption of enriched water), which could trigger one or more acute mechanisms and/or cascade reactions, while endogenous H2 is released more gradually and is perhaps unable to elicit this response . Nellie, Ph.D. in Chemistry.
References:
1. Adzavon, Y.M., Xie, F., Yi, Y. et al. Long-term and daily use of molecular hydrogen induces reprogramming of liver metabolism in rats by modulating NADP/NADPH redox pathways. SciRep 12, 3904 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07710-6
2. Xie F, Jiang X, Yi Y, Liu ZJ, Ma C, He J, Xun ZM, Wang M, Liu MY, Mawulikplimi Adzavon Y, Zhao PX, Ma XM. Different effects of hydrogen-rich water intake and hydrogen gas inhalation on gut microbiome and plasma metabolites of rats in health status. SciRep. 2022 May 4;12(1):7231. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-11091-1. PMID: 35508571; PMCID: PMC9068821.
3. Zhang Y, Su WJ, Chen Y, Wu TY, Gong H, Shen XL, Wang YX, Sun XJ, Jiang CL. Effects of hydrogen-rich water on depressive-like behavior in mice. SciRep. 2016 Mar 30;6:23742. doi:10.1038/srep23742. PMID: 27026206; PMCID: PMC4812321.
4. Zheng W, Ji Toxins (Basel). 2018 Jun 16;10(6):246. doi:10.3390/toxins10060246. PMID: 29914163; PMCID: PMC6024725.
5. Sergej M. Ostojic, Hydrogen-rich water as a modulator of gut microbiota? Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 78, 2021, 104360, ISSN 1756-4646, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2021.104360.
Effects of hydrogen water on the intestine and the brain according to Dr. Paul Barattiero interviewed by Gary Brecka, biologist
Dr. Paul Barriattiero specializes in alkaline water, hydrogen gas, hydrogen water, and water filtration systems. For 22 years, he has lectured internationally to educate the world on the benefits of hydrogen gas.
It brings together scientific studies to support its data listed here!
Summary of his remarks:
- Is hydrogenated water the fountain of youth? The best water to drink?
- The water we consume should be clean and ideal, let's not be the filter for our water.
- Health & longevity equals what we eat, drink, supplement and do.
- Hydrogen dissolved in water seems to be healing, why, what is its mechanism?
- Hydrogen is found in the body, in the intestine.
- Hydrogen is critical for our bodies during digestion and fermentation of food. It is believed to reduce oxidation and aid methylation.
- In normal water there is no hydrogen gas, there may be some oxygen gas (small bubbles) due to turbulence.
- The H2 intake seems to mimic the breakdown of water molecules by our mitochondria (inside a cell is the mitochondria and the little motor that runs in the mitochondria, ATP synthetase ).
- A study on hydrogen reports a very positive impact on immunity: the health of our intestinal immune system is closely linked to the diversity and composition of our intestinal flora , by improving our intestinal flora, we would strengthen the immune system.
If we change the terrain in the biome, the good bacteria will come back and live there.
As for longevity, the "living forever" that everyone talks about, the common traits of 4,000 centenarians are found , among other things, in the quality of their diet, their attitude towards life in general, and the quality of their intestinal flora. "I believe longevity comes from the gut."
By simply drinking water to which hydrogen has been added, we would be feeding the bacteria in our gut or changing the soil in our gut, making it more hospitable to bacteria that reduce inflammation, interrupt free radical oxidation, and perhaps even strengthen the immune system and so on, resulting in "healing."
An interesting study on athletic performance - conducted with elite professional football players - simply by switching from filtered water or water with electrolytes to hydrogenated water, with a crossover (some had placebo water and the others, hydrogenated water, and they changed at one-week intervals) suggests in conclusions that by taking hydrogenated water, there was less exercise-induced muscle decline, less fatigue, less accumulation of lactate in the muscle, recovery times were much lower, therefore, they could run much longer.
Furthermore, the first study published in 2009 on hydrogen explains its quality as a selective antioxidant - which only reaches and reacts with cytotoxic oxygen radicals, which only attacks those that cause inflammation causing cellular damage.
Hydrogenated Water according to Dr. Andrew Huberman
Dr. Huberman mentions the result of a study (2020) 1 , it was reported that by drinking 1.5 liters per day of hydrogen-enriched water for a period of four weeks, significant benefits were observed regarding the decrease in inflammation.
1. Sim M, Kim CS, Shon WJ, Lee YK, Choi EY, Shin DM. Hydrogen-rich water reduces inflammatory responses and prevents apoptosis of peripheral blood cells in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. SciRep. 2020 Jul 22;10(1):12130. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68930-2. PMID: 32699287; PMCID: PMC7376192.
The dose of H2 provided per tablet is 6 to 12 mg while the hydrogen generator gives at best 1200 ppm (therefore 1.2 mg per liter).
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