Comprehensive Review of Hydrogen Water Health Benefits
Hydrogen water—regular water infused with molecular hydrogen gas (H2)—has transitioned from niche wellness trend to subject of serious scientific investigation, with over 100 clinical studies examining its therapeutic potential. While early research faced skepticism, accumulating evidence demonstrates consistent effects on fundamental biological processes including oxidative stress, inflammation, metabolism, and cellular signaling.
A 2024 systematic review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences analyzing 25 human studies concluded that "preliminary results are encouraging" for hydrogen water benefits in exercise capacity, cardiovascular health, liver function, mental health, and oxidative stress reduction. Simultaneously, a comprehensive 2024 review in Antioxidants examining over 100 clinical studies emphasized hydrogen's role as a therapeutic antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects, noting its selective mechanism distinguishes it from conventional antioxidants.
This article provides an evidence-based examination of hydrogen water health benefits across multiple domains: metabolic health and body composition, cardiovascular function and disease prevention, athletic performance and recovery, anti-inflammatory effects, cognitive function and neuroprotection, anti-aging and longevity, liver and kidney health, skin health and dermatological applications, and immune function and disease resistance. For each area, we examine clinical evidence, underlying mechanisms, practical applications, and current research limitations.
Metabolic Health and Diabetes Management
Effects on Glucose Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity
Metabolic dysfunction—including insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and type 2 diabetes—affects hundreds of millions globally and drives cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and numerous other complications. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are central to metabolic disease pathophysiology, making hydrogen water a logical therapeutic candidate.
The landmark study establishing hydrogen water's metabolic benefits appeared in Nutrition Research (2008). Researchers investigated 8 weeks of hydrogen-rich water consumption in 30 subjects with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. Results demonstrated significant improvements including decreased fasting glucose, improved oral glucose tolerance test results, decreased insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), improved hemoglobin A1c trends, reduced LDL cholesterol and oxidized LDL, increased HDL cholesterol, and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity (endogenous antioxidant enzyme).
Subsequent studies confirmed and expanded these findings. A study in metabolic syndrome patients showed hydrogen water improved multiple parameters simultaneously—glucose metabolism, lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress biomarkers—suggesting broad metabolic benefits rather than isolated effects.
Proposed mechanisms underlying metabolic benefits include enhanced mitochondrial function improving cellular glucose utilization and energy metabolism, reduced oxidative stress improving insulin receptor signaling (ROS impair insulin signaling pathways), anti-inflammatory effects on pancreatic beta cells preserving insulin secretion, reduced inflammation in insulin-sensitive tissues (muscle, liver, adipose), activation of AMPK pathway regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, upregulation of FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21) improving metabolic health, and potential positive effects on gut microbiota affecting metabolism.
Lipid Profile Improvements
Dyslipidemia—abnormal lipid levels including elevated LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol—is a primary cardiovascular disease risk factor. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis in Medical Sciences specifically examined hydrogen water's effects on blood lipid profiles, analyzing multiple clinical trials.
The meta-analysis demonstrated hydrogen water consumption resulted in reduced total cholesterol in several studies, decreased LDL cholesterol (particularly oxidized LDL—a key atherogenic factor), increased HDL cholesterol in some populations, reduced triglycerides, and improved LDL/HDL ratio. Effects were most pronounced in individuals with baseline metabolic dysfunction—those with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or dyslipidemia showed greater improvements than healthy controls.
The reduction in oxidized LDL is particularly significant. LDL oxidation is a critical step in atherosclerosis development—oxidized LDL particles are preferentially taken up by macrophages forming foam cells, initiating atherosclerotic plaque formation. Hydrogen's selective antioxidant activity protects LDL from oxidation, potentially interrupting this pathological cascade.
Mechanisms affecting lipid metabolism include reduced oxidative damage to lipids and lipoproteins, improved mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, activation of PPARs (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors) regulating lipid metabolism, reduced hepatic lipogenesis (fat synthesis in liver), enhanced cholesterol efflux from tissues, and anti-inflammatory effects reducing inflammatory dyslipidemia.
Body Composition and Weight Management
A 24-week study published in Nutrients (2023) examined high-concentration hydrogen-rich water effects on body composition in 20 subjects. While this was a small pilot study, results suggested potential benefits including reduced body fat percentage in the hydrogen group compared to control, decreased visceral adipose tissue (metabolically harmful fat around organs), improved lean mass to fat mass ratio, and maintained or improved metabolic rate.
Additional studies show related effects including reduced inflammatory markers in adipose tissue, improved adiponectin levels (beneficial hormone secreted by healthy adipose tissue), better insulin sensitivity correlating with improved body composition, and reduced markers of metabolic syndrome associated with obesity.
It's critical to emphasize that hydrogen water is not a weight loss miracle—effects are modest and work best when combined with appropriate nutrition and exercise. Proposed mechanisms include enhanced mitochondrial function improving metabolic efficiency and fat oxidation, reduced chronic inflammation in adipose tissue (inflamed fat tissue resists metabolic improvement), improved insulin sensitivity affecting nutrient partitioning, activation of metabolic signaling pathways (AMPK, sirtuins), and potential effects on appetite-regulating hormones (ghrelin, leptin).
Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention
Endothelial Function and Vascular Health
The vascular endothelium—the single-cell layer lining blood vessels—plays critical roles in vascular health including regulating vascular tone and blood pressure, preventing thrombosis (clot formation), modulating inflammation, and controlling vascular permeability. Endothelial dysfunction precedes and predicts cardiovascular disease development.
Research demonstrates hydrogen water improves endothelial function measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD)—a non-invasive test where temporary artery occlusion is released and the artery's ability to dilate in response to increased blood flow is measured. Impaired FMD indicates endothelial dysfunction and predicts cardiovascular events. Studies show hydrogen water consumption improves FMD, particularly in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors, reduced arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity, improved microcirculation in various tissue beds, and better nitric oxide bioavailability (critical vasodilator and vascular protector).
Mechanisms underlying vascular benefits include antioxidant protection of endothelial cells from oxidative damage, reduced oxidative inactivation of nitric oxide (ROS can rapidly neutralize NO), anti-inflammatory effects preventing inflammatory endothelial activation, protection of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) enzyme producing NO, reduced NADPH oxidase activity (major source of vascular ROS), and improved endothelial progenitor cell function (cells repairing vascular damage).
Blood Pressure Regulation
Several studies demonstrate hydrogen water reduces blood pressure, particularly in individuals with hypertension or metabolic syndrome. A study in metabolic syndrome patients showed significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure after 8 weeks of hydrogen water consumption. Effects include reduced systolic blood pressure (5-10 mmHg reductions in some studies), decreased diastolic blood pressure, improved 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure profiles, and reduced blood pressure variability (high variability increases cardiovascular risk).
Blood pressure effects likely result from improved endothelial function and nitric oxide production (NO is primary vasodilator), reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in vascular tissue, improved arterial compliance (reduced stiffness), potential effects on renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and reduced sympathetic nervous system overactivity in some individuals.
While blood pressure reductions are modest compared to pharmaceutical interventions, they contribute to overall cardiovascular risk reduction, particularly when combined with other lifestyle modifications.
Atherosclerosis Prevention
Although large-scale cardiovascular outcome trials haven't been conducted, surrogate markers and animal studies suggest hydrogen may help prevent atherosclerosis development and progression. Evidence includes reduced oxidized LDL (critical initiating factor in atherosclerosis), decreased inflammatory markers associated with plaque formation (hsCRP, IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1), improved endothelial function preventing early atherogenesis steps, reduced markers of vascular inflammation and dysfunction, and animal studies showing reduced plaque formation and progression.
In animal atherosclerosis models, hydrogen treatment demonstrates reduced atherosclerotic lesion size, decreased plaque inflammation and instability, improved plaque stability markers, reduced macrophage infiltration and foam cell formation, and decreased expression of adhesion molecules attracting inflammatory cells.
Mechanisms include preventing LDL oxidation (prerequisite for foam cell formation), anti-inflammatory effects reducing vascular inflammation driving plaque formation, antioxidant protection of vascular cells, reduced oxidative stress-induced endothelial dysfunction, and potential effects on macrophage polarization reducing inflammatory M1 phenotype.
Athletic Performance and Exercise Recovery
Reduction of Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress
Intense exercise generates substantial reactive oxygen species through multiple mechanisms including increased mitochondrial oxygen consumption (1-5% of oxygen forms superoxide during respiration), ischemia-reperfusion during intermittent high-intensity exercise, inflammatory responses to muscle damage, catecholamine auto-oxidation during stress responses, xanthine oxidase activation, and auto-oxidation of hemoglobin and myoglobin.
While some ROS production is necessary for training adaptations—oxidative stress signals mitochondrial biogenesis, angiogenesis, and antioxidant enzyme upregulation—excessive oxidative stress impairs recovery, causes muscle damage, suppresses immune function, and may impair subsequent performance. Hydrogen's selective antioxidant activity may optimize this balance.
Studies consistently demonstrate hydrogen water reduces exercise-induced oxidative stress including decreased malondialdehyde (MDA—lipid peroxidation marker), reduced 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG—DNA oxidative damage marker), lower protein carbonyls (protein oxidation), decreased oxidized glutathione ratio (GSSG/GSH), and reduced other oxidative stress biomarkers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, advanced oxidation protein products).
A 2012 study in Medical Gas Research examined elite athletes consuming hydrogen-rich water before exercise. Results showed significantly reduced blood lactate accumulation during exercise, decreased exercise-induced oxidative stress markers, improved muscle fatigue indicators, and better maintenance of peak torque during repeated sprints compared to placebo.
Muscle Fatigue and Recovery
Multiple studies examine hydrogen water's effects on muscle fatigue and recovery following intense exercise. Key findings include reduced blood lactate levels during and after exercise (lactate accumulation contributes to fatigue), delayed perception of fatigue during endurance exercise, faster recovery of maximal voluntary contraction after exhaustive exercise, reduced decline in power output during repeated high-intensity efforts, and improved time to exhaustion in endurance protocols.
A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition investigated 10 male soccer players consuming hydrogen water or placebo before exercise. Hydrogen group showed reduced blood lactate, attenuated exercise-induced decline in muscle function, improved muscle torque recovery, and reduced perceived muscle fatigue compared to placebo.
Mechanisms underlying fatigue reduction include reduced oxidative stress-mediated muscle fatigue, decreased inflammatory cytokine production impairing muscle function, improved mitochondrial efficiency and ATP production, better maintenance of calcium homeostasis (critical for muscle contraction), reduced oxidative damage to muscle proteins and cellular structures, and potentially improved lactate clearance and metabolism.
Muscle Damage and Inflammation Reduction
Intense or unaccustomed exercise causes muscle damage, particularly eccentric (lengthening) contractions. This damage triggers inflammation, delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and temporary performance impairment. Research shows hydrogen water reduces markers of muscle damage including decreased creatine kinase (CK—enzyme released from damaged muscle cells), lower myoglobin levels (protein released from damaged muscle), reduced muscle soreness and tenderness, and decreased inflammatory cytokines post-exercise (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β).
A study examining hydrogen water consumption before and after exhaustive exercise showed significantly reduced CK elevation, lower myoglobin increase, reduced IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and less muscle soreness 24-48 hours post-exercise compared to placebo.
Benefits result from antioxidant protection reducing free radical-mediated muscle damage, anti-inflammatory effects suppressing excessive inflammation (some inflammation is necessary for repair, but excessive inflammation impairs recovery), reduced neutrophil infiltration and respiratory burst in muscle tissue, protection of muscle membrane integrity from oxidative damage, and potentially improved muscle protein synthesis and repair processes.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects Across Conditions
Systemic Inflammation Reduction
Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation—characterized by elevated inflammatory markers even in absence of acute infection or injury—contributes to virtually all chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune conditions, and accelerated aging. This "inflammaging" represents a primary target for health optimization and disease prevention.
Research consistently demonstrates hydrogen water reduces systemic inflammatory markers. A 2014 study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness examined healthy adults consuming hydrogen water for 4 weeks, showing reduced inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), decreased oxidative stress markers, reduced peripheral blood cell apoptosis, and improved antioxidant capacity.
Studies across diverse populations show decreased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP—marker of systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk), reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8), decreased MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein recruiting inflammatory cells), lower matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) involved in tissue inflammation, and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in some studies.
Anti-inflammatory mechanisms include NF-κB pathway suppression (master regulator of inflammatory gene expression), NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition (protein complex activating inflammatory cytokines), reduced oxidative stress triggering inflammatory signaling cascades, modulation of immune cell phenotypes toward less inflammatory states, decreased production of inflammatory lipid mediators (prostaglandins, leukotrienes), and activation of anti-inflammatory pathways (Nrf2, PPAR-γ).
Joint Health and Arthritis
Inflammatory joint conditions—osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other forms—involve oxidative stress and inflammation driving cartilage degradation, synovial inflammation, and pain. Preliminary research suggests hydrogen may benefit joint health through reduced oxidative stress in synovial fluid and cartilage, decreased inflammatory cytokines in joint tissues, reduced matrix metalloproteinase activity (enzymes degrading cartilage), improved pain scores in some studies, and potential cartilage protection effects.
Animal studies demonstrate hydrogen reduces arthritis severity, decreases joint inflammation and swelling, protects cartilage from degradation, reduces inflammatory cell infiltration, and improves functional outcomes. Human studies—though limited—show reduced pain and improved function in arthritis patients, decreased inflammatory markers in rheumatoid arthritis, and potential slowing of disease progression.
While evidence is preliminary, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms suggest potential benefits warranting further investigation in larger controlled trials.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)—including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis—involve chronic intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune dysfunction. Animal studies show hydrogen reduces intestinal inflammation, decreases disease activity scores, protects intestinal barrier function, reduces oxidative damage to intestinal tissue, and decreases inflammatory cytokine production.
Limited human data exists, but case reports and small studies suggest potential benefits including reduced disease activity, improved symptoms (diarrhea, bleeding, pain), decreased inflammatory markers, and reduced need for medication in some cases. Proposed mechanisms include antioxidant protection of intestinal epithelial cells, reduced inflammatory signaling in intestinal tissue, modulation of gut immune responses, potential beneficial effects on gut microbiota composition, and protection of intestinal barrier integrity.
Cognitive Function and Neuroprotection
Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier
The blood-brain barrier (BBB)—a highly selective semipermeable border separating circulating blood from brain extracellular fluid—protects the central nervous system from pathogens and toxins but also prevents most therapeutic compounds from reaching brain tissue. Conventional antioxidants like vitamin C and E have limited BBB penetration, restricting neuroprotective capacity.
Molecular hydrogen's small size and non-polar structure enable unrestricted BBB crossing, allowing rapid distribution throughout brain tissue including neurons, glia, and subcellular compartments. Studies using isotope-labeled hydrogen demonstrate brain hydrogen concentrations reach therapeutic levels within minutes of administration.
This unique access enables direct neuroprotective effects impossible for larger molecules, explaining hydrogen's potential for neurological applications where oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are central pathological features.
Neurodegenerative Disease Models
Neurodegenerative diseases—Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, ALS—share common features including oxidative damage to neurons (brain has high oxygen consumption and lipid content making it vulnerable), neuroinflammation (chronic microglial activation, inflammatory cytokines), mitochondrial dysfunction in neurons, protein aggregation and misfolding, and progressive neuronal death.
Animal research demonstrates hydrogen benefits across neurodegenerative models. In Parkinson's disease models, hydrogen reduces dopaminergic neuron loss, improves motor function, decreases oxidative stress markers in brain, and reduces neuroinflammation. In Alzheimer's disease models, benefits include reduced cognitive decline, decreased beta-amyloid deposition, reduced tau phosphorylation, improved memory performance, and decreased neuroinflammation and oxidative damage.
Additional models show hydrogen protects against stroke and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, reduces traumatic brain injury damage and improves outcomes, protects spinal cord neurons in injury and disease models, and provides benefits in multiple sclerosis models (reduced demyelination, decreased neuroinflammation).
Mechanisms include direct neutralization of hydroxyl radicals causing neuronal damage, reduced neuroinflammation (microglial activation, inflammatory cytokines), mitochondrial protection in high-energy-demand neurons, activation of neuroprotective pathways (Nrf2, heat shock proteins, neurotrophic factors), reduced apoptosis of neurons, and potential enhancement of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.
Cognitive Performance in Healthy Individuals
Beyond disease models, limited research examines hydrogen effects on cognitive performance in healthy individuals or mild cognitive impairment. Studies suggest potential benefits including improved cognitive function scores in mild cognitive impairment patients, enhanced memory performance in some studies, reduced mental fatigue, improved mood and reduced anxiety in preliminary trials, and better cognitive performance under stress.
A study in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment showed hydrogen water consumption for 1 year resulted in improved cognitive scores, better daily living function, and reduced oxidative stress markers compared to control group. While preliminary, such findings suggest potential preventive applications for age-related cognitive decline.
Proposed mechanisms for cognitive benefits include reduced oxidative damage in brain tissue, decreased neuroinflammation affecting cognitive function, improved mitochondrial function supporting neuronal energy demands, enhanced cerebral blood flow and vascular function, potential effects on neurotransmitter systems, and activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) supporting neuroplasticity.
Liver, Kidney, and Multi-Organ Protection
Hepatoprotective Effects
The liver—central to metabolism, detoxification, and synthesis of vital proteins—is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress due to high metabolic activity, exposure to toxins and drugs requiring detoxification, and involvement in inflammatory responses. The 2024 systematic review identified liver function as an area showing promising hydrogen water benefits.
Clinical studies demonstrate improved liver enzyme levels (ALT, AST) indicating reduced hepatocellular damage, decreased markers of liver inflammation, reduced liver fibrosis markers in some studies, improved liver function in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and better outcomes in hepatitis patients in preliminary studies.
Animal research shows hydrogen protects against various hepatotoxic agents (acetaminophen, carbon tetrachloride, alcohol), reduces progression of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, improves outcomes in liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (relevant to liver surgery and transplantation), demonstrates benefits in NAFLD/NASH models (reduced steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis), and protects against hepatocellular carcinoma development in some models.
Hepatoprotective mechanisms include antioxidant protection of hepatocytes (highly susceptible to oxidative damage), anti-inflammatory effects reducing hepatic inflammation and stellate cell activation (fibrosis), mitochondrial protection improving hepatocyte function and survival, reduced lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress, activation of hepatic Nrf2 pathway upregulating detoxification enzymes, and potential modulation of hepatic immune responses.
Renal Protection
Kidney function—essential for waste elimination, fluid balance, electrolyte regulation, and hormone production—is threatened by diabetes, hypertension, drugs, and other factors. Oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to chronic kidney disease progression. Research shows hydrogen provides renal protection including reduced kidney injury markers (creatinine, BUN) in various models, decreased oxidative damage to renal tissue, reduced renal inflammation, protection against drug-induced nephrotoxicity (cisplatin, gentamicin in animal studies), and improved outcomes in diabetic nephropathy models.
Clinical studies—though limited—suggest improved kidney function markers in some populations and potential slowing of chronic kidney disease progression. Mechanisms involve antioxidant protection of glomerular and tubular cells, reduced renal inflammation and fibrosis, improved renal blood flow and microcirculation, protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury, and mitochondrial protection in metabolically active kidney cells.
Translating Research to Practice
Current State of Evidence
While this review highlights numerous potential benefits, honest evaluation of evidence quality is essential. The 2024 systematic review provides balanced perspective: "Preliminary results are encouraging for potential benefits in exercise capacity, cardiovascular health, liver function, mental health, and oxidative stress reduction." However, reviewers note critical limitations including many studies with small sample sizes (10-50 participants), some studies lacking rigorous placebo controls or blinding, heterogeneous protocols (hydrogen concentration, dosing, duration vary), limited long-term studies (most span weeks to months, not years), and need for larger randomized controlled trials with clinical endpoints.
Evidence quality varies by application—athletic performance and oxidative stress reduction have most consistent support, metabolic benefits show promise but need larger trials, cardiovascular benefits are supported by surrogate markers but lack outcome trials, neuroprotective effects are strong in animal models but limited human data exists, and many other applications have preliminary evidence requiring confirmation.
This represents typical progression of therapeutic research—early mechanistic and small clinical studies showing promise, followed by larger definitive trials. Current evidence warrants cautious optimism and continued investigation rather than definitive claims.
Understanding Individual Variability
Not everyone responds identically to hydrogen water—individual variability is significant. Factors affecting response include baseline oxidative stress and inflammation levels (those with higher levels may experience more noticeable benefits), genetic variations affecting antioxidant systems, redox balance, and metabolism, age and metabolic health status, lifestyle factors (diet quality, exercise habits, sleep, stress), gut microbiota composition (potentially affecting hydrogen production and metabolism), and specific health conditions present.
Some individuals report substantial subjective improvements in energy, recovery, or well-being, while others notice minimal effects. This variability is normal and doesn't invalidate the intervention—it reflects biological individuality and the multifactorial nature of health outcomes.
Integration into Comprehensive Health Strategy
Hydrogen water should be viewed as one component of comprehensive health optimization, not a standalone solution or replacement for fundamental health practices. Optimal integration includes combining with proven interventions like balanced, nutrient-dense nutrition, regular exercise (cardiovascular and resistance training), adequate sleep (7-9 hours for most adults), stress management practices, social connection and purpose, and avoidance of major risk factors (smoking, excessive alcohol).
Hydrogen water may provide additive or synergistic benefits when combined with these fundamentals, potentially offering 10-20% improvements in various markers—modest but meaningful contributions to overall health optimization. Setting realistic expectations prevents disappointment while allowing appreciation of genuine benefits. Hydrogen water is a tool for optimization and prevention, not a cure for established disease, though it may support conventional treatments.
Conclusion: Promise and Perspective
The body of research examining hydrogen water benefits has grown substantially, evolving from theoretical mechanisms to demonstrated effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, metabolic markers, exercise performance, and various organ systems. The 2024 systematic review's conclusion that "preliminary results are encouraging" captures the current state—promising evidence requiring further validation through larger, longer, more rigorous trials.
Hydrogen water's unique properties—selective antioxidant mechanism, unrestricted cellular and tissue penetration, multi-targeted effects on fundamental biological processes, and exceptional safety profile—distinguish it from conventional supplements and interventions. Rather than treating specific disease symptoms, hydrogen appears to optimize cellular function and resilience, with potential applications across diverse health domains.
For individuals seeking evidence-based health optimization, hydrogen water represents a low-risk intervention with emerging support for multiple benefits. The strongest current evidence supports applications in athletic performance and recovery, oxidative stress reduction, metabolic health improvement, and anti-inflammatory effects. Other applications—neuroprotection, anti-aging, organ protection—show promise in preliminary research warranting cautious optimism.
As research progresses from preliminary studies to large-scale clinical trials with longer follow-up periods, the full therapeutic potential of hydrogen water will become clearer. Current evidence provides reasonable basis for incorporating hydrogen water into comprehensive health strategies while maintaining realistic expectations and continued attention to fundamental health practices that remain the foundation of wellness.