Is Hydrogen Water Just Plain Water Pretending to Be More?

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March 6, 2024

Is Hydrogen Water Just Plain Water Pretending to Be More?

When you think of “functional water”, you might think of electrolytes, nootropic herbs, and micronutrients; their health benefits are immediately apparent.

Electrolytes enhance hydration. Nootropic herbs help you remember where your keys are. Finally, micronutrients flood your body with vitamins and minerals essential for optimal health and well-being. So, when someone mentions hydrogen water, your response might be, “???”

Pure confusion.

Because even if you were guilty of dozing through those stuffy Chemistry lessons back in high school, you’d know that water already contains hydrogen. H2O — 2 hydrogen atoms, 1 oxygen atom. With that comes the only logical question to ask.

Is hydrogen water just water dolled up and sold at a higher price point *gasp*? Let’s explore.

First things first, what is hydrogen water?

To allay your suspicions right from the get-go, the answer is no.

Hydrogen water, also known as hydrogen-rich water (HRW), is not just plain water. It’s more. And that “more” comes in the form of molecular hydrogen gas.

If it makes things easier, you can think of hydrogen water as carbonated/sparkling water with 3 distinct differences:

The dissolved gas is hydrogen (H2) instead of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Because hydrogen molecules are extremely small (FYI, hydrogen is the smallest atom, consisting only of 1 proton and 1 electron), they don’t create the same bubbly, party-in-your-mouth sensation as your seltzer or soda.
Hydrogen water offers way more health benefits than carbonated water does.

Huh. “Way more health benefits”? Why? Plus, perhaps more importantly, how?

How is hydrogen water good for you?

It comes down to molecular hydrogen’s therapeutic effects on the body. More specifically, the molecular hydrogen in hydrogen water does 2 things.

#1: Acts as a potent antioxidant

It’s frankly impossible to talk about the wonders of antioxidants without mentioning free radicals, so let’s start there.

What are free radicals?

Your body produces small amounts of free radicals daily — reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively) — through normal metabolic processes, including respiration and digestion.

Free radicals are tiny nanoparticles with unpaired electrons, which makes them chemically unstable. So, desperate to reach a more stable state, they’ll do whatever it takes to snatch electrons from other atoms, like the ones in your cells.

This damages cells, DNA, and proteins (i.e., oxidative stress). It’s chaos.

That said, free radicals are usually nothing to worry about because your body has a natural, sophisticated peroxide-antioxidant defense system that neutralizes these destructive particles before they take their toll.

“But,” you may be thinking, “the word ‘usually’ isn’t confidence-inspiring. Are there instances where the body’s defense system gets overwhelmed?”

We’re not going to sugar-coat things.

In today’s world, constant exposure to external environmental aggressors, such as UV rays, smog, cigarette smoke, radiation, and even the chemicals in household cleaners, causes your body to produce an awful lot of free radicals.

More than what it can fight off.

The danger of oxidative stress — and how hydrogen water comes in

This is where you’ll run head-first into oxidative stress, which has been implicated in the development of many health conditions.

Ugh, can we skip to the good part? OK. You got it.

Hydrogen, which, like all other antioxidants, generously offers its electrons to satisfy free radicals’ needs without becoming unstable itself. As an antioxidant, molecular hydrogen is unique in its:

Size: It’s so tiny that it can cross the blood-brain barrier, penetrate biomembranes, and diffuse into organelles, including mitochondria, which are just 0.5 to 1 micrometer long (note: micrometer = 0.001 mm!). In other words, it’s more bioavailable.
Selectivity: Not all free radicals are destructive. Molecular hydrogen targets only the harmful ones (mostly hydroxyl radicals) while preserving the ROS and RNS necessary for normal signaling regulation.

#2: Supports healthy energy metabolism

As mentioned earlier, the molecular hydrogen is so small that it can get into the mitochondria.

But … so what?

Well, first, here is a quick refresher on the mitochondria. It’s found in every cell in your body and is responsible for turning glucose and oxygen into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy-carrying molecule that fuels cellular functions.

So, simply put, the mitochondria serve as the “powerhouse” or battery of your cells.

Now, bringing your attention back to the molecular hydrogen in hydrogen water: when it gets into the mitochondria, it supports optimal ATP production.

Owing to its antioxidant effects and ability to support optimal energy production, the molecular hydrogen in hydrogen water has been linked to many whole-body health benefits, from glycemic management to weight management to enhanced exercise performance.

Hydrogen water side effects: none to minimal

If it’s too good to be true … you probably know how the rest of that saying goes. This is why you might ask, “Does hydrogen water have any side effects I should know about?”

Ans: not really.

Research shows that hydrogen water is mostly considered safe, with zero to minimal side effects (typically mild digestive discomfort, such as bloating).

It’s also generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means it’s approved for human consumption and not known to cause harm.

How to get hydrogen water for drinking

To sum it all up, hydrogen water is like an inside-out, whole-body rejuvenator that’s exceedingly safe.

Are your fingers itching to search for a hydrogen water maker? Before you do, we’ll grease your research process a little by sharing the following tips.

Don’t waste time finding SodaStream-like machines

Hydrogen is the least soluble gas. Only gigantic industrial machines can achieve the soul-crushing pressures needed to inject molecular hydrogen gas into the water forcibly. And even then, those are incredibly rare because of the 3 alternatives below.

You basically only have 3 options

Bottled or canned hydrogen water, hydrogen water generators, and hydrogen tablets for water. Let’s cover them in order.

There isn’t much to say about bottled or canned hydrogen water except that they can be really expensive, at $2 to $3 a pop. Long-term, hydrogen water generators and tablets are definitely going to be the more cost-effective solutions.

Hydrogen water generators run electricity through water to split it into hydrogen and oxygen gases (i.e., electrolysis).

Without going into too much technical (read: boring) detail, the hydrogen gas accumulates within the water until the desired concentration is reached.

You might encounter “hydrogen water bottles” in your quest for a hydrogen water machine. These are what they sound like — water bottles that use electrolysis to create hydrogen water while you’re on the go.

But the truth is, they’re dubious on several fronts:

Voltage: It’s unclear if their batteries can effectively power electrolysis for any meaningful infusion of molecular hydrogen.
Safety: The electrodes they use may corrode, leaking metals into your water.
PEM membrane: PEM membranes necessary for the transport of hydrogen ions to the cathode for molecular hydrogen gas production are expensive. So, why are hydrogen water bottles sold at <$100, while hydrogen water machines, which use the same technology, go for thousands of dollars? Something’s not right.

TBH, if portability matters a lot to you (i.e., you don’t want to lug around a hydrogen water machine the size of five bricks stacked together and have to hunt for power sockets), go for hydrogen tablets.

Simply plop these nifty, almost-mint-sized tablets into a cup of water, and you’ll kickstart a chemical reaction that gives you hydrogenated water. Psst: here’s an article that goes more in-depth about what you can expect from hydrogen pills versus hydrogen water machines.

“Woah, that’s giving off mad scientist vibes … is it safe?”

Like all things, it depends on which hydrogen tablet you choose. We can’t speak for every hydrogen tablet out there. But we can speak for Nutrionic™ H₂Energizer tablets, which are made: