I’d never heard of hydrogen-rich water, I just thought water was water. Then I was contacted by Gail Levy, the founder of HFACTOR Water. She offered to send me a few samples of HFACTOR hydrogen water to try to see if it made me feel any better. The claims she provided were pretty strong, and she was even nice enough to send along some medical studies. It’s like she already knew me (and how much I love reading medical studies).
Levy explained how she came to be interested in hydrogen-rich water: “I was introduced to the benefits of molecular hydrogen through my friend, Barry Orms, a former NBA player. He and his friends discovered that it helped improve their recovery and resulting aches and pains. Prior to Barry’s introduction to the world of molecular hydrogen, I had lost a friend to ovarian cancer. I remember while she was alive, constantly researching and looking for that one amazing product that would help her through the difficult treatments of radiation and chemotherapy. Inspired by Lori, my initial research showed me that hydrogen-rich water was very promising in helping with the effects of radiation and therapy, that gave me the impetus to forge ahead and research this new technology.”
So, I said yes. Why not? If it did nothing I’d move on and no loss, if it helped, I’d shout it to the world. So Levy sent me a six pack of HFACTOR and said I should drink two a day, a few hours apart.
When the water arrived I was having a rough time. I’d start the week well but by the end of the week I was out of energy. The water arrived on Thursday as I was already starting to feel drained. I drank it for three days and I couldn’t really see a benefit. After I talked with Levy she offered to send me a 12 pack so that I could try it at the beginning of the week and see if helped me avoid feeling drained by the weekend. I’m happy to say that it did. Actually, I didn’t even drink two a day on some days (I’d forget), but by the weekend I was still feeling good.
There is certainly plenty of scientific evidence to support the assertion that hydrogen-rich water can improve many health concerns. Molecular Hydrogen Studies lists 52 studies related to hydrogen-rich water. Reading through these studies you might come to the conclusion that hydrogen-rich water is a cure-all.
According to Sergej M. Ostojic, MD, PhD of the Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Center for Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences of Belgrade, Serbia, “Hydrogen functions as an important physiologic regulatory factor with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic protective effects on cells and organs and the ability to mitigate a variety of diseases. Oral intake of liquid that contains hydrogen represents a novel, easily translatable, and safe method of delivering hydrogen to humans.”
Hydrogen-rich water is also alkalizing. A study presented in the journal Research in Sports Medicine found that drinking 2 liters of hydrogen-rich water per day for 14 days improved arterial blood flow and alkalinity in active young men. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now approved hydrogen-rich water as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) based on the consumption of 2 liters per day.
A study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh found that drinking 1.5 to 2 liters per day of hydrogen-rich water for eight weeks reduced metabolic stress and increased antioxidant levels while decreasing acidity in people with metabolic syndrome. Subjects also saw their good cholesterol increase by 8 percent and their bad cholesterol decrease by 13 percent.
The list of benefits seems endless as you review the studies. Hydrogen-rich water:
- Protects the liver against potential damage from acetaminophen (maybe you should take your Tylenol with hydrogen-rich water?)
- Improves quality of life in cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment
- Reduces oxidative stress
- Reduces tumor growth
- Reduces muscle fatigue following exercise
- Improves lipid and glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes
- Reduces bladder pain in patients with interstitial cystitis (IC) and painful bladder syndrome
The list goes on and on, and those are just a few of the studies on the topic. So, if it’s so great why aren’t we seeing it everywhere?
Evidently, enriching drinking water with hydrogen isn’t as easy as it sounds. When hydrogen is exposed to air it dissipates like any liquid. So, you need a specialized container like Gail Levy designed, or you need to use a metallic magnesium stick like was used in many of the studies reviewed.
There are products on the market that do just that. pHwatr produces sticks that you can insert into your water bottle, allowing you to hydrogen enrich the water you are already drinking.
If you are like me you’d never heard of hydrogen-rich water until you read this article. But now that you know that the benefits range from improved recovery time from exercise, reducing oxidative stress, and even better cholesterol levels, it’s time to get hold of some and try it. You can grab the shelf-stable ready-to-go water packets, or you can buy a stick to insert in your own bottle. Either way the benefits should be obvious.