Molecular Hydrogen Water - Fad or Fab

The world of health care is full of products promising miracles, from losing weight without any other lifestyle changes, enjoying the look of youth through the popping of a pill, and the reversal of all chronic health conditions through the latest pill, patch or tonic. After nearly three decades in nutritional and environmental health, I have seen enough (and watched my clients spend $$ they don't have) to be more than just a little sceptical of these 'promises'.

8 years ago, I bought my first molecular hydrogen water bottle ...................... From Amazon I think, no judgement please. I bought it out of sheer curiosity. I filled it with water, turned it on and watched as the bubbles rose. Once ready, I opened the lid and before I could even drink the water, I could smell something that just didn't sit well with me, needless to say I emptied the water shoved it back in a draw and threw it out a couple of years later.

Over the past decade, I have seen the rise (and fall) of many "water enhancers" and I always go back to whether or not it is biologically compatible to what our primitive bodies evolved to benefit from. Is it as nature intended? This is one of the many reasons I have never supported the use of alkaline water, and as we are staring to understand, those "miracle" testimonials might just be from the production of molecular hydrogen and not the micro clustering or alkalinity. You can read more about that here.

When I look at health as a whole, I look at a person's ability to be robust and resilient, to life, and the environmental, physical and emotional stresses they will encounter. The three fastest ways to increase health is to stop burdening the body (aka stop ingesting, inhaling and absorbing toxins) support and heal the gut and the microbiome (often through GI support, starving our bacterial imbalances and reseeding the whole microbiome of the body) and reducing stress (I encourage approaches such as nervous system resetting, light hygiene, and eating at the same time each day). So, when I look at a new product on the market I consider if it is evolutionarily aligned and if it is going to make an impact on those three key areas.

Given the increased attention H2 has received in recent times and the incredible testimonies of my clients I decided to revisit and assess the updated and emerging science. I purchased a bunch of products, became part of the Molecular Hydrogen Institute to get up to speed on the latest studies and well did some self-experimenting.

So does molecular hydrogen stand up in my opinion .......absolutely, I think its FAB!

Molecular hydrogen therapy is the administration of molecular hydrogen. There are four common methods of administration: inhalation, H2-rich water, H2-rich saline injection, and bathing in hydrogen water. For the purpose of this post, we will talk about water, however I am very excited to discuss the benefits of inhalation and absorption in additional blogs.

Before the widespan use of antibiotics, C sections, formula, preservatives in our food and personal care, sugar laden diets, antibacterials, herbicides and the plethora of toxic exposures and environmental stress we have today, when we were friends with the bacteria that supported us and would eat our food in its natural state, we had great, balanced and strong microbiomes with plenty of healthy hydrogen producing beneficial bacteria. Now, while there are a few not so beneficial bacteria's that produce hydrogen gas associated with SIBO and H Pylori, these are bacteria's that have crept to the small intestines and are not an issue of overproduction of H2 but are inducive that there is an imbalance that needs to be addressed. H2 in hydrogen water doesn't serve as a nutrient for bacteria, so it doesn’t fuel hydrogen-or-methane-producing bacteria like H Pylori or methanogens in SIBO. Instead, it plays a therapeutic role by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and promoting overall gut health.

So why would the body produce H2? A hydroxyl radical is an extremely toxic and highly reactive oxygen species that is constantly generated in the mitochondria from birth until death. Since hydrogen is the smallest diatomic molecule, it can easily permeate mitochondrial membranes to react with these hydroxyl radicals and prevent cells from oxidative stress without any side effects. Hydrogen molecules are the only species within the human body that can directly eliminate hydroxyl radicals inside mitochondria. Thus, the effects of hydrogen-producing bacteria outperform other beneficial bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, that cannot produce Hydrogen. (1)

What I also love about molecular hydrogen is its ability to be a selective antioxidant in the body targeting the most toxic (OH and ONOO) as opposed to say Vitamin C so that there can be a needed balance between oxidation and free radicals (it does this partly via the Nrf2 pathway which regulates glutathione, superoxide, dismutase, catalase etc). When we rely on antioxidants through our foods we are also relying on the ability for our gut to digest and absorb those foods which for most people the ability to do so is compromised. I could really geek out here and go into the role of reactive oxygen species in the body, both the good and the bad, specifically the impact of exercise on it all and how these are produced in the membrane bound NADPH oxidase enzyme complex and electron transport chain of the mitochondria, but I will spare you. Let's just say for the most part, the health impacts are negative and in our toxic world we need a little help in this department.

Molecular hydrogen has shown to help clean the cell membrane (the fatty bit) which helps the body's ability to determine what nutrients do and don't enter the cell. It has been proven to support mitochondrial health (great for improving energy levels) to which many of our chronic health conditions can be tied to as well as modulating gene expression.

In addition, the more than 3000 studies and over 200 clinical trials on molecular hydrogen have shown incredible results in terms of its ability to

Work as an anti-inflammatory in the body (there is some great science emerging about H2 and rheumatoid arthritis).
Help reduce pain
Aids in weight loss
Provide neuroprotective properties (studies show significant reduction in damage to the brain from Parkinson's patients) There are also incredible results for those with Autism
Reduce the symptoms of chemotherapy (this has been studied in human trails)
Helps protect against DNA damage
Help alkalise the blood (not the gut)
Protect muscles and reduce muscle wasting (as seen in mice studies with muscular dystrophy.
and the list goes on with promise shown in over 200 human and animal disease models.

For specific studies on specific concerns please see here to delve into them all would make for a VERY long article.

So, as you can see, correctly created and used molecular hydrogen passes my test to help create resilience and robustness in the body with flying colours, it helps with reducing the toxic body burden, supports the gut and microbiome and reduces overall stress on the body and our bodies have evolved to produce it. I am not about the quick fixes or the one offs but the long-term changes we make in our lives that change our health outcomes, that are health promoting and I feel along with good nutrition, light hygiene (I'd include my sauna in that LOL), reduction of toxins and good healthy community and relationships, that there is a definite place for molecular hydrogen and the many benefits we are seeing.

Now as you have probably seen there are many, many molecular hydrogen products on the market, likely all more advanced than my original Amazon purchase, but don't stress I have spent many hours researching and testing, mostly for my own benefit and have come down to my favourite in terms of quality, pricing and ethics. I have taken into consideration the concentrations and quality, how the companies were started (and funded) what they are spending on marketing versus the money spent on product development, who their products were developed alongside, the testing they have undergone (not just H2 levels but testing for and leaching post initial and prolonged use) and certifications they hold as well as transparency.

My favourite is through a relatively small company called Healthy Hydration. They provide good, honest quality products that I see really making a difference in people lives, especially those with compromised health or environmental sensitivities, I even know a guy who dropped his glasses prescription by 50% by using the hydrogen gas goggles in just a few months! I use their Hydra Shot 4 times a day at 210mls per shot at 5ppm of molecular hydrogen (total 840ml water as I am not a believer that we should be gulping down litres of water resulting in electrolyte imbalance and vasopressin issues). I also love their countertop units as these are so practical for a family and while focussing on some gut healing after traveling, I am taking their HydraFix tablets for the colon. Honestly, when you live so clean and outside of the city and spend time travelling city to city the body doesn't cope so well! I am very thankful that my entire family took bottles with them while away, it was a definite game changer!! On a side note, I literally ate my way through Europe, and this was my first holiday with almost no weight gain!!!

Among some of the many I have researched is the LumiVitae, which although marketed very well and I would use if gifted, when broken down isn't overly special with the company spending an enormous amount on advertising and marketing (very LA style) which is passed on to the buyer. I could buy 3+ Hydr Shot bottles for the price of one LumiVitae bottle. I have reviewed a couple of Australian brands along with Ocemida whose company failed my expectations on several levels despite their bottles being well priced. Echo Water is another brand which I sit on the fence with and was a little turned off with the alkaline functions on some of their machines and Holy Hydrogen which also provides a nice product but its price point, lack of products and continual putting down of other certified products turns me off.

For more information and to see some of the research studies in molecular hydrogen you can visit the Molecular Hydrogen Institute Any products should be properly certified to ensure they are producing the right amount of molecular hydrogen and that they do not leach anything nasty or are made with cheap materials.

To purchase your very own bottle (or bundle which is currently at a fantastic price) you can visit here

I don't associate my name with many brands, but I really like this little team, love that the body is being supported naturally and would love to see this product available to more people.

If you would like to know more about these products, please sing out. PLUS, anyone who orders a bundle in the next 48hours (ends midnight Oct 31st) gets a free 30 minute online consults with me on anything environmental health from mould to building a new home, joins our private FB group to chat all things health with myself and Emma as we share how and why we use these products in safe detox and regaining health and joins our 2025 Home is Where the Health is 8 week program for free worth $450!!

For any queries re products, payment plans or if you want to become an affiliate, please just sing out via email to info@buildingbiologywa.com.au. While I don't really subscribe to affiliate marketing, I do see great value in these products and having spent many years in retail, also see value in selling through people and not corporates.

Health and happiness are everything. Make it your everything.

With love

Deanne Hislop

Principal Building Biologist, IICRC, IEP, EMRS

Functional and Clinical Nutritionist, Certified GAPs Practitioner

Hydrogen-Rich Water Ameliorates Autistic-Like Behavioral Abnormalities in Valproic Acid-Treated Adolescent Mice Offspring - PubMed

Yuan, J., et al., Hydrogen-rich water attenuates oxidative stress in rats with traumatic brain injury via Nrf2 pathway. J Surg Res, 2018. 228: p. 238-246.

Wu, X., et al., Hydrogen exerts neuroprotective effects on OGD/R damaged neurons in rat hippocampal by protecting mitochondrial function via regulating mitophagy mediated by PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway. Brain Res, 2018.

Wang, H., et al., Hydrogen-Rich Saline Activated Autophagy via HIF-1alpha Pathways in Neuropathic Pain Model. Biomed Res Int, 2018. 2018: p. 4670834.

Varga, V., et al., Molecular hydrogen alleviates asphyxia-induced neuronal cyclooxygenase-2 expression in newborn pigs. Acta Pharmacol Sin, 2018.

Satoh, Y., et al., Molecular Hydrogen Prevents Social Deficits and Depression-Like Behaviors Induced by Low-Intensity Blast in Mice. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol, 2018.

Nishimaki, K., et al., Effects of Molecular Hydrogen Assessed by an Animal Model and a Randomized Clinical Study on Mild Cognitive Impairment. Curr Alzheimer Res, 2018. 15(5): p. 482-492.