Hydrogenology
Hydrogenology editorial study record

Biological Effects of Hydrogen Water on Subjects with NAFLD: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Kura B et al. · Antioxidants (Basel). 2022;11(10):1935.

HumanH₂-rich waterPublished 2022
Study record, not medical adviceThis page reports one source and Hydrogenology’s source-text extraction. It does not establish that molecular hydrogen is effective, safe or appropriate for any person. Human, animal and laboratory evidence must not be treated as equivalent.
Source and classification

What kind of evidence is this?

Evidence stream

Human

Reported design

Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Research topic

Liver health

Administration classification

H₂-rich water

Study result signal

Not reported in this record.

Outcome type

Not reported in this record.

Reported in the source

Methods at a glance

Population or model

Adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Sample

30 participants: H₂ water n=17, placebo n=13

Duration

8 weeks

Intervention

One tablet dissolved in 330 mL water, three times daily; approximately 990 mL/day

Hydrogen form

H₂ dissolved in water — H₂ only, not Brown’s gas.

H₂ specification

>4 mg/L dissolved H₂; more than 12 mg H₂/day reported.

H₂ flow

Not applicable — oral water, not gas inhalation.

O₂ delivered with H₂

No O₂ was co-delivered as part of the intervention.

Comparator

Matched tablets producing CO₂ rather than H₂, taken in the same water volume

Reported, not endorsed

Outcomes and reported result

Outcomes measured

Weight, BMI, liver enzymes, lipid profile, inflammatory and oxidative-stress biomarkers

Reported result

Most changes were non-significant trends. Liver enzymes did not significantly change; MDA and 8-OHdG showed mild non-significant increases. The authors state that clinical implications are unclear.

Results-extraction completeness

Methods, results, funding and commercial support checked in the free full text; independent appraisal remains incomplete.

A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit. Null findings, outcome type, study design and precision all matter.

Interpretation limits

Cautions and applicability

Design and reporting cautions

Small trial with many biomarkers and mostly non-significant findings. HRW Natural Health Products funded part of the work and Alex Tarnava supplied hydrogen and placebo tablets, although the authors declared no conflict.

Applies directly to

Adults with NAFLD meeting this trial’s criteria.

Preliminary appraisal framework

Not reported in this record.

Preliminary risk-of-bias status

Not reported in this record.

Appraisal rationale

Not reported in this record.

No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Certainty is assessed by important outcome across a complete eligible evidence set, not by attaching a final grade to one source.

Provenance

Sources and record status

Identifiers

PMID: 36290657 · DOI: 10.3390/antiox11101935

Publisher access

Open-access article.

Extraction basis

Free full text on PMC and publisher page; identifiers cross-checked in PubMed.

Record revision

2026-08-10

Open bibliographic source ↗Open lawful free full text ↗Open trial registry ↗Report a discrepancy