https://youtu.be/BK6DBLArneo

Which Bottle is Best? Quality Matters

About two years ago, I bought a cheap hydrogen water bottle (off TikTok, out of curiosity) for $35. After a couple of weeks of dedicated use and feeling no noticeable changes, I slowly lost interest. I stopped using it, thinking all the online hype was just that: hype.

Fast forward to early 2024, I heard naturopathic doctor Paul Baratierro talk about the science of hydrogen water. On his website, HydrogenWaterStudies.com, he cites over 1,300 studies on the benefits of hydrogen water. He spent decades developing a safe and effective hydrogen water system called the Echo Go+ that I bought for a wildly different price of $250. 

When I received it, I was so impressed by the difference between the TikTok bottle and the Echo Go+. The TikTok bottle felt like a toy compared to Dr. Paul’s invention. Within a couple of weeks, I started noticing improved gut health, lower fasting blood sugar, and a continued desire to keep drinking it, which had vanished quickly with the TikTok bottle.

Impressed, I invited Dr. Paul as a guest on my podcast where he discussed the difference between the knock-off hydrogen water bottles you can buy online versus what he developed. When you infuse hydrogen molecules in water, there are gas byproducts like chlorine gas. They need to be released during the process of making hydrogen. The Echo Go+ has a gas release vent at the bottom of the bottle that releases the gas as the hydrogen is being made. Dr. Paul said that you are unwittingly drinking toxic gas if these gasses do not have a way of being released.  Of course, my $35 TikTok bottle had no gas release vent… Thank God I intuitively stopped drinking it. 

See also Podcast Episode 149: What is Hydrogen Water? With Dr. Paul Barattiero

The other key to getting any benefits from drinking hydrogen is to get enough hydrogen in your system to make a difference. The cheaper bottles rarely deliver more than 1 ppm hydrogen in the water, while the Echo Go+ delivers up to 2.5 ppm in 5 minutes and 4.5 ppm in 10 minutes. You might remember from your chemistry class that hydrogen is the first element to appear, which means it is the lightest and smallest element known to man. It is so small that it is incredibly hard to capture and harness. This is why, when you open the Echo Go+ after infusing it, you hear a big release of built-up hydrogen gas–which I never heard in the TikTok bottle.

What Does Hydrogen Do?

Because hydrogen is such a small element, it does not function in the body the same way a vitamin, mineral, enzyme, or probiotic does. It is called a signaling molecule, which can support normal function globally throughout the body from the most subtle level. When you drink it, the hydrogen is first delivered into the digestive and intestinal tract. 

In your digestive system, there are both anaerobic bacteria (which do not need oxygen to survive) and aerobic bacteria (which do need oxygen to survive). Research suggests that hydrogen water can increase the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria in the gut and ultimately reduce the aerobic bacteria in the microbiome. 

Most of us have a predominance of this aerobic bacteria, which feed on sugars and become extremely good at delivering sugar into the bloodstream. Excess sugar in the blood is linked to inflammation, prediabetes, and a host of degenerative processes in the body. The anaerobic bacteria support the delivery of energy through metabolizing fat and fiber, which are more stable sources of energy. That may explain why I saw an initial drop in my blood sugar. 

Use code LIFESPA10 for 10% off an Echo Water Device here!

Want to try it for yourself? Dr. Paul and his team offer a risk-free Hydrogen Water 360 Challenge: Drink at least 3 bottles per day for 60 days. If you don’t see benefits in your energy levels, muscle recovery, or overall well-being, just contact them to get your money back.

Benefits of Hydrogen-Producing Bacteria

Perhaps the most damaging effect on the body is an inability to effectively neutralize the waste products from the production of energy in the mitochondria in the cells. There are a significant amount of free radicals released as a by-product of energy production. These are called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are directly linked to accelerated aging. Hydrogen molecules are so small that they easily penetrate the membranes of the cell and the mitochondria (the ‘powerhouse’ of the cell). In a 2022 study in the Medical Gas Research journal, hydrogen is shown to be a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes reactive oxygen species linked to accelerated aging and DNA damage. 

The same study reported that hydrogen is the only molecule that can neutralize the free radicals inside the mitochondria. To ensure there is enough hydrogen within the body, the body’s anaerobic hydrogen-producing bacteria work to outperform beneficial aerobic bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria. While mostly ignored by the probiotic world (which often focuses on aerobic bacteria), these hydrogen-producing anaerobic bacteria are considered ‘super beneficial bacteria’ in the scientific community.

The message here is that yes, we need the beneficial aerobic bacterial strains, but we also need hydrogen from the anaerobic bacteria to counteract their waste products.

In the large intestine, there are more than 100 trillion intestinal bacteria ranging from 1,000 different species. Surprisingly, 70% are hydrogen-producing strains, which is a clue to the critical importance of hydrogen in the body. These hydrogen-producing bacteria (such as Firmicutes and Bacteroides) where they produce butyric acid which is the primary fatty acid that fuels the cells of the colon. 

While these anaerobic bacteria should be very prevalent within the human microbiome, it is common for the gut to be deficient in these. One study found a link between depression and low levels of Firmicutes in the gut. A decrease in anaerobic bacteria in the gut opens the door for pathogens to take hold in your digestive system.

So, these hydrogen-producing ‘super bacteria’ provide systemic protection against oxidation in the body and help maintain a healthy level of hydrogen. As a result, we’re seeing animal studies which suggest that adding hydrogen water can protect a body from neurodegeneration, cardiovascular concerns, metabolic issues, inflammation, cellular replication concerns, and mitochondrial dysfunction. 

Mental Health + Quality of Life

Hydrogen-rich water has also been studied for its effects on mood, anxiety, and autonomic nerve function. A double-blinded, placebo-controlled study on humans found that hydrogen-rich water consumption improved mood and reduced anxiety, suggesting potential benefits for mental health and quality of life. 

Improvements in Exercise Performance

What could all of this mean for exercise and physical performance? Let’s look at a 2021 study that investigated the effects of a 7-day intake of hydrogen-rich water on physical performance. The results suggested that hydrogen-rich water could enhance aerobic and anaerobic performance in both trained and untrained individuals. It seems the hydrogen water enhanced performance by reducing fatigue and improving overall physical endurance.

Metabolic Syndrome + Cardiovascular Health

One animal study on hamsters found that supplementation with hydrogen-rich water decreased serum LDL cholesterol and apoB levels, improved HDL functions, and reduced oxidative stress. Observing these benefits, the researchers concluded that it may have a beneficial role in the prevention of potential metabolic syndrome.

Hydrogen Water in Nature

In general, I believe that if we were meant to drink hydrogen water, it would naturally exist in nature. Sadly, our water supplies have been significantly altered by pollutants such as petrochemicals from airplanes; according to the EPA, 70 million tons of air pollutants are dumped into our atmosphere each year. All of these pollutants filter down into the water we drink. Tap water is processed with bacteria-killing agents like chlorine and fluoride. The result is the destruction of naturally-occurring, beneficial, anaerobic, hydrogen-producing bacteria.

Without such pollution, we would have an easier time naturally encountering the hydrogen-producing bacteria and inoculating the gut with them. Now we know that these bacteria play an enormous role in gut health and gut immunity. As Ayurveda suggests, and as I have written about many times: it is from a healthy gut that we have the ability to thrive. For this reason, and because of over 1,300 studies, I am a fan of drinking 3-6 bottles of hydrogen water for the first 6 months to reset your microbiome with hydrogen-producing bacteria.

See also Longevity Linked to Gut Health

It is very possible that the storied ancient healing waters of our world were actually sources of structured or ‘coherent’ water with just the right conditions for an extraordinary amount of hydrogen-producing bacteria. Compared to the microbial diversity that our ancestors had, modern humans have such a significant lack of diversity that scientists consider it an extinction event. We have created a world where the microbes that helped us evolve and thrive on this planet are being outnumbered by bacteria-altering pollutants. Hydrogen water may be a way to help us.