Why hydrogen water is the new health fad

Hydrogen water is the latest wellness trend to hit the US and UK. After vitamin-fortified water, health buffs are now buying hydrogen-enriched water with much-touted benefits such as reducing inflammation, wrinkles, bone loss and helping metabolise fat and glucose faster. These benefits can be achieved by chugging just about 500 ml (two glasses) of hydrogen-rich water a day, much less than the recommended 8 to 10 glasses a day of regular water, say studies.

Regular water which has two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen is neither alkaline nor acidic. But when it is infused with hydrogen -by either adding magnesium or through the process of electrolysis -it becomes rich in antioxidants.

A 2013 review published in the journal Medical Gas Research found that when ingested hydrogen acts as an antioxidant, mopping up free radicals -inflammation-causing molecules linked to everything from accelerated skin ageing to cancer. While the US and UK are new to this trend, the Japanese have long been advocating use of hydrogen-rich water, or the Shin'nooru solution, as they call it.

So how does one get one's hands on Hwater? A brand called HFactor sells pack s aged hydrogen water and has Hollywood patrons like Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Zac Efron. The H-catalogue extends to hydrogen water tablets, alkaline water ion izer pH sticks, anti-oxidant hydrogen cap sules, and even alkaline water drops.

American dermatologist and nutrition ist Dr Nicholas Perricone has come up with a dedicated hydrogen-infused skincare product line, H2, which claims to leave your skin super-hydrated.

The trend is only just gaining momentum in India. While you may not be able to buy it off the shelf just yet, you can shop for H-water on eBay and Amazon. Dermatologist Dr Jamuna Pai vouches for health benefits of hydrogen and recommends drinking lots of water as it helps maintain optimum pH levels in the body .

Despite the claims, there's no large-scale s scientific study to back consumption of hydrogen-rich water. “The research that exists is interesting enough to warrant further investigation,“ says Sarah L Ash, PhD, a professor of nutrition at North Carolina State University .