Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It summarises findings from a single research study and should not be interpreted as medical advice or cancer treatment guidance. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions.
Researchers have been exploring how hydrogen rich water might influence quality of life in people receiving radiotherapy. This interest comes from hydrogen’s potential antioxidant properties and its role in reducing oxidative stress – a process that can increase during radiation therapy.
One area of investigation has focused on the use of magnesium stick hydrogen water, where a magnesium stick is placed in drinking water to generate dissolved hydrogen.
The study at a glance
A team of researchers, including Ki-Mun Kang, Young-Nam Kang, and colleagues, conducted a randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving 49 patients receiving radiotherapy for malignant liver tumours.
- Participants consumed either magnesium stick hydrogen water or placebo water for six weeks
- Hydrogen concentration reached 0.55–0.65 mM
- The Korean version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 tool was used to assess quality of life
- Blood tests measured oxidative metabolites and antioxidant capacity
Main findings
Patients who drank hydrogen water showed:
Reduced levels of oxidative metabolites in the blood
Maintained antioxidant capacity during treatment
Better quality of life scores compared with the placebo group
Importantly, tumour response to radiotherapy was the same in both groups. This shows the water did not affect the treatment outcomes directly, but it did coincide with reported improvements in wellbeing.
What this research means
The study’s authors concluded that daily consumption of hydrogen rich water may reduce oxidative stress responses and support quality of life during radiotherapy. They emphasised this as a potential area for further investigation, rather than a replacement for treatment.
Hydrogen water research is still at an early stage. While these findings are interesting, larger studies are needed to fully understand the role of hydrogen water cancer research in patient care.
Responsible takeaway
This study highlights how scientific teams are exploring new ways to support people undergoing radiotherapy. It should be seen as a contribution to ongoing research, not as evidence for hydrogen water as a treatment.
The full article can be found here
Disclaimer: This article summarises published research for educational purposes. It does not recommend hydrogen water for cancer treatment or prevention. Always seek advice from a healthcare professional.
