Oxidative stress is a significant factor in the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recent studies have revealed the antioxidant properties of molecular hydrogen (H2) in cultured cells and animal models. Drinking H2-dissolved water (H2-water) has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and improve PD symptoms in model animals.
In a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-masked, parallel-group clinical pilot study, the authors evaluated the efficacy of H2-water in Japanese patients with levodopa-medicated PD. Participants drank 1,000 mL/day of H2-water or pseudo water for 48 weeks.
The study found an improvement in the Total Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores in the H2-water group (n=9), whereas the scores worsened in the placebo group (n=8). Despite the small sample size and the short duration of the trial, the difference was significant (P<0.05).
This research suggests that drinking H2-water is safe and can significantly improve total UPDRS scores for PD patients.
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