Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is the smallest molecule that exists. More than 3,000 scientific publications have been devoted to it since 2007. As the founder of Biovie since 2007 and an ISTOM engineer (tropical agronomy) by training, I have spent several years reading on this subject. Here is what is known, what remains to be shown, and how to find your way among the devices.
But to understand why, we must first go back to a true story. A story that begins in an abandoned mine, in the heart of Germany.
The Nordenau discovery: the story of an abandoned mine
In 1992, in the Sauerland, a hilly region of north-western Germany, a former owner of a slate mine noticed that the water seeping from the rock walls of his mine at Nordenau was attracting more and more visitors. Word of mouth spread, slowly at first, then very quickly.
Within a few years, thousands of people were crossing Europe to come and drink this water.
It remained to understand what was special about this water. The minerals? No, the analysis showed a relatively ordinary water in that respect. The pH? Not significantly different. The temperature? Not that either.
It was Prof. Sanetaka Shirahata, of Kyushu University in Japan, who took an interest in its composition, and so opened a field of research that has not stopped growing since.
What Professor Shirahata found in the water
As early as 1997, Shirahata published a paper in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications on reduced water, including that of Nordenau, and on the hydrogen it contains.
Analysing the Nordenau water, his team measured a concentration of 200 to 300 parts per billion (ppb) of dissolved molecular hydrogen, about 0.08 ppm. That is 200 to 300 times more than ordinary tap water. Other well-known sources, such as Tlacote in Mexico or Hita Tenryosui in Japan, also contain dissolved molecular hydrogen.
What set this water apart was not its minerals. It was a tiny molecule, dissolved in the water, that nobody had thought of looking for.
There you have it. Sometimes the simplest answers are the ones we find last.
Molecular hydrogen, from the chemistry side
H₂ is the smallest molecule that exists: two hydrogen atoms bonded together. It is a tasteless, odourless gas that can be dissolved in water.
In the laboratory, researchers study the way it reacts with certain highly reactive molecules, such as the hydroxyl radical (•OH). This subject is under research; this work does not make it possible to attribute a health effect to hydrogen water.
Where does research stand?
Nature Medicine, 2007: the founding publication
In 2007, Dr Shigeo Ohta and his team published in Nature Medicine a study on the reactivity of molecular hydrogen, carried out on cells and laboratory animals. It is this publication that launched modern research on the subject.
Before 2007, Shirahata's publications had laid the foundations. After 2007, it was an explosion: more than 3,000 studies in less than twenty years.
What remains to be shown
I prefer to be clear on this point. Yes, 3,000 publications is considerable. But the majority are in vitro studies or studies on animal models, and large-scale human clinical trials remain few. This work does not, to date, make it possible to attribute a health effect to hydrogen water, and no health claim is authorised for it in Europe.
What we can say: the chemistry of molecular hydrogen is well known. The rest is still a matter of research.
Hydrogen water in Japan
In Japan, hydrogen water is common: it can be found in supermarkets and in gyms.
And France? We are only just beginning to hear about it.
Is hydrogen water dangerous? What you need to know
The question comes up systematically, and it is legitimate. Hydrogen water remains water, in which a gas has been dissolved. If you have a health problem or are undergoing medication, ask your doctor for advice.
That said, some nuance is needed. Hydrogen water is not dangerous. But a poor device can be. Conventional electrolysis devices (without a membrane) can produce undesirable by-products: residual chlorine, ozone. That is why SPE/PEM technology (proton exchange membrane, Solid Polymer Electrolysis) makes the difference. It separates the gases at the anode and the cathode, guaranteeing water enriched only in H₂, with no by-products.
And if you are wondering about the quality of your source water before hydrogenating it, here are two useful resources: our guide on microplastics in drinking water, and our practical article on how to filter tap water. Because hydrogenating contaminated water makes no sense.
How to choose a hydrogen water generator, the criteria that matter
Concentration in ppb, why it is criterion no. 1
Not all devices are equal. And the deciding criterion is the concentration of dissolved molecular hydrogen, measured in parts per billion (ppb).
To put things in perspective: Nordenau water contained 200 to 300 ppb.
The best certified home models reach 5,000 ppb, in three minutes, at your home.
SPE/PEM technology vs conventional electrolysis
SPE/PEM technology uses a membrane that physically separates hydrogen production (cathode side) from potential by-products (anode side: oxygen, chlorine, ozone). It is the only technology that guarantees pure hydrogen water, with no residue.
Be careful: conventional electrolysis without a membrane mixes everything. Result: you may be drinking H₂, but also dissolved ozone and chlorine. Not exactly what you are looking for. To explore the differences between water treatment systems in more depth, our comparison of filter jug or reverse osmosis unit will help you choose your filtration system.
Certification and third-party analysis, the non-negotiable minimum
A serious manufacturer has the H₂ concentration of its device certified by an independent laboratory. Ask for the analysis results. Not the manufacturer's figures, the figures of a third party.
At Biovie, the device we have chosen is the Mizora: certified by H₂ Analytics at 5,000 ppb, SPE/PEM technology. It is not the cheapest on the market.
In practice, how to include hydrogen water in your daily life
How much to drink per day? There is no quantity to aim for: hydrogen water is drunk like your usual water. Personally, I drink a large 500 ml glass in the morning on waking, then a second at the end of the morning and a third at the beginning of the afternoon.
And then, hydrogen water fits naturally into our living food cooking. With Aurélie, we use it every day, with our seaweed and our sprouted seeds. Every morning, I prepare a homemade drink as soon as I get out of bed: marine plasma, diluted with hydrogen water prepared with my two Mizoras (one for my seawater, another for my smoothie). The idea is not to look for a miracle product, but to build a coherent set of practices.
