2023 Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Pilot / Observational Human H₂ therapy Drinking (HRW)
2023 · Korovljev — Hydrogen-rich water upregulates fecal propionic acid levels in overweight adults.
Super-Abstract
Drinking hydrogen-rich water appears to increase the concentration of propionic acid in the stool of overweight adults — a short-chain fatty acid associated with gut health and metabolic regulation. This finding points toward a possible microbiome-mediated mechanism through which H₂ could support metabolic health. (Nutrition, 2023.)
Commentary
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like propionic acid are produced by gut bacteria from dietary fibre and play a role in energy metabolism, gut barrier integrity, and inflammatory signalling. An increase in fecal propionate could suggest that hydrogen-rich water shifts the gut microbiome toward more beneficial fermentation patterns — a hypothesis consistent with mechanistic work on H₂ and gut bacteria. However, the abstract for this study is not publicly available in the source used, so the specific trial design, participant numbers, duration, dosage, and effect sizes cannot be verified here. The finding is intriguing, especially in the context of overweight adults where metabolic interventions are clinically relevant, but this entry must be read with the caveat that full study details are unavailable for independent assessment.
Our assessment
This study is listed as a human study (ev 2) on the gut-microbiome and metabolic effects of hydrogen-rich water in overweight individuals. Critical limitation: no abstract was available in the source data, making independent assessment of methodology, sample size, control design, and effect sizes impossible. The reported outcome — increased fecal propionic acid — is biologically plausible and relevant, but cannot be critically evaluated without access to the full text. Readers should consult the original publication (DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2023.112200) before drawing conclusions.
Study design
- Type: human intervention study (details not verifiable from available data) · Population: overweight adults · H₂ delivery: hydrogen-rich water (drinking)
- Result: fecal propionic acid levels reported as upregulated; further methodological details not available from source data
Source & links
Screenshot of the PubMed page
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