Hydrogen-Rich Water — A New Hope for Improving Quality of Life in Liver Cancer Patients During Radiotherapy
Cancer treatment is often a long and arduous process, especially during radiotherapy, when patients frequently experience a decline in quality of life due to fatigue, nausea, and loss of appetite. Recent clinical studies have shown that drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) can significantly improve the overall quality of life for liver cancer patients during radiotherapy.
Free cancer support
The process of cancer treatment is often long and arduous, especially when patients must undergo radiotherapy, which can lead to significant physical and emotional fatigue. For many liver cancer patients, surgery remains the most effective curative option. However, when the condition or physical status does not allow for surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy often become the primary choices. While radiotherapy can effectively kill cancer cells, it can also damage healthy tissues, leading to severe fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, and a decline in overall quality of life during treatment.
In recent years, a clinical study from South Korea has brought new hope to supportive cancer care — drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) has been shown to significantly improve the quality of life for liver cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. This study was published in the Medical Gas Research journal, Volume 3, and is considered a representative clinical report in the field of hydrogen medicine.
Study Background: From Fatigue to Oxidative Stress
Fatigue is a common but difficult-to-manage issue for patients receiving radiotherapy. According to oncology research, most patients experience noticeable declines in physical capacity and sleep disturbances, which can affect mood and social life. One major cause of these effects is oxidative stress induced by radiation.
Radiotherapy generates large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which attack normal cell DNA and cell membranes, leading to fatigue, increased inflammation, and decreased immune function. Hydrogen, as a gas with selective antioxidant properties, can neutralize highly destructive hydroxyl radicals (•OH), thereby reducing oxidative damage. The research team focused on whether hydrogen-rich water could alleviate radiotherapy-induced oxidative stress and improve patients’ quality of life.
The study included 49 patients with malignant liver cancer undergoing radiotherapy and used a randomized placebo-controlled trial design to ensure objective results.
Patients consumed hydrogen-rich water prepared with hydrogen sticks from Friender, maintaining a concentration of 0.55–0.65 mM. The research team assessed overall quality of life using the Korean version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 scale, evaluating multiple dimensions including physical function, emotional well-being, pain, appetite, and fatigue.
Additionally, researchers measured patients’ blood for oxidative metabolites and antioxidant capacity to objectively observe whether hydrogen reduced oxidative damage.
Research Method: Rigorous Design to Test Hydrogen’s Effects
Research Results: Significant Improvement in Quality of Life
After a six-week observation period, the results were encouraging.
Compared with the control group, patients who drank hydrogen-rich water showed significantly lower levels of blood oxidative metabolites and maintained antioxidant capacity. More importantly, during radiotherapy, the HRW group had significantly higher quality-of-life scores than the control group.
This indicates that hydrogen-rich water not only helps alleviate fatigue and discomfort from radiotherapy but also allows patients to experience noticeable improvements in daily life — better sleep, more stable mood, and faster physical recovery.
Importantly, the study confirmed that hydrogen-rich water did not affect the tumor control efficacy of radiotherapy. In other words, its antioxidant effect reduced side effects without compromising the ability of radiation to kill cancer cells, which has important clinical implications for both physicians and patients.
Safety and Application Potential of Hydrogen Water
For cancer patients, safety is always the top concern when considering new therapies. Hydrogen offers a major advantage — it is natural, non-toxic, and free of side effects. Hydrogen molecules are extremely small, can freely penetrate cell membranes and the blood-brain barrier, and metabolize into water without causing a burden on the body.
Clinically, hydrogen can be administered in various ways, including inhalation, drinking hydrogen-rich water, or intravenous hydrogen saline. Among these, drinking hydrogen-rich water is simple, safe, and stable, making it easily acceptable to patients. This study’s findings have helped position HRW as a “low-risk, high-potential” supportive therapy.
Scientific Considerations
As with all scientific studies, certain questions remain. Some experts have noted that radiotherapy kills tumor cells through mechanisms involving free radicals. Could hydrogen neutralizing free radicals potentially reduce the effectiveness of radiotherapy?
Current explanations suggest that radiotherapy primarily targets localized tumor areas, while hydrogen-rich water provides systemic antioxidant effects at relatively low concentrations. This is insufficient to protect tumor cells in areas receiving high-dose radiation. In practice, HRW did not affect tumor shrinkage or treatment response but successfully reduced systemic side effects. This remains an area for further research, though current results already offer clinical insight.
Patient Insights: From “Getting Through” to “Living Better”
For cancer patients, treatment is not only about extending life but also about improving quality of life. Many participants in similar studies or using hydrogen products reported reduced fatigue during treatment, improved appetite, better sleep, and more stable mood.
These changes, though seemingly small, represent significant hope for patients undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Hydrogen-rich water is not a cure for cancer but serves as a supportive approach to help patients reduce discomfort and regain control over their daily lives.
Future Outlook
The sample size of this South Korean study was limited, so conclusions are preliminary. However, it opens a pathway for clinical applications of hydrogen in oncology and provides a reference for larger-scale trials in the future.
As research into hydrogen medicine advances, hydrogen molecules may be recognized not just as an energy source but as a natural protector against oxidative stress. In the future, hydrogen-rich water could become part of integrative cancer care, helping patients alleviate side effects, speed up recovery, and regain dignity and strength while living with the disease.
Conclusion
Hydrogen-rich water offers new hope for liver cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. It is safe, low-risk, easy to use, and has been preliminarily shown to improve quality of life. While more clinical data are needed, this discovery undoubtedly opens a new chapter in supportive cancer care.
Note: Hydrogen is not a drug and cannot replace conventional medical treatment. Any use of hydrogen-rich water or related supportive approaches should be conducted under the guidance of a professional physician.
Want to know how to choose the most suitable adjuvant therapy for cancer?
Contact our professional team now
References
- Kang, K. M., Kang, Y. N., Choi, I. B., Gu, Y., Kawamura, T., Toyoda, Y., & Nakao, A. (2011). Effects of drinking hydrogen-rich water on the quality of life of patients treated with radiotherapy for liver tumors. Medical Gas Research, 1(1), 11.
- Ohsawa, I., Ishikawa, M., Takahashi, K., Watanabe, M., Nishimaki, K., Yamagata, K., … & Ohta, S. (2007). Hydrogen acts as a therapeutic antioxidant by selectively reducing cytotoxic oxygen radicals. Nature Medicine, 13(6), 688–694.
- Dole, M., Wilson, F. R., & Fife, W. P. (1975). Hyperbaric hydrogen therapy: a possible treatment for cancer.Science, 190(4210), 152–154.
- Nakashima, T., Ishibashi, T., & Kondo, T. (2009). Hydrogen reduces cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity via suppression of oxidative stress. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 387(3), 607–611.