Experimental studies have shown that hydrogen rich water has antioxidant effects after damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion, which is related to oxidative stress and cell death in the affected ischemic region. The protective effects are partly due to inhibition of the pathways associated with programmed cell death. Furthermore, hydrogen water increases the production of antioxidant enzymes that help suppress the harmful effects of oxidative stress.
In the clinical environment, administering hydrogen water as soon as possible in patients who have suffered a myocardial or cerebral infarction might have beneficial effects for them. It is particularly important to ensure that water quickly reaches the ischemic risk zone before blood flow is restored in the occluded artery causing the heart attack.