What I tell friends who say hydrogen water is a scam

Someone always does it.

You’re at a BBQ, or chatting after a customer call, and the topic of hydrogen water comes up. Cue the smirk: “So you’re paying good money for fancy bubbles? Mate, that’s just expensive fizzy nothing.”

I get it. I’ve said similar things about half the wellness aisle myself. If someone pitched me “miracle water” with before-and-after glow photos and a shopping-cart countdown, I’d walk the other way too.

So here’s the version I give friends — no TED Talk energy, no miracle cure speech. Just what I actually think, what I use, and why I keep coming back to it.

Where the sceptics are right

A lot of the marketing is overcooked.

You’ll see claims that sound like a hydrogen bottle will fix your sleep, your skin, your joints, your mood, and possibly your relationship with your in-laws. Biomarkers get waved around like cured disease. Short, small studies get dressed up as slam-dunk proof.

That’s where I agree with the sceptics first.

Hydrogen water is not a drug. It’s not a substitute for sleep, decent food, movement, or seeing your doctor when something’s actually wrong. If a brand is selling it like a cure-all, treat that like a red flag, not a recommendation.

I’m in this space every day with Grounded Kiwi, and I still roll my eyes at half of what floats past online. Quality varies wildly. Cheap offshore bottles promise the world and leave you with no support when the button stops working. That part of the “scam” feeling? Fair enough.

What the research actually looks like (without the spin)

Strip away the Instagram captions, and the literature is mostly modest — but it’s not empty either.

A lot of the published work is small or short. Interesting signals show up around oxidative stress, recovery, and how people feel day to day. Molecular hydrogen is studied as a selective antioxidant — it doesn’t carpet-bomb every free radical in sight; it tends to target the nastier ones. That’s one reason I was willing to try it properly instead of writing it off with the miracle-water crowd.

Large, long outcome trials in everyday people are still thin on the ground. That’s not me hedging for fun; that’s the honest shape of the evidence.

And here’s one bigger trial I think people should know about, because marketers rarely mention the nulls.

The Hydro-COVID phase 3 study (published in MDPI’s Journal of Clinical Medicine) tested hydrogen-rich water against placebo in outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Result: it was not superior to placebo for preventing clinical worsening. That’s a proper phase 3 design, and it didn’t win on that endpoint.

I’m not citing that to throw hydrogen under the bus. I’m citing it because honesty matters. If something doesn’t outperform placebo for a hard clinical outcome in that setting, we shouldn’t pretend every sip is medicine. Biomarkers ≠ cured disease. Feeling clearer and less wrecked after better hydration is not the same as treating an illness.

So my summary for friends is simple:

• The science is promising in places — especially around oxidative stress and recovery-type measures — not settled as a miracle.
• Most trials are small/short; don’t let anyone invent a mountain from a molehill.
• At least one large pragmatic trial (Hydro-COVID) found no superiority over placebo for clinical worsening.
• Marketing often oversells. Full stop. That doesn’t mean the tool is useless when you use it honestly.

What I personally notice (the bit friends actually care about)

Hydrogen water is one of my three daily pillars alongside earthing and shungite. Not because I think it makes me invincible. Because life is busy, I’m imperfect, and I like a few simple things that feel like being nice to my body after I ask a lot of it.

I can’t say I get dramatic overnight results. What I do notice when I stay consistent:

• A bit more steady energy on hectic days — less of that mid-arvo crash.
• I’m less headachy and sluggish when the habit’s locked in.
• After tough weeks, I sometimes bounce back a bit quicker.
• Afternoon fog isn’t quite as thick.
• Over months, I realise I reach for coffee less often just to push through — not because hydrogen water is caffeine, but because the baseline feels a bit cleaner.

Nothing front-page. More like the background humming along properly. And for me, that’s the point — a daily upgrade you actually stick with.

For me, the pitch is boring on purpose:

• Press the button.
• Wait a few minutes.
• Drink water that’s been infused with molecular hydrogen.
• Carry on with the day.

I don’t track it like a lab rat. I use it as a hydration habit with real antioxidant logic behind it — and I leave the miracle language for other people.

Would I notice if I stopped for a fortnight? Honestly, habits blur. What I do notice is that when my routine slips — sick kid, late nights, too much screen time — the pillars are the easy resets I come back to. A hydrogen water bottle is the one that fits in a bag and doesn’t need a speech. That’s why the benefits compound: you actually do it.

Compared to electrolyte tablets, greens powders, or herbal capsules I’ve tried, this is the easiest to stick with. Half those things become a chore or die at the back of the cupboard. Sports drinks and sachets get messy or sugary. Hydrogen water is just… water. You’re drinking anyway. Button. Done. The benefits only matter if the habit survives a normal Kiwi week — and this one does.

Spring water or decent filtered/low-mineral water works best in these bottles. Alkaline and sparkling are generally a poor match for the tech. That’s practical, not mystical.

Is hydrogen water safe?

For most healthy people, drinking hydrogen-rich water is generally considered low-risk — you’re still drinking water, with dissolved H₂. That said, we’re all different. If you’ve got a health condition, take medications, or you’re unsure, talk to your own health professional first. I’m a Kiwi bloke with a wellness shop in Taranaki, not your doctor.

Listen to your body. If something feels off, stop and get proper advice.

Bottle vs tablets — what’s the difference?

Both can produce hydrogen-rich water. Tablets are handy for travel. A bottle (the SPE/PEM style we stock) is the set-and-forget option at home or at the desk: fill, run a cycle, drink.

If you’re weighing it up, look for:

• Bottles: solid build, food-grade materials, proper SPE/PEM tech, and after-sales support that actually answers.
• Tablets: clear ingredients and third-party testing where you can get it.
• Either way: a company that replies when something goes wrong.

I’m biased toward a decent bottle because I use one daily — right now that’s our Hydrogen Fusion Bottle. I’ve seen too many “bargain” units that look clever on TikTok and feel hollow in real life.

That doesn’t mean every expensive bottle is honest, or every tablet is junk. It means: buy quality, know who you’ll email if it fails, and don’t chase ppb bragging rights like it’s a personality trait.

Browse the full hydrogen water range if you want to compare options.

Would I buy it again?

Yes — without hesitation.

Not because I think it cured anything. Because the day-to-day benefits are real enough for me: steadier energy, fewer sluggish patches, a hydration habit that actually sticks, and it matches how I already think about supporting the body (earthing, less EMF fuss, better hydration). I’d rather spend on one well-made tool than a cupboard of half-used powders.

If a friend asked me cold: “Blake, is this a scam?”
I’d say: “Some of the marketing is. The product, used honestly, isn’t magic — and that’s fine. I still use it, and I’d miss it if it disappeared.”

If they only want something that has large outcome trials proving disease reversal, I’d tell them to save their money and keep walking. Respect for that position.

If they want a simple daily hydration upgrade — with benefits you feel in the grind of real life — from a local crew who’ll actually answer the phone, then we can talk bottles without the hype.

Soft next step (no hard sell)

If you’re curious, start with the Hydrogen Fusion Bottle, browse the hydrogen water collection, or just get in touch. We’re based in Taranaki — happy to answer the awkward questions, including “is this worth it for someone like me?”

No countdown timers. No “only three left” nonsense. Ask the sceptical question. I’d rather you buy nothing than buy something for the wrong reason.

Wellness note: This is general wellbeing chat from my own experience and reading — not medical advice. Hydrogen water is not a treatment or cure for disease. For health concerns, see a qualified health professional.

Happy Earthing,
Blake