The bubbles
The bubbles you see are hydrogen leaving the water. What you can see is what you do not get.
Learn
Hydrogen tablets: how they work
Hydrogen tablets are effervescent magnesium tablets that react with water and form hydrogen gas right in the bottle. They are the cheapest way to try hydrogen water. How much hydrogen you actually drink depends mostly on how you use them: in a closed, almost full bottle the level is high, in an open glass much of the hydrogen bubbles away before you drink.
The chemistry
Magnesium and water make hydrogen
Magnesium reacts with water to form magnesium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. In theory, one gram of magnesium gives about 80 milligrams of hydrogen. Most tablets also contain organic acids that speed up the reaction and dissolve what is left. That is why the water turns clear and can taste slightly tart.
The magnesium
The magnesium stays in the water as a salt. You drink it, so it counts towards your magnesium intake.
The additives
Besides magnesium and acids there may be flavouring, sweeteners or fillers. Read the ingredients list.
The category
The tablets are usually sold as food supplements. There are no authorised health claims for hydrogen in the EU, so ignore promises of effects.
How much hydrogen
How much hydrogen one tablet leaves in the glass
Makers often state milligrams of hydrogen per tablet. That figure almost always refers to hydrogen generated. At room temperature and normal air pressure, water holds only about 1.6 milligrams of hydrogen per litre, so how much stays depends on the container and the time.
What you doHow much staysWhy
Open glassLeastThe hydrogen bubbles straight out into the air while the tablet dissolves.
Closed bottle with a lot of airMoreThe gas collects above the water, and some escapes when you open it.
Closed bottle filled almost to the topMostPressure builds and more hydrogen dissolves. The level drops when you open it.
Drunk after half an hourClearly lessHydrogen leaves the water all the time, especially in an open glass.
In practice
How to get the most hydrogen from a tablet
Pick the right bottle
Use a bottle with a tight cap, ideally glass or thick plastic, and fill it almost to the top with cold water.
Close it and wait
Drop in the tablet, screw on the cap and let it dissolve fully, as long as the pack says.
Drink straight away
Turn the bottle gently a few times, open it and drink at once. To know the level, measure with reagent drops.
Before you buy
What to check on hydrogen tablets
- Does the figure refer to hydrogen generated or hydrogen measured in the water? Ask how it was measured.
- How much magnesium is in each tablet, and how much do you get per day with any supplements you already take?
- What other ingredients are there: acids, flavouring, sweeteners?
- How should the tablets be stored? Moisture makes them react early.
- Does the seller promise health effects? Then the marketing goes further than the research.
Comparison
Hydrogen tablets, bottle, dispenser or inhalation
FormatProsCons
Hydrogen tabletsCheap to start, easy to carryYou pay for every glass, magnesium and additives come with it
Hydrogen water bottlePortable, no additivesQuality varies, the cell needs care. How to compare bottles
Dispenser, such as Lita Aqua2.4 litres of fresh water at a time, from drinking waterHigher one-off cost, lives in the kitchen
Inhalation with Lita AirHigher concentration in one sessionTakes 15-60 minutes and a spot at home
After tablets
Drinking hydrogen water every day?
We do not sell hydrogen tablets. Many people start with tablets and then want to stop buying more. Lita Aqua makes fresh hydrogen water from drinking water in 20 minutes, with no magnesium or flavourings.
If you would rather inhale hydrogen than drink it, the Lita Air hydrogen inhaler is the alternative. We go through the differences in hydrogen inhalation vs hydrogen water.
Questions and answers
Common questions about hydrogen tablets
What are hydrogen tablets?
Hydrogen tablets, often called H2 tablets, are effervescent tablets containing magnesium. When the tablet dissolves, the magnesium reacts with the water and forms hydrogen gas, part of which dissolves in the water. What remains is a magnesium salt that you drink with it.
Do hydrogen tablets work?
They do form hydrogen, and that can be measured. How much stays in the water depends on how you use them: in a closed, almost full bottle the level is higher than in an open glass. Whether hydrogen water itself has any health effect is not established, whatever the format.
How much hydrogen does one tablet give?
Makers often state milligrams of hydrogen per tablet. That figure usually refers to hydrogen generated, not hydrogen that stays in your glass. At normal pressure, water holds about 1.6 milligrams of hydrogen per litre, so the rest bubbles away if the bottle is open.
Do hydrogen tablets have side effects?
The hydrogen itself has not caused serious side effects in published studies. The tablets add magnesium, and a lot of magnesium can loosen the stomach. Count the magnesium if you already take supplements, and ask your doctor first if you have kidney disease or take medication.
Where can I buy hydrogen tablets?
Hydrogen tablets are sold mainly in health food shops and online, usually as food supplements. The range varies. Read the ingredients and ask for measurement data wherever you buy. We do not sell tablets.
Are tablets or a hydrogen water dispenser better?
Tablets are cheap to start with and easy to carry. A dispenser costs more up front, but makes fresh hydrogen water from drinking water with no additives, and works out cheaper per glass if you drink it every day.
Next step
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