In Japan, research on functional water, especially on reduced water, is developing at a rapid pace. Reduced water such as electrochemically reduced water and natural reduced water can scavenge reactive oxygen species in cultured cells.
Reduced waters are expected to have preventive and positive effects on oxidative stress-related diseases such as diabetes, cancer, arteriosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and side effects of hemodialysis.
Conclusions and perspective
Accumulating evidence has shown that reduced waters are health beneficial and they suppress oxidative stress-related diseases such as diabetes, cancer, arteriosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and the side effects of hemodialysis. The mechanisms of action of reduced water for scavenging ROS are considered to be complicated.
Reduced water may suppress harmful effects of environmental pollution on the embryo in pregnant women by purifying amniotic fluid and blood.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Mr. Shinkatsu Morisawa, Nihon Trim Co. Ltd. and Mr. Yoshitoki Ishii, Hita Tenryosui Co. Ltd. for their technical and financial support for our reduced water research. Our research on anti-diabetic effects of reduced water by ERW was partly supported by Grants-in-aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) of Japan (No. 11876073). The authors are thankful to Dr. Munenori Kawamura, Kyowa Medical Clinic, and Dr. Zbigniew Gadek, Nordenau, Germany, for their clinical collaboration. The authors also express their sincere thanks to all staff, research fellows and graduate students who performed the research on reduced water in the laboratory of Cellular Regulation Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University.