Consumption of Hydrogen-Treated Foods Provides Nutritional and Health Benefits

Molecular hydrogen (H2) was proven to be a therapeutic agent for many diseases. In parallel with its biomedical benefits, H2 has been shown in recent reports to have many applications in horticultural and food industry fields. Many hydrogen-infused products including hydrogen-rich water (HRW), hydrogen-infused beverages, and hydrogen-incorporated atmosphere products have been commercialized or at least studied at the laboratory scale. The hydrogen-treated crops possess preservative properties of phytochemicals e.g. anthocyanins and flavonoids and longer shelf life. The consumption of hydrogen-treated crops and hydrogen-infused beverages can provide many health and nutritional benefits to the consumer. The present report discusses the recent knowledge on the use of molecular hydrogen in crop production and food processing as well as their potential benefits on the health and nutrition of the consumer.