You have probably never heard of the tiny town of Nordenau. The small village located in northern Germany has only 215 inhabitants and from 1867 until shortly after the end of World War II, its only claim to fame was a slate mine located in the center of the town. When the mine shut down, it was used as a wine cellar for hotels owned by the local Tommes family. It was by chance that in 1992, a hotel guest drank some of the spring water from the wine cellar and noticed an immediate “energizing” effect. Rumors circulated and before long, hotel guests came from far and wide to sample the “healing water of Nordenau.”
The Healing Hydrogen Water of Nordenau
What makes the water from Nordenau so special? Hydrogen. Clinical tests found that Nordenau’s spring water contains more hydrogen than your average drinking water. Over the years, a number of research studies have been conducted on the potential health benefits of the water of Nordenau.
Hydrogen Water and Type 2 Diabetes
One such study, entitled, ‘“Nordenau Phenomenon” – Application of Natural Reduced Water to Therapy,’ was conducted by researchers at the Center for Holistic Medicine and Naturopathy in Nordenau, Germany and the Department of Genetic Resources Technology at Kyushu University in Japan. For this study, researchers looked at the link between the hydrogen water in Nordenau and its effect on patients with type 2 diabetes.
The study’s authors followed 411 patients with type 2 diabetes who drank Nordenau spring water over a period of six days. For each participant, researchers tested diagnostic parameters such as blood sugar, HbA1c, cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and serum creatinine both at the beginning and the end of the visit to Nordenau. Researchers also tested the level of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), or free radicals, in a random sample of 136 of the patients to better understand the link between hydrogen water and its effect on health.
The results? After just six days of drinking the hydrogen water from Nordenau, 45 percent, or 186 patients showed significant improvements in the two factors that specifically evaluate diabetic health – blood sugar and HbA1c. Researchers also noted that many of the patients who showed improvements in blood sugar and HbA1c had improved levels of cholesterol, LDL, HDL and serum creatinine concentration average values. Finally, 70.6 percent of the patients tested for ROS showed a significant decrease in ROS blood levels, drawing a clear link between the hydrogen in Nordenau’s water and the health benefits noted by the participants.
Needless to say, the study’s authors were impressed at the results they found in Nordenau, concluding that since hydrogen water “obviously improves in a very short time and entirely without side effects very important metabolic parameters,” it should be considered a useful tool in the management of type 2 diabetes and other related conditions.
