Do you want to know the worst thing about psoriasis? Psoriasis is a common skin condition characterized by an excessive build up of skin cells that cause swelling as well as scales and plaques on the skin that can be painful and itchy.

But the worst part about psoriasis is not the red, irritated scales on the skin. It’s not the dry, itchy, burning skin. It’s not the swelling. It’s the fact that this painfully common condition has no cure.

That’s bad news for the 7.5 million Americans who suffer from psoriasis.

But there is good news. There is new evidence that shows a simple treatment may help to significantly reduce the symptoms of psoriasis. And the even better news is that this new treatment is not another thick globby cream or harsh prescription medication. It’s water. Specifically, hydrogen water baths.

In a study published recently in the journal, Nature, researchers from China’s Fudan University looked at the effect of hydrogen water baths on patients with psoriasis and the lesser known parapsoriasis en plaques which is characterized by thinner scales and plaques than typically seen with psoriasis. Researchers evaluated 75 patients with these skin ailments and found that half the patients who received daily hydrogen water baths noted at least a 50 percent improvement in their symptoms after eight weeks, while 25 percent of the participants noted 75 percent improvement.

In addition, two-thirds of the patients reported a noticeable reduction in the pain and itching that often accompanies psoriasis while one-third of patients saw a complete reduction in these symptoms.

How do hydrogen water baths work to improve psoriasis and parapsoriasis en plaques? These conditions are caused by chronic inflammation that is thought to be the result of free radicals, or Reactive Oxygen pieces (ROS) within the body. The latest research shows that hydrogen water is a powerful antioxidant that is particularly effective at neutralizing these free radicals. And unlike costly prescription antioxidants, hydrogen water is relatively inexpensive and causes almost no side effects.

The studies authors concluded that hydrogen-water bathing therapy significantly and rapidly improved the disease and quality of life for patients with psoriasis and parapsoriasis en plaques and could therefore “fulfill the unmet need for an alternative therapeutic option for these patients.”