Preliminary Clinical Findings on Electrolyzed Water: 2-Month Study in Obese Subjects

Authors: Guy E. Abraham, MD & Jorge D. Flechas, MD (preliminary report) Design & participants: Four obese adult subjects (mean age 52.5 years, range 42–64). Subjects continued their usual diet and medications (several were on anti-hypertensives/anti-inflammatory drugs). Each subject drank 2 liters/day of electrolyzed water (alkaline/electrolyzed) for 2 months. Measurements were taken pre-intervention, after 1 month, and after 2 months. Tests included DEXA/body composition, basal metabolic rate (BMR), full blood chemistry and lipid panel, CBC, thyroid tests, urine elemental and toxic metal analysis, serum osteocalcin and urine N-telopeptides (bone resorption marker), and red blood cell elemental analysis.

Rationale

The authors note anecdotal and preliminary evidence that electrolyzed water can influence hydration, diuresis, mineral handling, and some metabolic markers. This small study aimed to screen for measurable physiological changes over a short intervention so that hypotheses could be generated for larger trials.

Main outcomes — body composition & weight

Body weight: Mean weight fell from 255 ± 20 lbs at baseline to 249 ± 13 lbs at 1 month and 243 ± 11.6 lbs at 2 months. The 2-month decrease reached near-statistical significance (p = 0.05).
Fat mass: Decreased significantly from 108 ± 26 lbs pre-intervention to 101.8 ± 23 lbs at 2 months (p = 0.02). Lean mass decreased slightly but not significantly. Total body water and its compartments changed modestly; intracellular water showed a significant change at 1 month (see table).

Metabolic, lipid and blood chemistry changes

Lipids: Total cholesterol trended down (197 → 180 mg/dL at 2 months, p≈0.07). Triglycerides decreased from 110 ± 27 mg/dL to 87.2 ± 25 mg/dL at 2 months (p = 0.05). VLDL also decreased significantly by month 2 (p = 0.05). LDL and HDL showed no consistent significant changes.
Blood chemistry: With electrolyzed water, most routine chemistries remained within reference ranges, with modest shifts; serum CO₂ increased at 1 month (p = 0.01), while creatinine, BUN, and electrolytes showed no concerning changes.

Thyroid, hematology, and bone markers

Thyroid: Most thyroid function tests were unchanged; one measure (Free T3) showed a statistically significant change at 1 month with electrolyzed water (details in table).
Bone metabolism: Urine calcium and urine N-telopeptides (markers of bone resorption) showed notable changes with electrolyzed water: urinary calcium increased, with statistically significant increases reported at 1 and 2 months, while urinary N-telopeptides decreased at 2 months (p = 0.034), suggesting a possible effect of electrolyzed water on bone turnover that requires follow-up. Serum osteocalcin and other bone markers were measured, but results were preliminary.

Urinary elements and toxic metals

Interpretation by authors

The authors report that daily electrolyzed water intake at 2 L/day was associated with:

modest but statistically significant fat-mass loss in these obese subjects (≈6 lb fat loss over 2 months),
improvements in triglycerides/VLDL,
changes in markers of bone turnover and urinary element excretion,
No major adverse effects or clinically significant lab derangements were observed during the 2-month period. The researchers emphasize that results with electrolyzed water are preliminary, hypothesis-generating, and limited by sample size and lack of a control group.