Everyone's suddenly drinking hydrogen water. Is it hype, or is there actually science behind it?
Andrea met Paul Barattiero more than ten years ago at a health show in Toronto, back when almost nobody was talking about hydrogen water. Now it's everywhere, and a practitioner friend of Andrea's has been sending her studies about it almost daily. So she invited Paul on to explain what molecular hydrogen actually is, why he says it's not the same thing as the hydrogen in H2O, and what happens in the body when you drink it.
Paul's route into this was personal. His wife spent the first decade of their marriage with heavy, painful periods, adenomyosis and significant anemia, losing about a week of every month to her bed. On a cruise in 2005, friends handed her a jug of water they couldn't really explain, and something shifted. That sent Paul down a twenty-year path that inspired him to launch Echo Water.
In this conversation they talk about gut health, oxidative stress and inflammation, why hydrogen might behave more like a signal than a supplement, how much to drink and when, and what the menopause-specific research does and doesn't say yet.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- What molecular hydrogen (H2) is, and why "isn't hydrogen already in water" is the wrong question
- Why your gut may be the reason you're not making hydrogen the way you used to
- What oxidative stress and chronic inflammation actually mean
- How much hydrogen water to drink a day, and why timing it around your workout may matter
- What the menopause research covers so far, including bone density, sleep, blood sugar and heart health
CHAPTERS
3:10 Isn't Hydrogen Already in Water? Why the Answer Is No
4:15 Why We're Talking About Hydrogen Water in Perimenopause
9:03 Heavy Periods, Anemia and a Cruise Ship: How Echo Water Started
14:40 Your Colon Is a Hydrogen Ecosystem: The Gut Hydrogen Connection
20:00 Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Explained
23:55 Hydrogen, Ghrelin and Brain Fog: The Gut to Brain Signal
31:37 How Much Hydrogen Water Should You Actually Drink a Day?
41:17 Does Hydrogen Water Go Flat?
45:40 Hydrogen Water and Menopause: Bone, Sleep, Belly Fat and Heart Health
51:05 Final Thoughts
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Save 10% on Echo Water: https://echowater.com/?ref=Morphus
Hydrogen research database Paul mentions: https://hydrogenstudies.com
Paul Barattiero on Instagram: @dr.paulbarattiero
Echo Water on Instagram: @echohydrogen
Affiliate disclosure: The Echo Water link is an affiliate link. Morphus earns a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you, and you save 10%. Nothing in this episode is medical advice, and hydrogen water is not a treatment for any medical condition. Talk to your own provider about what's right for you.
Send us Fan Mail
======
Morphus: Menopause Reimagined
💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all
📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)
Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4xaREJK
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk
📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V
FOLLOW US:
TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus
Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky
Facebook: /wearemorphus
DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.