Understanding PPM and molecular hydrogen dosage

If you've been looking at hydrogen water bottles and devices, you might have noticed that molecular hydrogen content is often indicated by PPM. (and sometimes PPB)

Let's look into what PPM means and why it's important, yet a bit confusing at the same time. I am also going to share how to accurately calculate the actual molecular hydrogen content in your water and how much hydrogen you should aim for to ingest to get the full benefits.

PPM and PPB

PPM stands for parts per million and is a unit used to measure the concentration of a substance that is dissolved in water.

You might also see PPB: parts per billion, which is simply 1000x PPM. 

PPM can for example be used to indicate the concentration of magnesium in a certain type of spring water. 

It's important to understand that this unit provides information about the ratio, however without specifying the volume of the water containing this substance, we can't truly know how much of the substance it actually contains. 

The preferred way to indicate molecular hydrogen concentration in water is by using mg / L: milligrams per liter which allows for easy calculation.

Minimum recommended hydrogen dosage

In order to get the benefits from molecular hydrogen, IHSA (International Hydrogen Standards Association) recommends a minimum dosage of 0.5 mg dissolved per 1 liter of water.

Clinical studies have shown that less than 0.5 mg of molecular hydrogen is not effective and in some studies even 1 mg wasn't sufficient.

The overall minimum recommended dosage is 1-3 mg a day. Again, this is the minimum. It can vary depending on your personal situation and goals.

How to properly calculate hydrogen content in water

So how do we know how much molecular hydrogen we're ingesting when making hydrogen water in our water bottle generator?

First you need to know: 1 PPM is equal to 1 mg / L.  

Every bottle has its own specific volume, so next you will need this information.

Usually it's somewhere around 250 ml (8.5 Oz) - 350 ml (12 Oz).

If we are using a portable hydrogen water generator which let's say has a volume of 250 ml, it means that with 1 bottle at 1 PPM we're getting ¼ mg of molecular hydrogen; half of the recommended minimum dosage of 0.5 mg.  

This gives you an easy way to calculate the H2 content in your water by putting these two together: 1. the PPM and 2. the volume of your device. 

IHSA

With the surge in popularity in molecular hydrogen products, it's essential to make sure that a product that we consider is both safe and efficient.

Thankfully, IHSA has set up clear quality guidelines and a product that is certified according to IHSA standards is one that you can trust.

This is why all the hydrogen water bottles here at Molecular Hydrogen Shop are certified according to IHSA and with that in mind you can just compare which one meets your personal preference best.