HYDROGEN TABLETS, MAGNESIUM MYTHS, AND MISLEADING PPMS: WHAT BIOHACKERS SHOULD REALLY KNOW
TYLER W. LEBARON, MSC, PHD
JUNE 2025
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Molecular hydrogen (H₂) has been making waves in the biohacking community, especially with growing mentions on platforms like “The Joe Rogan Experience.” It’s exciting to see interest in H₂ expanding, but as with any trend, clarity often lags behind hype. Misconceptions around so-called “hydrogen tablets,” magnesium, and hydrogen water dosing are widespread.
In a previous article for Biohack Yourself, I introduced some of the foundational science behind H₂ and its role in promoting redox balance and cellular resilience [1]. Here, I’d like to build on that by debunking four persistent myths I’ve encountered in this space and offer a call for greater scientific precision when discussing hydrogen delivery systems.
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Myth #1: Hydrogen Tablets Contain H₂ Gas
Let’s start with the terminology. The popular supplements referred to as “hydrogen tablets” do not contain molecular hydrogen gas. Instead, they are H₂-producing tablets that generate hydrogen upon reaction with water. This isn’t a semantic quibble. It’s basic chemistry.
The active ingredient in these tablets is metallic magnesium, which reacts with the acid, i.e., hydrogen ions (H+) from the organic acids in the tablet to produce molecular hydrogen gas (H₂) and magnesium ions (Mg²⁺):
Mg + 2H+ → Mg²⁺ + H₂↑
This reaction doesn’t happen until the tablet dissolves. So when you drop it into water, you're not “releasing stored hydrogen,” you're witnessing a redox reaction that produces hydrogen on demand. Understanding this difference is crucial for anyone evaluating the effectiveness of these products or trying to explain them accurately.
Molecular Hydrogen
H₂ tablets react with water to produce therapeutic hydrogen gas on demand.
Myth #2: Metallic Magnesium Is Not Bioavailable
Some people hear “metallic magnesium” and assume it must be “inorganic,” “synthetic,” or otherwise non-bioavailable. But that reflects a misunderstanding of how mineral absorption works.
The body only absorbs magnesium in the ionic form: Mg²⁺. We don’t absorb entire magnesium salts like magnesium threonate or citrate as intact compounds. These salts dissociate in solution, freeing Mg²⁺ for absorption. The reason some magnesium supplements have better bioavailability than others is because of their solubility and ability to release free Mg²⁺ in the gut [2].
In fact, when magnesium reacts with water to generate hydrogen, it is guaranteed that the magnesium has been oxidized into the bioavailable Mg²⁺ form, because without that electron transfer, the hydrogen gas wouldn’t be produced in the first place. The stoichiometry proves the point.
If you see a dark or gray residue at the bottom of your glass after drinking, that’s just unreacted metallic magnesium. If consumed, it will safely react with stomach acid to generate more H₂ gas and Mg²⁺ ions. Want to prove it? Add a little vinegar to the residue, bubbles of H₂ will appear immediately because it’s acidic and will react with the metallic magnesium.
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Myth #3: Higher PPM Means More Hydrogen
Perhaps the most common misunderstanding in the H₂ water space is the overreliance on ppm (parts per million) as a measure of efficacy. Yes, ppm is technically a unit of concentration, but concentration is not the same as dose.
What matters biologically is the total amount of H₂ gas consumed, not just its concentration. And ppm is only meaningful when the volume of water is also specified. For example:
Drinking 100 mL of 15 ppm H₂ water = 1.5 mg of H₂
Drinking 1 liter of 5 ppm H₂ water = 5 mg of H₂
Which delivers a higher dose of hydrogen? The second one, by a large margin, even though the ppm is lower.
This is why serious researchers and clinicians prefer the unit mg/L, which directly communicates the mass of hydrogen per liter of water. More importantly, we must begin focusing on total dose per serving, just like we do with other supplements.
Imagine if a vitamin C supplement listed “400 ppm” instead of “100 mg.” That value would be meaningless unless you knew the serving volume. Yet this is the current norm with ready-to-drink (RTD) H₂ beverages: they may boast “1 ppm” or “5 ppm,” but if the can is only 250 mL, then the actual hydrogen dose might be as low as 0.25 to 1.25 mg. Similarly, tablets, despite nearly all of them having the same formula, claim concentrations of 5 to 15 “ppm”. However, it all depends on the amount of water they were dissolved in. Obviously, a tablet dissolved in 100 mL of water will result in a higher H₂ concentration than a tablet dissolved in 1000 mL of water (≈18 “ppm” vs 5 ppm”), yet the total dose would actually be higher for the greater volume of water (5 mg vs 1.8 mg). As a quick note, having used tablets in clinical studies, we have found that the highest dose of H₂ is when they are dissolved in around 500 mL of room temperature water.
Consumers, and especially biohackers, deserve better labeling standards and better understanding. The true measure of benefit is dose, not ppm. Let’s demand to know how many milligrams of H₂ we are getting, not the ppm.
Tyler W. LeBaron, MSc, PhD
Executive Director, Molecular Hydrogen Institute (MHI)
A Final Word: Let’s Bring Scientific Literacy Into Wellness
Biohacking thrives on curiosity, experimentation, and emerging science, but we must also demand accuracy and biochemical literacy. Molecular hydrogen has immense therapeutic potential, but we risk derailing its legitimacy if we rely on buzzwords, poorly understood units, or inconsistent product labeling.
By clarifying how H₂-producing tablets work, the true nature of bioavailable magnesium, and the importance of hydrogen dose over concentration, we can help move the field forward, not just in popularity, but in credibility.
References:
[1] LeBaron, T. W. (2023). Molecular Hydrogen: Redox Biology’s Dark Horse. Biohack Yourself. https://www.biohackyourself.com/news-article/tyler-lebaron
[2] Schuchardt, J. P., & Hahn, A. (2017). Intestinal Absorption and Factors Influencing Bioavailability of Magnesium—An Update. Current Nutrition & Food Science, 13(4), 260–278. https://doi.org/10.2174/1573401313666170526104429
[3] Ohta, S. (2012). Molecular hydrogen is a novel antioxidant to efficiently reduce oxidative stress with potential for the improvement of mitochondrial diseases. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1820(5), 586–594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2011.09.007
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