A gas in its free form, molecular hydrogen (we’ll call it hydrogen for simplicity) was discovered to have significant antioxidant properties in 2007. Since then, a growing body of scientific research is showing that it has beneficial effects on pretty much the entire human body, including the reproductive, urinary, respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems, as well as skin health and metabolic health. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, it is also anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic (prevents cell death), and positively influences gene expression.¹ It has been studied in the treatment of a diverse range of human disease, from neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, to cancer and osteoporosis. It also promotes healthy aging.²

Before we dive into the science to see exactly why this super nutrient is so unique, let’s take a look at some of its researched benefits.

Protection from head to toe, hydrogen is the way to go

With its multiple modes of action, as well as its ability to penetrate cell nuclei and the blood-brain barrier, hydrogen is proving to be invaluable to human health. Since its antioxidant properties were discovered in 2007, there have been at least 1,000 studies published on hydrogen and various diseases, with very promising results. 

Some of the potential benefits of hydrogen being explored in both animal and human studies include:

• Neuroprotective, including protecting the brain from damage after traumatic brain injury or stroke, and protection from cognitive impairment as well as neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.^{3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}
• Improving markers of metabolic syndrome, including body weight, glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels. ^{11 12 13}
• Supporting cardiovascular health.^{14 15 16}
• Preserving kidney function.^{17 18 19}
• Protecting against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.^{20 21 22}
• Improving athletic performance by improving measures such as time to exhaustion, perceived exertion, and delayed onset muscle soreness.^{23 24 25 26 27}
• For skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis and for preventing UV-induced skin damage.^{28 29 30 31 32}

With its numerous potential benefits on human health, it’s no surprise hydrogen is also being investigated as an anti-aging agent. One recent randomized controlled pilot study, including 40 men and women aged 70 and older, explored the effects of drinking hydrogen-rich water for six months. After six months, the researchers found that the group drinking the hydrogen-rich water had a significant increase (about 4%) in telomere length. Telomeres are the caps on the ends of our chromosomes that help stabilize and protect DNA; they shorten throughout our lifetime, and shortened telomeres are one of the hallmarks of aging. They also found that the hydrogen-rich water improved methylation (a biochemical process that impacts the regulation of biological processes throughout the body), lower body strength, general pain, brain metabolism, and sleep quality.³³

Hydrogen is unique in the world of antioxidants

While most antioxidants work indiscriminately, and may react with reactive oxygen species (ROS) that have normal physiological functions, hydrogen selectively targets and neutralizes specific ROS, including hydroxyl radicals (OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO), two “very strong oxidants,” making it unique among antioxidants. Because it is so small, it can also penetrate cell membranes to reach the very nucleus of a cell, which most antioxidants cannot do, and it also easily penetrates the blood-brain barrier, where it can provide antioxidant protection to brain cells. Administration of hydrogen has been shown to reduce a number of markers of oxidative stress in numerous disease models.³⁴

In addition to its potent antioxidant effects, hydrogen also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, and has been found to reduce pain and inflammation in a number of inflammatory diseases, from rheumatoid arthritis³⁵ to irritable bowel disease.³⁶

What even is an antioxidant? 

Excessive oxidative stress is an underlying cause of nearly all degenerative diseases. It happens when there is an imbalance between the production and accumulation of ROS in cells and tissues, and the body’s inability to clear them out. ROS, also called free radicals, are generated via regular biological processes, like cellular energy production in the mitochondria, but can also be generated from exposure to things like UV light, pollution, stress, and inflammation. Excessive amounts of ROS damage lipids, cells, and tissues throughout the body (this is oxidative stress) and can eventually lead to cell death.³⁹ This is where antioxidants come in. Antioxidants, both those made internally and those that we get from food or supplements, neutralize these ROS, preventing damage to cells and tissue. Our bodies have an endogenous antioxidant system in place that combats a lot of the free radicals produced within our bodies,⁴⁰ but when that system becomes overloaded with too many ROS, that’s where external antioxidants, like hydrogen, can pick up the slack.

So maybe you’re ready to give hydrogen a try, but… how do you take a gas? The most convenient way to ingest hydrogen is via hydrogen-rich water, which you can safely and easily make with hydrogen tablets that dissolve in water. Hydrogen tablets have elemental magnesium added, which splits the hydrogen molecule off of the water molecule. For most purposes, research has found hydrogen-rich water to be as good, and sometimes even more effective, as inhalation of the gas. It shows no cytotoxicity (toxicity to cells) even at high concentrations.^{37 38}

While it may not exactly be the fountain of youth, hydrogen is proving to be one of the most important—and safe—antioxidants available to us, truly affecting whole-body health. No matter what health issue you may be looking to improve, prevent, or support, hydrogen is it. After reading all of the research, this writer is ready to try it! Are you?

References

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