Written by Dr. Eric Wood, ND, MA
There is no question that alternative, complementary medicine is growing at a rapid rate. With expanding research and increased access to information, consumers are looking for non-prescription substitutes to improve their well-being and quality of life. And with a dangerous growth rate of chronic diseases, perhaps this pivot is coming at an essential time. According to the CDC, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the US is over 30% - a staggering number!
Enter hydrogen inhalation therapy, a therapeutic intervention that is gaining popularity for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and shows evidence-based backing as a celebrated adjunct in the treatment of various chronic diseases.
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Hydrogen inhalation therapy involves, as it suggests, the inhalation of hydrogen for therapeutic purposes. Hydrogen, a chemical element, is a powerful antioxidant that promotes inflammation reduction, cognitive enhancement, and muscle recovery.
Hydrogen therapy can be performed via various methods of administration including inhalation or water dissolution. With inhalation therapy, high-purity hydrogen is taken in via a nasal cannula similar to how oxygen would be inhaled for an individual with hypoxia. With a small molecular size, hydrogen is easily able to diffuse across cell membranes leading to therapeutic change.
Yes! Unlike the inhalation of nitric oxide or carbon monoxide at high concentrations, hydrogen inhalation is completely safe and can promote benefits for overall well-being. It is an odorless and non-toxic compound with essentially no side effects, promoting numerous health enhancements.
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Perhaps the biggest benefit of hydrogen inhalation therapy is its ability to prevent oxidative stress in the body’s tissues. With many chronic diseases linked to continuous oxidative stress, hydrogen inhalation therapy offers an alternative therapy to address the associated imbalances in the body.
A second therapeutic benefit of hydrogen inhalation therapy is its anti-inflammatory capabilities. With inflammation contributing to a host of conditions - including heart disease, diabetes, lung dysfunction, and cancer to name a few - finding treatments to combat it is a must. Hydrogen therapy works to support inflammatory mediators and activates specific pathways that control cell growth and death protecting against the harmful effects of chronic inflammation.
By promoting anti-oxidants, hydrogen therapy fights fatigue and improves overall energy levels. Various users report the treatment enhances energy after poor sleep, improves chronic fatigue, and gives them an overall boost when needed most.
Oxidative stress causes the destruction of cells making muscle recovery more challenging. After challenging workouts, athletes are often faced with oxidative stress as well as an inflammatory response. Hydrogen inhalation therapy combats both of these effects, making recuperation and muscle recovery after a hard training session more manageable.
A fifth benefit of this therapy is its ability to support cognitive function. Recent research revealed in mice that a hydrogen-treated group had improved cognitive function and reduced anxiety levels when compared to the untreated group. Further studies are needed to uncover potential benefits for individuals suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
If the above benefits, don’t have you intrigued, consider the fact that hydrogen therapy has no known adverse effects on the body. With numerous benefits reported, various methods of administration, and no side effects, it's a no-brainer that this therapy is further explored as an adjunct treatment option.
Metabolic syndrome describes a cluster of bodily abnormalities that result in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Hydrogen helps regulate the homeostasis of the cardiovascular and metabolic systems via various strategies. According to one study, hydrogen can improve atherosclerosis, vascular injury, or ischemia-induced heart injury. Both preclinical and clinical trials suggest that hydrogen therapy may improve abnormal lipid and glucose levels with potential implications for weight management.
Being a powerful antioxidant, hydrogen has also been proposed to reduce the oxidative stress involved in the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis. Arthritis results in the deterioration of cartilage within a joint but promising research points to potential protection from cartilage-cell death with hydrogen therapy application.
Besides osteoarthritis, it also has potential benefits in reducing oxidative stress and disease progression in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
The sympathetic nervous system, a part of our autonomic nervous system, that is involved in the fight or flight response leads to increased heart rate, alertness, and blood pressure. Hydrogen therapy works to improve autonomic imbalance by decreasing the overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and increasing the parasympathetic nervous system. This combination of actions leads to a blood-pressure-lowering effect serving as a potential therapy for individuals with hypertension.
A heart attack or myocardial infarction is caused when a part of the heart doesn’t get adequately perfused with blood. It is often caused by inflammation of the heart vessels resulting in plaque build-up. Preliminary studies show that hydrogen therapy may reduce the risk of heart disease thereby decreasing the chance of progression into a heart attack or other life-threatening condition.
Hydrogen gas is also being studied in patients following stroke to reduce free radicals and promote therapeutic benefits after ischemic CVAs. Findings have suggested it may decrease the risk of apoptosis or cell death and reduce the compounds that cause oxidative stress to the brain after stroke events.
While further research is needed, growing evidence also shows that hydrogen therapy may be used as a therapeutic support in cancer treatment regimens. With the potential to reduce chemotherapy side effects and decrease generalized inflammation, hydrogen therapy carries multiple prospective benefits for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Although you may be reading about hydrogen inhalation therapy for the first time today, it has been around for decades if not centuries. In the early 1940s, this treatment was first used to help deep-sea divers prevent decompression sickness making it valuable for various industries. Subsequent research arose in the 1970s when hyperbaric-administered hydrogen was revealed to reduce squamous cell carcinoma in certain scenarios. Despite these revolutionary findings, research slowed until the early 2000s when additional studies revealed its antioxidant effects and therapeutic benefits following ischemic strokes. Since then, growing evidence has been uncovered, pointing to its growing indications of use and therapeutic outcomes.
Hydrogen inhalation therapy is a developing therapeutic that offers great promise for the treatment of various medical conditions. With different applications, simple administration, and minimal to no reported side effects, it will be a molecule to look out for as we continue to explore complementary medicine.
If you’re looking to enhance energy, promote anti-oxidants or reduce inflammation, consider the numerous benefits of hydrogen therapy. For more information and to check out our expert-curated blogs, visit Caregiver University to help you make sound purchasing decisions.
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Dr. Wood is a licensed naturopathic doctor in Washington D.C. and founder of Visionary Health. A graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Wood is a professor at John Patrick University in the Integrative and Functional Medicine Department as well as an adjunct professor at the American College of Healthcare Sciences in Holistic Nutrition. He began his career as a specialty physician for two leading supplement US companies, Neuroscience Inc. and Life Extension. Over his fifteen-year career in integrative and holistic medicine, he has worked in diverse capacities including as an educator; writer; medical advisor, consultant and formulator for supplement companies and treatment centers in the US and the EU; public speaker; and clinician. He has long been a practicing advocate of lifestyle medicine, fitness and mind body medicine approaches initially spurred by aging family members not getting help from traditional medicine and is passionate about innovating and bringing natural and integrative medicine to the masses!
