How Hydrogen Gas Works as a Powerful Antioxidant in the Body
- Authors
- Wenwu Liu, Xuejun Sun, Shigeo Ohta
- Journal
- Hydrogen Molecular Biology and Medicine
- Year
- 2015
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-94-017-9691-0_1
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Cellular
TL;DR
Scientists discovered that hydrogen gas can actually help protect our bodies by getting rid of harmful molecules called free radicals, even though hydrogen doesn't dissolve in water very well. This finding is pretty cool because it means hydrogen might be useful as a medicine to treat diseases caused by damage from these harmful molecules.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas can reach physiologically achievable concentrations in water (approximately 0.9 mmol/L) and may protect biological systems by neutralizing harmful free radicals through its chemical properties.
Summary
This chapter reviews what hydrogen is, how it was discovered, and its chemical properties—especially those that might explain how it affects living systems. Hydrogen is found throughout the universe and makes up part of all living things, including humans. While hydrogen doesn't dissolve easily in water, it can reach levels high enough (about 0.9 millimoles per liter) to potentially have protective effects in the body. Recent research suggests hydrogen may work by neutralizing free radicals (unstable molecules that can damage cells), though scientists are still studying exactly how this happens.
Practical Takeaway
This is a review chapter summarizing existing knowledge about hydrogen's properties rather than reporting new experimental results. While it suggests hydrogen may have protective effects against oxidative stress (cell damage from unstable molecules), the authors note that further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and confirm clinical applications. This is early-stage theoretical work, not evidence of health benefits in humans.
Abstract
Features of hydrogen, discovery history of hydrogen, and physical and chemical properties, especially those correlated with the biological effects of hydrogen, are important for the understanding of mechanisms underlying the biological effects of hydrogen. In this chapter, we introduce the formulation, discovery, and physical and chemical properties of hydrogen. Most substances in the universe are composed of hydrogen element. Even human beings, the most complex form of life on Earth, are composed of hydrogen element. However, few studies have been conducted to focus on the biological effects of hydrogen before the magically biological effects of hydrogen are revealed by scientists in recent years. A secret may still be hidden in these wonder effects of hydrogen. Though hydrogen has a considerable low solubility in water, its concentration can still approach 0.9 mmol/L. Hydrogen, at this concentration, has been found to be able to confer its protective effects in biological system. Hydrogen is a gas molecule with relatively constant reducibility, an important chemical property of hydrogen. It has been accepted that hydrogen cannot directly interact with substances in biological body and that is why we use hydrogen in diving. However, recent studies reveal that hydrogen is able to neutralize some free radicals conferring protective effects, which maybe a chemical mechanism underlying the biological effects of hydrogen.