Hydrogen Gas Protects Skin Cells from Aging Damage

Summary by Hydrogen Studies Editorial Team · Updated

Authors
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
DOI
10.1038/s41598-017-03513-2
Study Type
Cell Culture
Outcome
Positive
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
Taiwan
Health Condition
Skin Aging
Body System
Integumentary

TL;DR

Hydrogen gas can help protect skin cells from aging by preventing damage caused by harmful oxygen compounds.

Key Finding

Molecular hydrogen protected skin cells from oxidative damage by reducing disulfide bond formation in calcium-signaling proteins, rather than by directly neutralizing reactive oxygen species.

Summary

Researchers studied how hydrogen gas might protect skin cells from damage caused by hydrogen peroxide, which creates harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species. When skin cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide, it damaged proteins involved in calcium signaling (a key process in cells), but adding hydrogen gas to the treatment reduced this damage by preventing the formation of disulfide bonds (chemical links between damaged proteins). The study suggests hydrogen gas works by repairing damaged proteins rather than simply neutralizing the harmful molecules.

Practical Takeaway

This laboratory study in skin cells suggests hydrogen gas may help protect against oxidative damage related to aging, but it is a very early-stage finding. The research was conducted only in cultured cells, not in living humans, so it's unclear whether these results would apply to actual skin aging. More research, including human studies, would be needed before any health claims could be made.

Abstract (excerpt)

Based on the oxidative stress theory, aging derives from the accumulation of oxidized proteins induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cytoplasm. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) elicits ROS that induces skin aging through oxidation of proteins, forming disulfide bridges with cysteine or methionine…

Read the full abstract via DOI