Molecular Hydrogen Shows Promise as Safe Antioxidant for Multiple Diseases

Authors
Journal
Gigiena i Sanitariia
Year
DOI
10.18821/0016-9900-2019-98-4-359-365
Study Type
clinical
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
Russia
Health Condition
Cardiovascular Disease
Body System
Cardiovascular

TL;DR

Scientists found that molecular hydrogen gas can help protect our bodies from damage caused by oxidative stress (basically, harmful stuff that makes cells get sick and age faster), and it does this safely without the bad side effects that come with other antioxidants. This discovery matters because it could be used to prevent and treat lots of different diseases like heart problems, brain diseases, and cancer.

Key Finding

Molecular hydrogen selectively targets hydroxyl radicals (a particularly damaging type of free radical) while preserving other free radicals that have normal physiological functions, potentially offering a safer antioxidant approach than conventional antioxidants.

Summary

This review article examines molecular hydrogen (H2), a gas that can act as an antioxidant in the body. Oxidative stress (damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals) is linked to many diseases including heart disease, neurological disorders, and cancer. Unlike many other antioxidants, hydrogen appears to selectively target one particularly damaging type of free radical (hydroxyl radicals) while leaving beneficial free radicals alone, potentially making it safer with fewer side effects. The review summarizes research suggesting hydrogen may help protect multiple organ systems through anti-inflammatory and other protective mechanisms.

Practical Takeaway

This is a review article summarizing existing research rather than a new study with original results, so it cannot establish definitive health benefits. While the review suggests hydrogen may have promise across multiple disease areas, most underlying studies appear to be laboratory or animal research. Anyone considering hydrogen water should recognize that clinical evidence in humans remains limited, and this review does not provide the level of evidence needed to make health claims.

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) is the lightest and most common element in the universe. In molecular form, (H2) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-toxic gas. For a long time, hydrogen was considered physiologically inert until its ability to reduce the intensity of the negative effect of oxidative stress was detected. According to modern concepts, oxidative stress affecting cells and tissue to be damaged, aged and causing a number of diseases - cardiovascular, rheumatic, gastrointestinal, neurodegenerative, oncological, metabolic and other. Antioxidants, however, have had limited use in the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases due to the high toxicity and low efficacy of many of them. Therefore, it remained necessary to identify effective antioxidants with little-to-no side effects. Since 2007, discovery molecular hydrogen (H2) to possess selective antioxidant properties, multiple studies have demonstrated H2 to show beneficial effects in diverse human disease (such as digestive, cardiovascular, central nervous, respiratory, reproductive, immune, endocrine systems diseases, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and aging). H2 is a specific scavenger of •OH, which is a very strong oxidant that reacts with nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins, resulting in DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation, and protein inactivation. Fortunately, H2 does not appear to react with other ROS having normal physiological functions in vivo. Due to its mild but effective antioxidant properties, H2 can reduce oxidative stress and cause numerous effects in cells and tissues, including anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and metabolic effects. This review discusses H2 biological effects, describes effective H2 delivery approaches and summarizes data on the results and prospects of H2 applications in the prevention of human diseases and therapy.