Hydrogen Therapy Shows Promise Across 170+ Diseases as Antioxidant
- Authors
- Geru Tao, Guohua Song, Shu-Cun Qin
- Journal
- Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.1093/abbs/gmz121
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Molecular hydrogen acts like a cleanup crew inside your body, fighting harmful molecules called free radicals that damage cells and cause diseases like cancer, inflammation, and heart problems. Scientists have tested it on over 170 different diseases and found it really works, so they think it could become an important medicine in the future.
Key Finding
Molecular hydrogen has been studied in over 170 disease models and shows potential as a selective antioxidant (a substance that neutralizes harmful free radicals) through multiple protective mechanisms in cells.
Summary
This review article summarizes research on how molecular hydrogen (a gas that can be dissolved in water) may help protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. Scientists have studied hydrogen's effects in over 170 different disease models and conditions, including heart damage from lack of blood flow, metabolic problems, inflammation, and cancer. The review explains several ways hydrogen might work: by directly neutralizing harmful free radicals, reducing inflammation, protecting important structures inside cells, and adjusting immune system function.
Practical Takeaway
While this review suggests hydrogen may have therapeutic potential based on laboratory and animal studies, it is a summary of existing research rather than new experimental evidence. Most studies reviewed were conducted in controlled laboratory settings or animal models, not in humans. Anyone considering hydrogen water should recognize that the translation from these research findings to proven human treatments remains incomplete, and more rigorous human clinical trials are needed to establish safety and effectiveness.
Abstract
Ever since molecular hydrogen was first reported as a hydroxyl radical scavenger in 2007, the beneficial effect of hydrogen was documented in more than 170 disease models and human diseases including ischemia/reperfusion injury, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and cancer. All these pathological damages are concomitant with overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) where molecular hydrogen has been widely demonstrated as a selective antioxidant. Although it is difficult to construe the molecular mechanism of hydrogen's biomedical effect, an increasing number of studies have been helping us draw the picture clearer with days passing by. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge on systemic and cellular modulation by hydrogen treatment. We discussed the antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptosis effects of hydrogen, as well as its protection on mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum, regulation of intracellular signaling pathways, and balancing of the immune cell subtypes. We hope that this review will provide organized information that prompts further investigation for in-depth studies of hydrogen effect.