Hydrogen & Cinnamon May Help Printer Emission-Induced Fatigue & Breathing Issues
- Authors
- Kurt Lucas, Michael Maes
- Journal
- Neuro Endocrinology Letters
- Year
- 2013
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Germany
- Health Condition
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Body System
- Respiratory
TL;DR
Some people get sick from breathing in stuff from laser printers and photocopiers—like getting tired all the time and having trouble breathing—and scientists think cinnamon and hydrogen gas might help treat these symptoms by calming down the body's overactive immune response.
Key Finding
Laser printer and photocopier emissions may activate an inflammatory pathway (TLR4) that triggers respiratory hyperresponsiveness and chronic fatigue in vulnerable individuals through oxidative and nitrosative stress.
Summary
This review examines how emissions from laser printers and photocopiers may trigger health problems in some people, including respiratory irritation and chronic fatigue. The authors propose that particles and chemicals released during printing (such as silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles) cause inflammation and oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules) through a specific immune pathway called TLR4. They suggest that hydrogen and cinnamon might help treat these symptoms because of their anti-inflammatory properties.
Practical Takeaway
This is a theoretical review without human studies or experimental results reported, so it cannot provide evidence that hydrogen water helps with printer-related symptoms. While the proposed mechanism is scientifically plausible, actual clinical testing in humans would be needed before drawing any conclusions about hydrogen's effectiveness for this purpose.
Abstract
Emissions of laser printers and photocopiers (LP&P) may be associated with health problems. The aim of this review is to describe the clinical picture that is triggered by exposure to LP&P and the molecular mechanisms underpinning the symptoms. Exposure to LP&P to vulnerable subjects may cause a symptom complex consisting of 1) irritation and hyperresponsiveness of the upper and lower respiratory tract; and 2) chronic fatigue (syndrome, CFS). Symptoms occur within hours after L&P exposure and may last for some days or become chronic with exacerbations following LP&P exposure. Substances that can be found in toners or are generated during the printing process are Silica nanoparticles, Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles, Carbon Black, metals, ozone, volatile organic compounds (VOC), etc. The latter may generate oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), damage-associated molecular patterns molecules, pulmonary and systemic inflammation, and modulate Toll Like Receptor 4 (TRL4)‑related mechanisms. It is concluded that LP&P emissions may cause activation of the TLR4 Radical Cycle and thus be associated with the onset of chronic inflammatory and O&NS illnesses, such as CFS, in some vulnerable individuals. Cinnamon, an antagonist of the TLR4 complex, and Hydrogen, a potent antiinflammatory and oxygen radical scavenger, may have efficacy treating LP&P-induced illness.