Hydrogen Therapy May Help Fight Aging and Age-Related Diseases
- Authors
- Md Habibur Rahman, Eun-Sook Jeong, Hae Sun You, Cheol-Su Kim, Kyu-Jae Lee
- Journal
- Antioxidants
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.3390/antiox12050988
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- South Korea
- Health Condition
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Body System
- Neurological
TL;DR
Scientists found that a simple gas called molecular hydrogen can help fight diseases that come with aging, like memory loss and Parkinson's disease, by protecting our cells from damage caused by harmful molecules in our body. This matters because if it works in humans, it could be a new way to help people stay healthier as they get older.
Key Finding
Molecular hydrogen shows potential as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for treating age-related diseases, particularly neurological conditions, though the evidence reviewed is primarily from laboratory and animal studies rather than human trials.
Summary
This review article examines how molecular hydrogen (H2) might help treat age-related diseases, particularly those affecting the brain like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The authors explain that aging involves oxidative stress—an imbalance of harmful molecules in the body—and suggest that hydrogen may act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent to reduce this damage and potentially support healthy aging.
Practical Takeaway
While this review suggests hydrogen may have therapeutic potential for age-related diseases through antioxidant mechanisms, it is a literature review rather than a clinical study with human participants. The authors acknowledge that further clinical research in humans is needed to establish whether hydrogen therapy actually works and what the optimal doses would be. Current evidence is mostly preliminary.
Abstract
Age-related diseases represent the largest threat to public health. Aging is a degenerative, systemic, multifactorial and progressive process, coupled with progressive loss of function and eventually leading to high mortality rates. Excessive levels of both pro- and anti-oxidant species qualify as oxidative stress (OS) and result in damage to molecules and cells. OS plays a crucial role in the development of age-related diseases. In fact, damage due to oxidation depends strongly on the inherited or acquired defects of the redox-mediated enzymes. Molecular hydrogen (H2) has recently been reported to function as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of several oxidative stress and aging-related diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer and osteoporosis. Additionally, H2 promotes healthy aging, increases the number of good germs in the intestine that produce more intestinal hydrogen and reduces oxidative stress through its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This review focuses on the therapeutic role of H2 in the treatment of neurological diseases. This review manuscript would be useful in knowing the role of H2 in the redox mechanisms for promoting healthful longevity.