Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and hydrogen gas is odorless, tasteless, and colorless [1]. Legend has it that the great Paracelsus was the first to document the observation of hydrogen gas after mixing iron with sulfuric acid [2].
Hydrogen may be said to represent levity with oxygen representing gravity, and together they of course form the stable compound water. We make hydrogen gas internally and take in oxygen gas from outside [3]. Hydrogen is the first element of the fourth octave in Russellian cosmogony and is counted as the first element perceivable by man [4]. In 1816, Dr. William Prout even went so far as to hypothesize that hydrogen was basically the primordial substance from which all other elements were fashioned (in support of the primary matter of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers) [5]. Oxygen lets us play in the terrestrial while hydrogen lifts our eyes upward. To the old luminaries hydrogen represented the water element, and water the emotional body [6]. And it is the heart, by way of feeling, that is carrying us now into the new Earth. Does the interplay between hydrogen and oxygen straddle the activities of ascension and incension then? If so, what physiological advantages can hydrogen offer the human body, at this time especially? As it turns out, a lot. Molecular hydrogen can be administered through inhalation as a gas, intravenous injection, or oral consumption of hydrogen-saturated water [7]. Molecular hydrogen is non-toxic at high concentrations and can diffuse rapidly at the cellular level, selectively scavenging hydroxyl radicals while preserving other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species for important signaling (we don’t want to blanket redox reactions and free radical signaling with antioxidants) [8]. The safety profile of hydrogen gas has been established for some time as it is often used to prevent decompression sickness in deep sea divers [9]. Reactive oxygen species are inevitably whipped up as a byproduct of breathing oxygen, and they strengthen protective mechanisms when kept below a manageable threshold [10]. But when this threshold is breached, tissue damage ensues. Hydrogen gas can protect nuclear DNA and mitochondria from oxidative stress, helping mitochondria to make more ATP [11]. Part of hydrogen’s potent antioxidative action comes from its activation of Nrf2, a transcription factor that regulates the expression of multiple detox and antioxidant enzyme genes [12]. Because hydroxyl radicals are major culprits in ionizing radiation-induced injury and hydrogen gas can neutralize hydroxy radicals, hydrogen gas administration has been proposed as a protective strategy for astronauts exposed to dangerous radiation [13]. Humans on Earth can use the same thinking to help deflect the stress of artificial EMF irradiation because electromagnetic radiation does not need to be ionizing in order for it to bear hydroxyl radicals [14]. Diatomic hydrogen combining with hydroxyl radicals in the body confers water, so there is a hydrating effect to the use of supplemental hydrogen too (non-ionizing radiation can be dehydrating to the body) [15]. Hydrogen from hydrogen-rich water can cross the blood-brain barrier (many antioxidant compounds cannot) and in an animal model of multiple sclerosis, hydrogen-rich water was able to reduce disease severity, demyelination, T cell infiltration of the CNS, and Th17 cell development, in addition to delaying disease onset and lowering maximum clinical scores when used prophylactically [16]. Hydrogen water has also prevented a stress-induced decline in learning and memory as well as the loss of neurons in a model of Parkinson’s disease [17] [18]. Hydrogen water has been shown to help avert atherosclerosis and ease allergic responses by calming the degranulation of mast cells (mast cells make histamine) [19] [20]. And hydrogen gas given through eye drops has improved a model of glaucoma through dropping apoptotic and oxidative stress markers [21]. Cool. We know that hydrogen gas produced normally by intestinal bacteria through the fermentation of carbohydrates suppresses inflammation in the colon [22]. And hydrogen water can function as a prebiotic as some intestinal bacteria eat the hydrogen that we consume or that is given off by other species in the gut [23]. Fun fact: turmeric can boost the amount of hydrogen made by gut bacteria and shorten bowel transit time [24]. Sha et al. found that drinking hydrogen water for four weeks enhanced the richness and diversity of the intestinal microbiota in a group of female athletes [25]. Moreover, water with hydrogen dissolved in it has displayed anti-aging avail to the periodontal tissues of rats [26]. Outside of the GI tract, molecular hydrogen is broadly anti-inflammatory, being a regulator of multiple genes’ expression [27] [28]. Spotlighting my favorite focus, molecular hydrogen has markedly improved glycemic control in mice with type 1 diabetes by magnifying the uptake of glucose by skeletal muscle, even under severe insulin deficiency (without causing hypoglycemia) [29]. The above study used orally administered hydrogen gas dissolved in water and the authors concluded that hydrogen gas “exerts metabolic effects similar to those of insulin and may be a novel therapeutic alternative to insulin in type 1 diabetes mellitus...” In 2006, Kim and Kim found hydrogen-containing water to have notable antidiabetic effects, and in 2007, Kim et al. amazingly witnessed the same lower blood sugar, raise serum insulin, and preserve beta cell mass in diabetic mice [30] [31]. Li et al. also looked at what hydrogen-rich water can do for T1D and reported that it increased glucose-stimulated insulin release from the pancreas by 2 – 4 times [32]. In a later paper published by some of the same researchers, feeding hydrogen water to T1D mice brought their blood sugar down and protected some of their pancreatic beta cells from apoptosis [33]. This is big folks, no pharmaceutical on the planet can safely do what I just listed for type 1 diabetics. In a sample of human type 2 diabetics, supplementation with hydrogen-rich water bettered lipid and glucose metabolism, dropping oxidized LDLs and raising adiponectin levels and insulin sensitivity (adiponectin is a hormone that improves glucose tolerance and the burning of fat) [34]. Kamimura et al. saw much the same in their study, with the addition of molecular hydrogen alleviating fatty liver and promoting fat loss in diabetic mice [35]. Hydrogen water has been shown to be great for rheumatoid arthritis as well, with a dosage of 500 milliliters per day for four weeks bringing about an effective reduction in oxidative stress and a significant improvement in disease activity [36]. When free radicals modify proteins, the proteins can become highly immunogenic and elicit the creation of autoantibodies against them [37]. This has been demonstrated with oxidatively modified glutamic acid decarboxylase in type 1 diabetes, and with other proteins in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus [38]. Good old hydrogen can assist in stopping this kind of protein modification which is why it can be of so much use for autoimmune conditions. Exercise-wise, drinking hydrogen water can attenuate the rise of blood lactate and muscle fatigue after heavy training [39]. Botek et al. also saw pre-exercise supplementation with hydrogen water allay muscle acidosis and the fatigue that comes along with it, plus a bettering of effort perception and ventilatory efficiency [40]. Some hydrogen-rich water can have an alkalizing effect on the blood too [41]. Molecular hydrogen may even elevate testosterone levels naturally by cleaning up hormonal signals in the testes [42]. Relatedly, hydrogen-rich water can help improve mood, anxiety, and activity of the parasympathetic nervous system [43]. So, the good news: molecular hydrogen can be very rewarding for a wide range of problems. The bad news: now everyone has a hydrogen water-maker to sell you. But that’s okay. Hydrogen has a spiritual role to play, and as we follow its always rising upward quality, we can partake of its physical gifts too. Have a great week! References:
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AuthorDenton Coleman is an Exercise Physiologist and Medical Researcher. Archives
October 2023
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