The Benefits of Topical Hydrogen
There’s a definite buzz around molecular hydrogen, and with good reason. As time goes by, the research continues to show promising potential therapeutic effects with few, if any, negative side effects. With the proper equipment, molecular hydrogen can be administered through inhalation, consumption of hydrogenated water, topical application of hydrogenated water, and topical administration of hydrogen gas. This article will briefly cover some of the promising research showing the benefits of topical molecular hydrogen applications.
Briefly, let’s cover some of the characteristics of molecular hydrogen that make it so unique. Research continues to point to a primary culprit when it comes to disease states: inflammation. Often, the cause of this inflammation is oxidative stress, both endogenous and exogenous, which is usually quantified by the presence of free radicals.
Our bodies have innate defenses against reactive oxygen species, however, there is a threshold at which our bodies cannot mitigate a higher presence of ROS. This then can lead to a vicious cycle – the presence of inflammation creates an excess of free radicals which then leads to further inflammation, and so on. This imbalance can wreak havoc on our physiological processes, and from research, it is becoming more evident that this is the potential cause of several disease states.
This is where hydrogen is showing so much potential – its size allows it to travel freely throughout the body as a powerful antioxidant. Whether past the blood-brain barrier, or even into individual organelles at the cellular level, hydrogen can access it all. Further, and admittedly unbeknownst at this time, hydrogen seems to be selective in neutralizing harmful reactive oxygen species while not interfering with the beneficial reactions of these oxygen species. In layman’s terms, when reactive oxygen species are in abundance hydrogen will leave what’s necessary for the body to function while mopping away the excess.
Now, let’s examine some of the potential uses for topical applications of hydrogen:
Inflammatory skin conditions: At this point, it is well understood that common issues like psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis fall under a more general category of chronic inflammatory diseases. It’s thought that these diseases arise due to an onset of both chronic inflammation and auto-immune disfunction. While pharmaceutical therapeutics exist for these conditions, they’re often found to have little effect to remedy the condition while typically having a laundry list of potential side effects. A recent study conducted in China aimed to investigate the potential of topical hydrogen water to lessen the severity of psoriatic outbreaks and improve quality of life. In this study, patients were given fifteen-minute hydrogen water baths twice a week for eight weeks. The results were eye-opening, to say the least.
Based on the already existing Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), a scale used to diagnose the severity of psoriasis, 56.1% of patients in the experimental group saw at least a 50% improvement in their PASI scores compared to only 17.7% in the control group. Furthermore, of those in the experimental group, roughly a quarter of the participants saw more than a 75% improvement in their scores. This is significant when compared to current therapeutics, which often don’t improve the condition much at all and usually take 12 weeks for positive results when they do. A handful of the most responsive patients were even able to stop their pharmaceutical regimen altogether. While more research is needed, this study could be groundbreaking for those struggling with both the physiological and psychological effects of psoriasis.
Burn wounds: Burn wounds can be quite difficult to treat and the time of injury to treatment is a huge factor in the prognosis. Severe burns, especially those with a delay of treatment, have a much higher incidence of death due to what’s known as ischemia-reperfusion injury (IPR). Blood flow is vital for healing, but oddly enough in tissue that has been deprived of blood flow, reintroduction of blood flow to the tissue can cause inflammation and oxidative damage. To tissue that is already damaged, this addition of inflammation and oxidative stress can be too much to overcome. In a study performed on rats (rats have been commonly been used in mammalian studies) and published in the journal Burns, hydrogenated saline was used as the media to deliver hydrogen to the tissue. By first establishing a control group, the researchers found improvements in mortality, secretion of cytokines, and oxidative stress. Cytokines are a normal part of our physiology that often elicits an inflammatory response. By reducing the secretion of cytokines, it’s theorized that the inflammatory response was lessened thereby allowing the tissue to heal.
A separate pre-clinical trial, published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeons, showed similar promise for IPR in skin tissue that might be damaged by incision during surgery. Incisions are made to create a “skin flap” that allows surgeons to access the necessary areas of the body. When these flaps suffer from a lack of blood flow during surgery, IPR occurs and can hamper recovery. A lack of blood flow to cells often causes the cell to begin a process called apoptosis, which is essentially the cell signaling itself for termination. This is a key component of IPR, and as you can imagine tissue that is signaling itself for death is not ideal if you want that tissue to heal! As in the previous study, a control group was created along with an experimental group using hydrogenated saline. The results showed that the experimental group utilizing the hydrogenated saline decreased both inflammation and cell apoptosis, thereby promoting healing of the flap tissue.
Anti-aging benefits: We humans are typically a vain bunch, so can you imagine the potential of an application that could help mitigate the aging process we all must eventually endure? To a certain extent, our genetic makeup is a huge factor in the health of our skin as we age, but there are environmental factors that can expedite this process. Referred to as extrinsic aging, these are aspects that we can control, like exposure to UV light and diet, for example. Taking a look at UV damage specifically, a study published in the journal PLOS One found that the application of hydrogenated water reduced UV-induced redness and inflammation by over 20% when compared to the control group. Further, the research showed the prevention of cellular DNA damage and stimulation of collagen. This is important to note because the breakdown of collagen is a key component in wrinkle formation.
In a separate study, researchers set out to find the effects of hydrogen on aging skin and surprisingly found that 90 consecutive days of hydrogenated water baths significantly reduced wrinkles in two-thirds of the participants. After seeing the results of the aforementioned study in regards to collagen, it would seem this group found similar results.
While many of the studies above utilize hydrogen water, one can also use pure hydrogen gas. Machines that produce pure hydrogen gas are typically more expensive, but they tend to produce higher amounts of hydrogen to use topically. Hydrogen gas does make application to the body easier. However, transdermal application, whether with water or gas, should yield similar results.
Further research should only expound on the promising benefits of hydrogen that current research has shown. Whether internal or topical, hydrogen is proving to be not only safe but perhaps ideal due to its lack of potential side effects combined with a seeming lack of the ability to overdose. Time will tell, but the future of molecular hydrogen seems more than promising.
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