As the inhalation of molecular hydrogen gains popularity for its purported benefits, many are researching this emerging application of hydrogen gas. In this research, the term “Brown’s gas” is used synonymously with hydrogen gas, however, while similar, they are not the same. So what exactly is Brown’s gas, and how does it relate to hydrogen?

Simply put, Brown’s gas is a vapor made up of two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen. You may think that’s the same formula as water, but the devil is in the details. Technically speaking, the difference is that the molecules in Brown’s gas remain monatomic (consisting of one atom). Water is polyatomic.

The History of Brown’s gas

Brown’s gas was named after Yull Brown, a Bulgarian inventor. While looking for an alternative to fossil fuels in the 1970s, Brown found that ordinary distilled water can be separated from its bound, stable state into its elemental building blocks through the use of electrolysis. This broke the water into two molecules of hydrogen and one of oxygen, with no other byproducts.

What’s unique about this specific process is that both hydrogen and oxygen are two of a handful of diatomic elements: elements that in nature are so reactive in the singular form that they bond to each other to become a much more stable molecule. This is why you frequently see hydrogen or oxygen referred to as H2 or O2, respectively. We rarely find these molecules to exist singularly in nature. The benefit of monatomic forms of these elements is their reactivity. In a monatomic state, the elements require less energy to split the bond and are instantly more reactive.

Now that we have a little basis for understanding the process, let’s look at how Brown’s gas is created with a hydrogen machine.

Creating Brown’s Gas

There are many hydrogen generators out on the market, but while every Brown’s gas generator is a hydrogen generator, not every hydrogen generator is a Brown’s gas generator. What’s the difference? Oxygen!

Before Yull Brown created his generator, the technology existed to create molecular hydrogen. These generators contain a filtration system that provides molecular hydrogen as its lone elemental output. Some hydrogen generators currently on the market will add oxygen in a separate line to create a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in similar proportions, but a true Brown’s gas generator is different. It produces both monatomic hydrogen and oxygen in the same reaction with no other byproducts.

This is an important distinction for use on the body. If you are using it for a “therapeutic” purpose, it is of utmost importance to understand every component of what you are applying to the body. A Brown’s gas generator makes this easy.

As the benefits of hydrogen become more apparent every day thanks to peer-reviewed research, like other breakthroughs, more peer-reviewed research needs to be done to understand the potential benefits and drawbacks. More scientists are looking at Brown’s gas, specifically for the potential of therapeutic uses of hydrogen. This research will undoubtedly shine a light on the specific benefits of Brown’s gas.