The anti-inflammatory effect is one of the properties of hydrogen that is extensively researched. This quality opens the door to immeasurable potential in curing disease, as almost all disease processes involve some form of inflammation in their pathogenesis. Before we go into how hydrogen reduces this inflammation, let's look at what this inflammation is and how it affects us.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation, simply put, is the body's response to an injury. These injuries can be of different natures. It can be a bruise, a cut, a foreign body, pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and fungi, or from chemicals or radiation. The area will be red, swollen, hot and painful, associated with a restriction or loss of function of that part of the body. These features indicate that there is acute inflammation. This is the body's normal immune response to contain infection and heal injury. Inflammation produces substances such as cytokines and cells such as leukocytes, macrophages that can actually speed up the healing process. But in some cases, this acute inflammatory process can also be harmful. The swollen tissue can affect other vital structures, impairing their function and causing disease.
The normal inflammatory process can become pathological in chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation releases many harmful substances that can damage organs throughout the body over long periods of time. Diseases with chronic inflammation include rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic hepatitis, etc.
How does hydrogen reduce inflammation?
Hydrogen has been shown to reduce inflammation in animal models and in humans. This effect is related to the fact that it reduces oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which play an important role in inflammation, where inflammation promotes the formation of free radicals and the free radicals formed promote inflammation. The effect on hydroxyl free radicals is thought to be the main mechanism of how hydrogen exerts its anti-inflammatory effect. It may also act by suppressing the formation of tumour necrosis factor α (TNF α) from macrophages, as this is one of the mediators of the inflammatory process. At the same time, there is an upregulation of interleukin-10 and a general regulation of cytokine expression towards anti-inflammatory profiles. As the exact mechanism is not fully understood, it may also have other effects.
Effects of anti-inflammation on organs
The anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to help with many disease processes in various organs and body systems.
In the gastrointestinal system, hydrogen-enriched water was able to reduce inflammation and the development of fibrosis of the liver in parasite-induced liver infection in animal models. Hydrogen water was also able to protect the liver from ischaemia-reperfusion injury. This is thought to be due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Further animal studies have shown the following results:
Liver failure may occur after major surgical procedures on the liver, such as hepatectomy. Hydrogen-rich saline administered intraperitoneally may reduce the occurrence of this complication by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines. Some of these cytokines are TNF α, interleukin 6 (IL 6) and HMBG 1.
Hydrogen inhalation has been shown to reduce inflammation and graft rejection in intestinal transplants
Hydrogen-rich saline given as an infusion has been shown to be protective for the heart in the event of a myocardial infarction or heart attack. Increased levels of superoxide dismutase and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity, decreased Ca(2+)-ATPase activity and decreased interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α levels in serum have been found. This has led to a reduction in infarct size, improved left heart function and a reduction in pathological changes in the left heart.
Drinking hydrogen-rich water also prevented the development of atherosclerosis in a special mouse model after 6 months. Atherosclerosis is the process that narrows blood vessels by the formation of cholesterol-rich plaques in the blood vessel walls.
Hydrogen-rich water is also effective against diabetic retinopathy by affecting the inflammatory process.
Molecular hydrogen is also effective in neuroprotection against acute neurodegeneration. It has been found to increase the expression of anti-inflammatory genes.
Ventilator-induced lung injury can occur in patients receiving mechanical ventilation due to oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. It is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in ICU patients. In a mouse model, hydrogen inhalation has been shown to improve the gas exchange process and reduce ventilator-induced lung injury.
Hydrogen is also important for the well-being of bones. The cytokine called TNF α plays one of the most important roles in chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Treatment with hydrogen gas can reduce the inflammatory effects of TNF α on osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are the cells in bones that are involved in the formation of new bone. In the above diseases, the function of osteoblasts is impaired. Hydrogen therapy can reduce oxidative stress, which also plays a role in the pathogenesis of these chronic diseases.
There is a small Japanese clinical trial of 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that showed that drinking 530 ml of hydrogen-enriched water daily for a total of 8 weeks resulted in a reduction in biomarkers of RA damage (such as C-reactive protein and others). 5 of these 20 patients had early manifestations of RA. 4 of these 5 patients showed complete remission of the disease, becoming symptom-free with no further evidence of an increase in biomarkers of disease.
Pulmonary hypertension is elevated blood pressure in the lungs. It is different from systemic hypertension. This pressure irreversibly damages the blood vessels in the lungs. As the right ventricle of the heart has to pump against the increased pressure, it hypertrophies. These changes are usually considered irreversible and there are few medications for symptomatic treatment of this condition. Oral or injected hydrogen-rich saline has been shown to prevent the development of hypertension and hypertrophy of the right ventricle in a rat model. This is thought to be due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of hydrogen.
Apart from these applications, the anti-inflammatory effects of hydrogen have been used in skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. A small Asian clinical trial has shown: Administration of H2-enriched saline (1 ppm) by intravenous infusion in patients with psoriasis, drinking H2-enriched water (5 ppm) or inhalation of 3% H2 gas for a period of 4 weeks significantly improved all symptoms of psoriasis (psoriasis area severity index) and biomarkers DAS28 as well as interleukin-6. The psoriatic lesions almost disappeared in all patients treated with hydrogen.
How can we benefit from hydrogen?
Inflammation is involved in many disease processes and is mediated by substances such as cytokines. This cytokine production can be reduced by the anti-inflammatory effect of hydrogen. It is useful to take hydrogen as a therapeutic method. It is also useful as a preventive method to maintain general well-being.
Hydrogen is effectively administered via a nebuliser, for example, as it enters the lungs directly and can then be diffused into the circulation. It is advisable to use your own electrolyser to produce hydrogen at home in safe concentrations whenever you need it.
Drinking water enriched with hydrogen can also be an effective method. Scientists are still researching ways to introduce hydrogen as a standard treatment option for patients. The benefits of hydrogen have only recently been discovered and research is still ongoing.
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