We all know antioxidants are important for us, they are our friends, helping us fight free radicals, and keeping us from aging too quickly. Without antioxidants, free radicals can run rampant throughout the body causing damage as they go. We eat more blueberries, drink green tea, and justify our glass of wine each night with the idea that these antioxidant-rich foods are what make these healthy choices…
In your efforts to do good for your health, you’re probably looking for ways to incorporate more antioxidants into your diet. But while it seems they’re taking over the health food section of every grocery store, I’m here to tell you there’s one antioxidant you may have not considered: no, not vitamin C, and not resveratrol…
What if you could drastically boost your body’s intake of antioxidants through the water you drink? Then you would be scoring two wins with one delicious, hydrating move. What if an antioxidant wasn’t just able to fight off free radicals, but could actually repair DNA damage? This is exactly what a little-known but much-researched molecule called hydrogen gas can do.
Molecular hydrogen is a gas that’s produced when you put water through electrolysis (also known as ionisation). This rare antioxidant has the ability to cross cell membranes and the blood-brain barrier. This gives it the unique ability to access DNA and mitochondria within the cell where it has protective action. Drinking it is said to have many health benefits including improved athletic performance and brain function, reduced inflammation, and improved sleep quality.
You may never have heard of it, but this might surprise you: there is not one single antioxidant in our supplement shops that can match molecular hydrogen in terms of healing potential. Molecular hydrogen has only been studied for a handful of years, but the studies keep rolling in with positive results.
Hold up, how do antioxidants and free radicals actually work?
Before we dive any deeper, in case this is the first time you’re hearing of antioxidants or free radicals, here’s how it works. Free radicals are produced in the human body as a natural process, but are also generated through things like alcohol, radiation, air pollutants, chemicals, industrial pollutants, cigarette smoke, x-rays, processed and fried foods, pesticides on our food, chronic stress, and medications. Free radical build-up leads to oxidative stress, which is the root cause of aging and disease. Antioxidants are an “off switch” for free radicals, they neutralise them by donating an electron. In making this sacrifice, antioxidants help break a chain reaction that can affect other molecules in the cell and other cells in the body. This is why antioxidants are so important!
Doctor Gabriel Cousens said, “Water ionisation could be one of the most important health breakthroughs in our era”. Fortunately, by reading this, you’re ahead of the game.
To help you understand just how this miracle molecule can improve your life, here are 15 science-backed benefits of molecular hydrogen and how you can get yourself a water ioniser to drink it daily.
1. Hydrogen acts as an antioxidant
Hydrogen gas acts as powerful antioxidant and has been shown to protect cells from even the most cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. H2 gas has been shown to suppress brain injuries through these effects.
2. Hydrogen supports your body’s antioxidant system
H2 supports your body’s natural antioxidant system by signaling pathways associated with the prevention of disease.
3. Hydrogen is anti-inflammatory
In animal studies, hydrogen gas has been shown to be extremely anti-inflammatory. While we could use more studies on humans to back these initial findings, research on patients with rheumatoid arthritis are extremely promising.
4. Hydrogen may help reduce pain
As mentioned above, the effects of hydrogen on patients with rheumatoid arthritis have shown a significant decrease in pain. This pain relief is due to the reduction in oxidative stress caused by the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of hydrogen gas.
5. Hydrogen protects against DNA damage from radiation
Hydrogen gas has been shown to significantly protect DNA against radiation damage. It does so by scavenging hydroxyl radical formation.
6. Hydrogen improves gastrointestinal symptoms
Ingestion of alkaline electrolysed water containing hydrogen has been found to be effective in relieving gastrointestinal symptoms. In this study, drinking this water contributed to intestinal normalisation. In addition, a high proportion of the respondents said that they felt they were able to sleep soundly, and the proportion of subjects who answered that they felt good when awakening increased. The effect of reducing oxidative stress, thus allowing for improved sleep, was exhibited by drinking AEW containing hydrogen, which is considered to be an antioxidant substance.
7. Hydrogen protects your muscles
In an animal study, hydrogen water prevented muscle wasting in mice that had muscular dystrophy. Hydrogen also boosted the natural production of glutathione which is often called our master antioxidant. The effects of hydrogen on athletes and exercise is a promising area worth keeping your eye on.
8. Hydrogen can speed up sport-related recovery
Hydrogen water has been shown to reduce mascle fatigue in elite athletes after intense exercise. This is because it reduced lactic acid buildup, which improved muscle function.
9. Hydrogen can help balance the pH of the blood
Hydrogen water has also been shown to have an alkalising effect in the blood. This is especially beneficial to people who are extremely physically active because extreme exercise can cause metabolic acidosis.
10. Hydrogen can calm allergic reactions
With allergies on the rise, this is an interesting observation. Studies have found that in animals, hydrogen can sometimes calm allergic reactions. The way hydrogen appears to calm allergic reactions is by modulating cell processes and restoring homeostasis. It seems that hydrogen restores healthy processes throughout the body, which makes it a good idea for just about everyone to consider drinking.
11. Hydrogen affects cell modulation
Hydrogen appears to have effects in the cells that help them maintain homeostasis and healthy modulation. Through healthy gene expression and cellular metabolism, hydrogen positively affects cellular processes on many different levels.
12. Hydrogen is neuroprotective
Hydrogen has been shown to reduce damage to the brain in Parkinson’s patients. It’s also shown to have generally neuroprotective properties due to its ability to fight oxidative stress.
13. Hydrogen is protective against metabolic conditions
Studies have found that hydrogen increases insulin sensitivity, decreases blood sugar, and blood cholesterol levels. These effects make hydrogen a potential therapy for fighting obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
14. Hydrogen boosts your mitochondria
Your mitochondria are the powerhouse of your cells, which makes them directly responsible for your energy levels day to day. Clinical studies on hydrogen-rich water have found that it improves mitochondrial function.
15. Hydrogen protects organs
Hydrogen has been observed to be protective against damage to numerous organs including the brain, pancreas, heart, liver, eyes, and lungs. This is believed to be because of hydrogen’s anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and oxidative stress-fighting effects.