Molecular Hydrogen Research - Could Your Health Benefit?
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded together. It is the lightest and most abundant molecule in the universe. In recent years, research has highlighted its potential therapeutic benefits, particularly its selective antioxidant properties. Studies suggest that H₂ can mitigate oxidative stress and modulate inflammation, making it a promising candidate for treating various conditions, including metabolic disorders, organ injuries, and neurodegenerative diseases.
The Molecular Hydrogen Institute (MHI), a science-based non profit organisation, is dedicated to advancing research, education, and awareness of hydrogen as a therapeutic medical gas. Founded by Tyler W. LeBaron, MSc, Ph.D., MHI collaborates with researchers and medical professionals to explore the biological effects and potential mechanisms of H₂ in human health. Their efforts include hosting events like the Virtual Worldwide H₂ Summit, which brings together experts to discuss recent clinical insights and diverse applications of molecular hydrogen therapy.
Although the research is early, the 3000+ scientific studies including over 200 clinical studies suggest that H2 has therapeutic potential in over 200 different human and animal disease models, and in essentially every organ of the human body.
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Below is a summary of validated research from Healr Australia.
CLINICAL TRIAL - Body Composition
Improved body composition from H2 was observed in a 24-week randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study comprising 60 subjects with metabolic syndrome (LeBaron, Singh et al. 2020).
Subjects in the H2 group had reductions in their BMI (28.92 ± 4.8 kg/m2 vs 28.2 ± 4.9 kg/m2), waist-hip circumference, and experienced a ≈1.7 kg decrease in body mass (LeBaron, Singh et al. 2020)
Body Composition Research
CLINICAL TRIAL - Inflammatory Response
In a 24-week DBPC study comprising 60 subjects with metabolic syndrome, HRW decreased TNF-α by 18.75%, IL-6 by 15.8%, and induced a light decrease in CRP (LeBaron, Singh et al. 2020).
HRW for 4-weeks significantly decreased transcriptional profiles of IL-1B, IL-8, IL- 6R and TLR-NF‐κB signalling in the HRW group compared to placebo (Sim, Kim et al. 2020).
Inflammatory Response Research
CLINICAL TRIAL - Gut Health
A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study (n=20) was conducted to evaluate the effects of two-weeks of HRW (0.15 mg/day) ingestion on changes in the gut microbiota composition.
Compared to placebo, HRW induced an increase in Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium adolescentis (Tanaka, Kiuchi et al. 2021).
This was indicated by another clinical study (n=38) that likewise demonstrated that 8 weeks ingestion of HRW restored lower baseline levels of Bacteroides (Sha, Zhang et al. 2018). The study also found that HRW enhanced gut flora abundance and diversity of the gut flora (Sha, Zhang et al. 2018).
Gut Health Research
CLINICAL TRIAL - Skin Health
Interestingly, H2 modulates skin oiliness, increasing it for oil-poor skin types and decreasing it for excessively oily skin types. The study also revealed that H2 supplementation increased skin moisture, particularly benefiting water-deficient skin types.
H2 has also been shown to protect human skin cells from hyperglycemia (Yu, Wang et al. 2011). Molecular hydrogen also appears to promote skin health by promoting collagen synthesis (Li, Kato et al. 2013, Nishiwaki, Ito et al. 2018) and skin blood flow perfusion (Zhao, Wang et al. 2013)
Skin Health Research
CLINICAL TRIAL - Athletic Performance
19 healthy subjects (30 female, 23.4 +/- 9.1 yr; 15 male, 30.5 +/- 6.8 yr) participated in this study. Baseline exercise levels were determined using a graded treadmill test, and each subject underwent two additional sessions in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover manner. Subjects received either H2 or placebo, consumed on the day before and the day of testing.
H2 significantly decreased average exercising RR and HR, specifically during minutes 1-9 of the graded exercise test, without substantial effects on VO2. This suggests that acute supplementation of H2 may enhance sub maximal aerobic exercise performance by reducing exercising HR (LeBaron, Larson et al. 2019).
Athletic Performance Research
CLINICAL TRIAL - Sleep & Fatigue
A single-dose of H2 positively improved the neuropsychological performance in young sleep-deprived adults (Todorovic, Zanini et al. 2021).
Specifically, significantly less time was needed to complete trail-making test after both H2 and H2 plus caffeine compared with the control drink (p < .05).
The number of errors in the symbol digit modalities test was significantly lower after drinking H2 or caffeine than control drink (p < .05) (Todorovic, Zanini et al. 2021).
Another study using the H2 tablets reported that in 24 COVID-19 patients H2 improved several blood biomarkers and alleviated disease-related fatigue (Milovancev, Avakumovic et al. 2022).
Sleep & Fatigue Research
CLINICAL TRIAL - Healthy Ageing
H2 controls aging primarily through anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.
H2 extended mean telomere length by 4% and tended to improve DNA methylation. This was accompanied by improved functioning and improved sleep quality.
Healthy Aging Research
CLINICAL TRIAL - Pulmonary Disease
H2 exerts biological effects on nearly all organs.
It has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects and contributes to the regulation of autophagy and cell death.
Asthma is a chronic complex lung disease associated with airway inflammation, and leads to hyperreactivity, airflow limitation, and airway remodelling.
Hydrogen can attenuate inflammation and oxidative stress in asthma.
Pulmonary Disease Research
For the science minded:
The primary mechanism of action of molecular hydrogen (H₂) that provides health benefits is its selective antioxidant activity. H₂ can neutralize highly reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which are among the most damaging free radicals in the body. Unlike other antioxidants, H₂ does not react with beneficial ROS, such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), which are essential for normal cellular signaling and function. By targeting only the harmful ROS, H₂ helps to reduce oxidative stress without disrupting normal physiological processes.
Additionally, molecular hydrogen has been shown to modulate gene expression and signal transduction pathways, particularly those related to inflammation and cell survival. For instance, it influences the Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) pathway, which upregulates the expression of endogenous antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. It also suppresses the NF-κB (nuclear factor-kappa B) pathway, which reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These combined actions contribute to H₂’s therapeutic effects in a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and organ injuries.
Additional Information can be found at The Molecular Hydrogen Institute:
https://molecularhydrogeninstitute.org/
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