How molecular hydrogen works

There are two basic definitions of an antioxidant:

1. a molecule that donates an electron to a radical reaction,
2. a molecule that improves the redox state of the cell. Redox branches for oxidation reduction. In your cells, you need both oxidation and a reduction of oxidation for everything to function properly.

When that balance is upset by too much oxidation, you get oxidative stress. If you don't have enough oxidation, you will develop other serious problems. In many cases, the damage is not caused by an excess of free radicals, but rather by a deregulation of the redox state.

"We need free radicals," says LeBaron , "and studies have shown that you can actually suffer from too much oxidative stress and too much reductive stress." (or not having sufficient oxidative potential) not only in the same body or same organ, but in the same cell.

With too much oxidative stress in the cytosol there is not enough oxidative power in the endoplasmic reticulum. “Hydrogen helps return everything to homeostasis.”

So while hydrogen has antioxidant effects, it primarily works by improving the redox state of the cell when necessary. As a result, you experience improvements in superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels, for example.

Hydrogen not only selectively reduces the most toxic radicals, but it can also help prevent excess (which becomes toxic) free radicals from being produced in the first place. This is a very powerful prevention mechanism.

Another way is to activate the Nrf2 pathway when necessary. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that, when activated, enters the cell nucleus and binds to the antioxidant response element in DNA.

It then induces the transcription of other cytoprotective enzymes such as glutathione superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, phase II enzymes, heme oxygenase 1 and many others.

"A study [which analyzes] metabolic syndrome found that participants who drank hydrogen-enriched water had a 39% increase in extracellular superoxide dismutase.

So yes, hydrogen has this antioxidant effect as it can help regulate the Nrf2 pathway. and return cytoprotective enzymes and proteins to the levels they are supposed to be; back to the realm of homeostasis.