Particular and selective antioxidant effects of molecular hydrogen

Molecular hydrogen compensates for oxidative stress, which is one of the most fundamental mechanisms that harm human health. That is why molecular hydrogen is so incredible; because it has such unique antioxidant effects that specifically address the most damaging free radicals.

Now, while you might think that hydrogen gas dissociates or neutralizes hydroxyl free radicals (which cause the most oxidative damage), it doesn't seem to work that way.

There are more than 1000 peer-reviewed scientific publications on molecular hydrogen, which have together shown that H2 has therapeutic potential on more than 170 models of different human and animal diseases.

In fact, hydrogen has been shown to benefit virtually every organ in the human body. The reason is because hydrogen addresses and mitigates the underlying cause of many diseases, namely inflammation and oxidation. But how do you do it? LeBaron explains:

“To understand how hydrogen works, we need to understand how free radicals work and why they are produced. First, the body produces the hydroxyl radical, which is neutral OH with a single even electron, through the Fenton reaction.

When free radicals reach too high levels, such as superoxide, peroxynitrites [or] ionizing radiation, they can be converted into hydroxyl radicals… [Hydroxyl radicals] are harmful because they are very reactive…

In the case of other free radicals [such as] nitric oxide, a very important free radical that causes vasodilation, we do not seek to neutralize it. We have superoxide radicals [and] other oxidants like hydrogen peroxide—both of which are very important.

Of course, too much is bad, but having them in the right concentrations and in the right places is very beneficial. We don't just want to neutralize them all, considering we don't want any hydroxyl radicals or peroxynitrite oxidants.

That Nature Medicine publication specifically demonstrated that hydrogen could act as a therapeutic antioxidant by selectively reducing cytotoxic oxygen radicals, especially the hydroxyl radical and, to a lesser extent, peroxynitrite, without decreasing other oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide or superoxide…

“Most other antioxidants are not selective… [and] that can be a problem… Hydrogen is selective in the sense that it will only decrease or reduce toxic radicals like the hydroxyl radical.”