What Is Molecular Hydrogen and How Does It Work?

Hydrogen is the molecule of life.  It’s what started the Universe and the evolution of life as we know it. It’s in everything and now biomedical research is showing us after all this time, how essential it is to our health. Molecular hydrogen is simply two atoms of hydrogen that are bound together to form hydrogen gas (H2).

Molecular hydrogen benefits

It all started in 2007 when there was an article published in a reputable journal called Nature Medicine that stated hydrogen could help prevent brain damage or cell death (apoptosis) during a stroke.

After this point, Japan led the way with research and for the past 10 years hydrogen has gained enormous popularity in Japan, which is illustrated by a recent report stating that 50% of the Japanese population have used, or are currently using hydrogen therapy in some capacity. The Japanese government has approved hydrogen as an advanced medicine to treat post-cardiac arrest patients as there are no known contraindications or toxicity levels, and it doesn’t negate the benefits of other therapies. The preliminary studies are showing that it may be more effective than some conventional treatments.

How does molecular hydrogen work in the body?

It's a bit science-y to get your head around. Hydrogen gas activates the Nrf2 pathway and leads into higher expressions of the important antioxidants glutathione, superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide and catalase. These beneficial antioxidants can sometimes get too high and cause damage. Hydrogen helps reduce those levels back into homeostasis (stability) via its cell signal modulator effects. The important thing about this is it only does it if it’s necessary.

For example, if you were to take a normal healthy cell that has a certain level of glutathione and you administer molecular hydrogen to that cell, you would see that the level of glutathione doesn’t change.  It doesn’t increase or decrease, because it’s already at normal homeostasis.  However, as soon as you add some sort of toxin or an assault to that cell, then the glutathione levels may decrease substantially and the administration of hydrogen will then bring it back to the level of homeostasis. We call this cell balancing.

Cellular health: a key to healthy ageing

Molecular hydrogen is arguably the most promising preventative ageing supplement on the market. Clinical studies have reported hydrogen to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, anti-obesity and anti-ageing effects. It also has a marked therapeutic effect across many illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown hydrogen can effectively slow down the "inflamm-ageing" process and prevent ageing-related diseases. 

Scientifically backed

Hydrogen is gaining significant attention from academic researchers, medical doctors and physicians around the world for its recently reported therapeutic potential. With approximately 2,000 publications speaking to its benefits across 170 disease models and every organ of the human body, hydrogen has been shown to indirectly mitigate the damages caused by oxidative stress, inflammation and increased insulin resistance.

How much molecular hydrogen do you need to take?

Current human studies show that in order to be positively affected by molecular hydrogen, you need (at a minimum level) approximately 0.5 milligrams a day. This equates to around 1 part per million (ppm).  Taking more, specifically for different diseases or ailments, is much better because a higher concentration is not ever less effective than a lower concentration. SuperCells hydrogen tablets when added to water produce approximately 14ppm-16ppm per serve, which is a very high therapeutic dose (x14) and is the highest concentration available in the world in tablet form.

Why supplement when water already has hydrogen in it?

In a water molecule (H2O), the hydrogen atoms are bound to the oxygen and that’s what forms the water molecule. We know that water already has oxygen in it, so why can’t you breathe water to get oxygen? Obviously you can’t because it’s not oxygen gas, it’s oxygen tied up in the water molecule H2O. Adding hydrogen gas to water doesn’t combine with the water molecule, the gas is simply dissolved into the water and stays as a gas, being H2. When you put a surplus of hydrogen gas into water, eventually the gas will dissipate from the water, just like carbonated water has CO2 gas and it escapes until the water goes flat.  This is why we recommend drinking the hydrogen-rich water when the water is still cloudy.  

Isn’t hydrogen explosive, like the hydrogen bomb?

Yes it is above 4.6% concentration by volume in the air, however when we use it for therapeutic purposes the concentration is much lower, around 1.3%-1.6% so it’s not explosive, but it’s actually therapeutic. Once it’s in water it’s even safer. We’re always exposed to hydrogen gas in our cells, in our breath and in our blood, so the administration of small amounts of hydrogen gas is very safe. Studies have shown molecular hydrogen to be very safe to consume, with no upper limit to consumption.

When will you feel molecular hydrogen benefits?

Many people feel the effects immediately or over a few days, however some people may not see a dramatic change in how they feel at all. If you’re suffering from some type of disease or ailment, then hydrogen will help to bring things back into balance and you will definitely feel the effects of that. Whether it be high levels of free radicals and antioxidants, or increased levels of inflammation, those that are more susceptible to these will benefit greatly from hydrogen supplementation. Most of us are out of balance in some way, so generally speaking, hydrogen will have a diverse range of positive benefits on most people. As a general rule, the lower your health baseline, the more 'wow factor' you get from supplementing with hydrogen because you can feel the changes and rebalancing happen as they occur inside your body.

Are molecular hydrogen tablets made of hydrogen?

SuperCells tablets themselves don’t contain hydrogen because it's a gas and the tablets are solid. Our effervescent tablet has a base of elemental magnesium and it reacts with water to un-bond the hydrogen and produce the gas, which stays in the water until you drink it.  This process takes about a minute, compared to other tablets that can take up to 30 minutes. The water isn't fizzy, like CO2 gas would make it, however the hydrogen that's created in the water will dissipate over time. We recommend consuming the hydrogen-rich water as soon as the tablet dissolves, so you're maximising the concentration of available hydrogen.

Are you ready to give your body the gift of hydrogen?

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