Fountain Of Youth: The Anti-Aging Potential of Hydrogen-Enriched Water

The search for a “Fountain Of Youth” – a source of extremely long if not eternal life, and perpetual wellness of body and mind – is an activity that has been going on for millennia. The 5th-century BCE Greek historian Herodotus is one of the better known of those with a passionate curiosity for / obsession with a Fountain Of Youth. But there have been a plethora of other public figures who, from the days of antiquity right into our contemporary era, have undertaken such a quest: not to mention the more ordinary folk whose travels for the most part go uncharted.

Perpetual Youth & Wellness: Truth or Fantasy?

Is there any truth to such a quest – or is it just a seductive fantasy? Most of us would concede that a physical body – however well cared for -- does not last forever. That said, might it not be possible for some substance to greatly enhance our longevity, and significantly improve our quality of life along the way? Molecular hydrogen is emerging as just such a substance.

The Miracle Of Healing Waters

As it turns out, what the so-called “miraculous” healing-water mineral-springs (e.g. Lourdes spring water in France, Tlacote water in Mexico, Nordenau water in Germany and Nadana water in India) have in common is a high concentration of dissolved hydrogen gas (H2). People who soak in the springs, or drink the water, or inhale the air around the springs are ingesting larger-than-usual concentrations of molecular hydrogen: a substance whose profound healing powers are increasingly being acknowledged by the western scientific community.

And this makes hydrogen-infused water a very good candidate for being granted the honorary name: Fountain Of Youth.

Hydrogen’s Therapeutic Potential

There are now more than 500 peer-reviewed scientific articles that have been published, which present convincing evidence of molecular hydrogen’s therapeutic potential. Hydrogen gas has been shown to have therapeutic effects on more than 150 disease processes, including: cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular diseases, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, diabetes, osteoporosis, chronic inflammation, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, certain forms of cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, influenza and pneumonia, nephritis, skin conditions and many more.

How is it that this tiny molecule – the smallest molecule known to humankind – can exert such a powerfully healing influence on the human body? According to Tyler Lebaron, founder and director of the Molecular Hydrogen Foundation, there are three main properties that explain hydrogen’s therapeutic effects:

1.Molecular hydrogen can easily diffuse into the subcellular compartments and scavenge cytotoxic oxygen radicals, thus protecting the DNA, RNA and proteins from oxidative stress.

2. Molecular hydrogen also triggers the activation or upregulation of additional antioxidant enzymes (e.g. glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, etc.) and/or cytoprotective proteins of the body.

3. Molecular hydrogen may be a novel-signaling molecule that can alter cell signaling, cell metabolism and gene expression. This gives the anti-inflammatory effects, anti-allergic effects, and anti-apoptotic (or anti-cell death) effects.

The Bottom Line

The language in the passage quoted above is a bit technical, but basically what Mr. Lebaron is pointing out is that (1) the super-small size allows molecular hydrogen to penetrate more deeply into our human cells than any other antioxidant; (2) molecular hydrogen not only neutralizes dangerous free radicals, but also stimulates our body's own internal production of antioxidants; and (3) molecular hydrogen is intelligently selective in its elimination of free radicals: removing those that are damaging, while leaving unharmed and even amplifying the power of beneficial signaling molecules.

What's equally exciting is that molecular hydrogen has no known side-effects. And there's no known upper limit to how much can be safely ingested. When the cells and organs have used all that they need, the extra H2 simply diffuses out of the body.

The bottom line is that molecular hydrogen is a profoundly beneficial substance for the human body. Whether we ingest it by drinking hydrogen-enriched water, by breathing the gas directly, or by soaking in a hot mineral spring, it will very likely have effects upon our body that will inspire us to believe – based upon our own direct experience – that we have indeed found something akin to a Fountain Of Youth.

To your health & happiness!