Free Radicals, also known as electrically modified species, are atoms, molecules or ions that have an unpaired valence electron. Because electrons like to “travel” in pairs or need a companion, having one electron by itself on a chemical species will make this chemical entity very reactive and it will readily “steal” an electron from its surrounding environment, which often occurs within the body and becomes a burden.
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are biological products of oxygenating metabolism that exert both positive and negative effects on the body and particularly in the mitochondria. ROS include bad free radicals like the hydroxyl radical and good ones like nitric oxide, as well as other oxidants, etc. The primary source of ROS formation occurs via the membrane-bound NADPH oxidase enzyme complex and the electron transport chain of the mitochondria during aerobic metabolism. When ROS production increases, they start showing harmful effects on important cellular structures like proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids
Over Promotion of Oxygen therapy benefits other than to specific disease models such as cancers that thrive in an anaerobic environment, are misleading profit motives to overpromote its therapy to everyone regardless of need. They would better serve the community by offering Hydrogen therapy to harmoniously balance Oxygen. We do acknowledge therapeutic success in (Oxygen or Hyperbaric therapy) to treat clinical conditions such as cancer, but limit it’s potential scope when treating symptomology from the deficiency of Hydrogen to control ROS (Oxidative Stress).
Oxidative Stress is a phenomenon caused by an imbalance between production and accumulation of oxygen reactive species (ROS) in cells and tissues and the ability of a biological system to detoxify these reactive products. ROS can and does play several physiological roles (i.e., cell signaling), and they are normally generated as by-products of oxygen metabolism; despite this, environmental stressors (i.e., UV, ionizing radiations, pollutants, and heavy metals) and xenobiotics (i.e., antiblastic drugs) contribute to greatly increase ROS production, therefore causing the imbalance that leads to cell and tissue damage (oxidative stress).
Numerous articles discuss the negative consequences of ROS and their implications on virtually every disease: Immune disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation, and other fatal diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease as well as aging (perhaps due to telomere shortening). Plainly stated the condition is known as Oxidative Stress in the body due to hydrogen imbalance.
A more recent understanding of ROS demonstrates that although they may have negative side effects at high levels, they are also important biological signaling molecules that exert therapeutic and protective effects against diseases, and play a pivotal role in mediating the benefits of exercise.
Because high levels of ROS are strongly implicated in the progression and pathogenesis of disease, our bodies have the ability to scavenge these ROS after they exert their beneficial signaling effects. For example, the mitochondrial-produced superoxide is dismutated to hydrogen peroxide by superoxide dismutase, which is subsequently reduced to water via the glutathione peroxidase/reductases/NADPH system. The body also uses catalase, glutathione, vitamins A, C, E, etc. to help protect against ROS-induced damage.
There are two opposing forces in biological systems: oxidative stress and reductive stress. Reductive stress is achieved when the concentrations of reducing agents exceeds that of oxidizing agents. This is seen under the metabolism of ethanol (i.e. high ratios of NADH/NAD+ & NADPH/NADP+). Reductive stress may also partly explain why high doses of conventional antioxidants may increase cardiovascular disease, cancer and absolute mortality. Aging has recently been linked to a loss of oxidizing potential of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which impairs protein folding; whereas, the cytosol becomes more oxidizing. Thus, it is possible to have reductive stress in one system, and oxidative stress in another.
Oxidative stress is defined as when the formation and concentration of ROS exceeds the clearance and scavenging activity of the body’s endogenous antioxidant self-defense system. Oxidative stress is correlated with aging and the standard American diet and lifestyle. Interestingly, exercise drastically increases the levels of ROS and consequent oxidative stress. Therefore, one may conclude that exercise has negative side effects to health; however, it is well known that exercise exerts potent therapeutic and protective effects. Research has demonstrated that one of the reasons why regular exercise exerts these therapeutic effects is because it upregulates the body’s endogenous antioxidant activity, which reduces the absolute risk of cellular injury by oxidative stress.
Besides the major misconception that all Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are bad and the more antioxidants the better, there is another one that is more of a chemistry technicality than a physiological one.
There are numerous books, marketing literature, explanations, websites, YouTube videos, etc., where the free radicals are labeled as being positively charged and antioxidants negatively charged. This has even gone so far as to erroneously claim that low pH (acidic) water or foods are oxidizing and that high pH (alkaline) water or foods are an antioxidant.
Let’s first discuss the fallacy that all free radicals are positive. Although, there are some organic molecular cations (positive charged) and reactive nitrogen species that have radical character, positively charged free radicals in biological systems are not common. The fact is that most biological free radicals are negative or neutral.
The second common misconception, like the first, is the claim that all antioxidants are negatively charged. Yes there are a few, but most of them are neutral. (If you thought about hydroxide (OH–) then read this) Generally, antioxidants have conjugated pi systems, which allow electron delocalization and different resonance structures. This allows the antioxidant to donate an electron to a radical without becoming overly reactive itself. Not all antioxidants will automatically donate an electron. Several antioxidants have been exploited in recent years for their actual or supposed beneficial effect against oxidative stress, such as vitamin E, flavonoids, and polyphenols. Today we know Hydrogen is a reluctant Antioxidant that really doesn’t want to donate an electron, which is why we use C60 to force it to become a super antioxidant it normally is not. Using C60 with Hydrogen supports reducing ROS in the mitochondria where most antioxidants are too weak to be effective.
The other misconception is acidic foods or water is oxidizing and alkaline foods or water is anti-oxidizing. This begs the question, what about ascorbic acid, which is the epitome of both an acid and an antioxidant. In fact, most fruits, which are high in antioxidants, are quite acidic (pH 1-5).
This is why proponents of Alkalinity sound like believers in the Flat Earth theory. The fact is that pH and free radicals are really different chemical reactions. One is acid/base chemistry, and the other is oxidation/reduction chemistry. If something is acidic, it means it has a greater H+ ion concentration. Remember free radicals are chemical species with an unpaired electron; notice that the H+ ion doesn’t even have an electron? By this reason alone, it is clear that this entire notion is flawed.
A single hydrogen atom (H•) is neutral and has an unpaired electron (represented by the small dot “•”). It is, thus, a reactive free radical, which is why atomic hydrogen is rare — it mostly pairs with another atom to make diatomic molecular hydrogen.
When atomic hydrogen is produced via electrolysis — the process of using electricity to decompose water (H2O) into hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) — it readily reacts with another single-electron hydrogen atom to form stable diatomic molecular hydrogen (H• + H• → H2).
In the 1990s it was suggested that atomic hydrogen was responsible for the therapeutic effects of ERW (alkaline-electrolysis reduced water). Moreover, the stable presence of dissolved diatomic hydrogen in water has since been shown to be beneficial in oxidative-reduction processes.
Although atomic hydrogen was the first element to exist and is the first element on the Periodic Table, its transformative potential can be considered the “father” of all elements.
Diatomic molecular hydrogen gas (H₂) is the most common natural form of hydrogen. In this form, two hydrogen atoms (H) are covalently bonded together as H–H, which is why it is called diatomic hydrogen (“di” meaning two). Because these atoms are joined by a covalent bond, H₂ is also referred to as molecular hydrogen or dihydrogen.
A single hydrogen molecule contains two protons and two electrons, making it a stable, neutrally charged molecule. It can donate an electron without becoming unstable or overly reactive. H₂ is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-metallic, highly flammable gas that becomes explosive at concentrations above 4.6% by volume when contained.
This molecular form is the one associated with the therapeutic properties often discussed in “hydrogen-rich water.” Importantly, H₂ is the smallest molecule in the universe, and its extremely small size, combined with high lipid solubility, allows it to diffuse rapidly into subcellular compartments, including the mitochondria and other cellular structures.
In summary, it is seen that free radicals are merely chemical species with an unpaired electron. They are not always positive, and most are actually negative or neutral. Antioxidants are not always negative, but generally neutral and possess the ability to donate an electron without becoming reactive themselves. Furthermore, there is a stark difference between acid/base chemistry and redox chemistry, and the two should not be confused. It is important to note that the old axiom of a high negative ORP (oxidative-reduction potential) reading was beneficial in reducing Oxidative stress, has now been proven NOT to be an indicator of high hydrogen concentrations. Thus a high negative ORP without molecular hydrogen produces no ORP benefits alone.
When exercise-induced ROS formation enhances insulin sensitivity via ROS-dependent transcriptional coactivators PGC1-a, PGC1-b and the transcription factor PPAR, which are linked to diabetes. The pathway is blocked by ingestion of high amounts of conventional antioxidants vitamin C and E. This gives rise to the benefits of Hydrogen supplementation balance instead of anti-oxidants to control ROS negative impacts from oxygenated metabolism. The beneficial ROS-related induction of PPARa, PGC1a, and PGC1b lead to an increased expression of the ROS-detoxifying enzymes, including SOD1, SOD2, and GPx1 thus offering an increased protection against various diseases that arise from oxidative stress from over oxygenation.
It is unclear the frequency, duration or intensity of exercise needed to up-regulate the expression of these endogenous antioxidant enzymes to such a degree that will offer protective effects against oxidative insult. The literature, however, does shed some light into the effects of a single session of exercise versus regular exercise.
A single session of exercise increases the levels of ROS and reactive nitrogen species. This increase leads to acute oxidative damage and a lower resistance to oxidative stress. Physiological function also decreases; however, the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes increases, with a possible increase in oxidative repair mechanisms.
In contrast, regular exercise is associated with an absolute decrease in ROS and reactive nitrogen species, as well as lower oxidative damage. Moreover, physiological function, resistance to oxidative stress, oxidative repair mechanisms and activity of endogenous antioxidants all increase with regular exercise. Hydrogen supplementation after exercise whether a low dose of hydrogen water or a Rejuvenation tablet can insure the protection from potential negative ROS impacts.
In order to experience the positive therapeutic effects of exercise-induced upregulation of the endogenous antioxidant self-defense system, regular exercise is needed with Hydrogen supplementation for recuperation and protection, especially in adults over 40 years of age.
