New Possibilities in the Prevention and Treatment of Diseases with Molecular Hydrogen

A dyshomeostasis between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body's antioxidant system can cause oxidative stress, which is considered a common denominator of various pathological conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, aging, and cognitive decline. The production of free radicals, which occurs through the partial reduction of oxygen, can quickly overwhelm the cell's endogenous antioxidant system. This causes damage to lipids, proteins, DNA, and RNA, and overall cellular degeneration, which can be mitigated by various antioxidants. However, their use in human medicine has not met the expected effect. Molecular hydrogen (H2) offers numerous advantages for alleviating oxidative stress due to its unique physical and chemical properties. H2 is superior to conventional antioxidants because it can selectively reduce ●OH radicals while preserving important ROS that are otherwise used for normal cellular signaling.