What Are the Benefits of Molecular Hydrogen Supplementation?

Discover the Power of a Health Tool You May Have Never Encountered

In this blog post, I will explore the following:

• What is molecular hydrogen?
• Where does the hydrogen come from in the human body?
• What is the role of hydrogen gas in the body?
• How does hydrogen gas help the body?
• What is the easiest way to produce hydrogen gas?
• Eight useful facts about hydrogen-rich water tablets.
• My personal experience with hydrogen-rich water.

My main sources include an interview with Alex Tarnava on the Energy Blueprint podcast with Ari Whitten. Alex is the patent holder for the most popular molecular hydrogen supplement. Also of interest is an interview with Dr. Tyler LeBaron on the Quantum Conversations podcast. Dr. LeBaron leads the newly developed Molecular Hydrogen Institute, an organization designed to further science and educate practitioners. I recently completed the Level 1 training course with the Molecular Hydrogen Institute. I have listened to other podcasts and read about 20 papers documenting the effects of hydrogen-enriched water to fact-check what I heard.

What Is Molecular Hydrogen?

Before I explain why it is so important, I’d like to share a quick word on the nomenclature (naming) of the most common forms of hydrogen so we are all on the same page.

Atomic hydrogen (H) is the smallest element in existence. It is at the upper left corner of the periodic table and is comprised of one proton and one electron. Hydrogen is the most common element in living organisms. If you are like me, you might tend to ignore it for the flashier, larger elements like magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and so on. Hydrogens have always seemed to me to be “along for the ride,” and I never paid much attention to them. In its atomic, natural state, hydrogen is neutral in charge, but because it has only one electron and electrons love to travel in pairs, it is reactive and looks for other molecules to bind with.

If a hydrogen molecule meets another H molecule, it may join up to form H2—hydrogen gas, also called molecular hydrogen. H2 is the topic of this blog. Hydrogen gas (H2) is a colorless, tasteless, odorless, neutrally charged gas. Hydrogen gas is entirely different from the positively charged hydrogen ions that are part of molecules in our bodies (more on them in a moment). H2 gas has played a critical role in the evolution of all creatures.

Hydrogen gas was the first gas to form in the universe. As a result, the earliest single-celled creatures had an intimate relationship with hydrogen, just like they have now with oxygen—they couldn’t live without it. Our mitochondria were formed when simple cells (prokaryotes), able to utilize hydrogen to make energy, were swallowed by and became part of more complex cells (eukaryotes). Mitochondria have been evolutionarily conserved, meaning they haven’t changed much over the millennia and work pretty much the same way in all animal species. But that was then, and this is now. Now, the Earth’s atmosphere contains only 0.00005% hydrogen.

 Where Does the Hydrogen Come from in the Human Body?

So, if hydrogen is so critical to life and energy production, and there is barely any in the Earth’s atmosphere, how do we get it? There are two main sources: food and the bacteria growing in our bowels. A third possible source is H2, formed by melanin in our skin (formed when we are exposed to UV light) absorbs energy from the sun and uses it to cleave water into H2 and O2, just like an electrolysis machine.

One source of H2 gas is from the organic compounds we eat. Food like the glucose molecule shown on the left contains many hydrogen atoms. Carbon forms the backbone of the molecules that make up our bodies, and most carbons have one to three hydrogens attached. This glucose example has 6 carbons, 6 oxygens and 12 hydrogens.

Enzymes called dehydrogenases remove hydrogen molecules from food, and many are converted into H2 gas. If the food contains high levels of deuterium (heavy hydrogen), the enzymes won’t be able to work as well and won’t make as much H2 gas. Carbohydrate foods contain more deuterium than fat or meat.

A potentially large source of H2 gas is created inside us by the bacteria living in our bowels called the microbiome. Some of you know that to test for certain bowel disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), your doctor might order a hydrogen breath test. This is to measure how much hydrogen your gut bacteria are producing. In sensitized individuals, too much H2 gas distends the bowel, causing pain.

But many of us have the opposite problem; we don’t produce enough H2 gas. Why is this? The most likely explanation is that we don’t eat enough fiber in our diet. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate a lot of fiber—over 100g/day. The bacteria in our bowel consume and ferment the fiber, producing H2 gas. Today, the average North American consumes only 14g of fiber/day. This fiber deficiency is primarily due to food processing. Processing removes fiber from whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.

This fiber famine has led to a drastic change in our microbiome. One speaker I listened to claimed that 60-80% of people, especially those who are overweight, don’t produce any hydrogen at all because they eat so little fiber. No fiber, no H2 gas. It’s that simple. If we increase dietary fiber, our microbiome may produce more hydrogen gas, but only if (and this is a big if because many microbial species face extinction in humans) we still support the needed species in our bowels.

What Is the Role of Hydrogen Gas in the Body?

Hydrogen plays a central role in balancing oxidation and reduction (REDOX). REDOX is the master controller of everything in the body, including energy production and the stress response. H2 is a hormetic stressor for our mitochondria. This means it places a small, intermittent stress on the mitochondria, resulting in increased energy production and the creation of new mitochondria (mitogenesis).

H2 is considered a “smart” molecule because it can reduce or oxidize depending on what is needed. Usually, people with chronic disease have too much oxidative stress, and, in this case, H2 neutralizes free radicals and decreases oxidative stress.

Unlike some other antioxidant supplements, H2 will never decrease oxidative stress below the optimal balance point (homeostasis). Sometimes, when combined with exercise, H2 increases oxidative stress. In this case, hydrogen gas can increase the beneficial health effects of exercise.

Evidence is accumulating that higher H2 levels are associated with better health. It has been shown that healthy people like Japanese centenarians have higher than average levels of hydrogen gas, while people with chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome and Parkinson’s disease have lower levels of H2.

How Does Hydrogen Gas Help the Body?

Unlike most other supplements, H2 works upstream of most biological pathways and, therefore, acts on many body systems. When I learned this, I got very interested. Something that works on many systems can simplify a management protocol. Hydrogen gas supplementation has the following effects in animals and humans (Dhillon et al., 2024):

• decreases low-grade inflammation associated with chronic disease
• decreases oxidative stress caused by free radicals (molecules with unpaired electrons that damage our DNA and proteins)
• decreases cellular stress from chemical toxins
• increases energy production by the mitochondria

These effects at the cellular level lead to improvements in many disease states and improve health in people who are already healthy and wanting to increase fitness. A few examples from the over 100 studies in humans include

• Increased exercise performance by lowering exercising HR when taken within 2 hours of the exercise.
• Improved alertness without stimulant side effects.
• Improved brain metabolism in healthy, overweight people.
• Improved accuracy on cognitive tasks.
• Improved performance in the people aged 70+ on a sit-to-stand test even though they didn’t increase their activity level.
• Decreased liver fat content and liver enzyme levels in people with fatty liver disease after hydrogen treatment for 28 days.
• Decreased LDL cholesterol and oxidative damage in people with diabetes after 8 weeks of treatment.

What Is the Easiest Way to Produce Hydrogen Gas?

Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) is water that contains dissolved hydrogen gas H2. The H2 doesn’t change the structure or function of the water in any way. It’s just along for the ride. We can’t get hydrogen or oxygen gas from regular water because the hydrogens and oxygens are bound to each other in water formation and are hard to separate. However, when H2 gas and free radicals are present, the free radicals pry apart the two H molecules in H2, and each H donates an electron to neutralize a free radical. Only the strongest, most dangerous free radicals can achieve this. This is one reason H2 is safe and won’t overshoot the mark.

There are many ways to deliver hydrogen gas, including by IV saline and inhalation, but those require expensive equipment and procedures. Most people opt to drink the hydrogen dissolved in water, a strategy referred to as hydrogen-rich water.

There are a few common ways to obtain hydrogen-rich water.

1. One is through purchasing an electrolysis machine. These use electricity to split water into O2 and H2 gases. This is the way alkaline water is typically made. As an aside, research has shown the benefits of alkaline water are not due to the change in pH but rather due to the low levels of H2 gas produced. This has been proven by removing the H2 gas and showing that alkaline water has no more benefit than ordinary water from the tap.
2.  One can purchase premade water. Water is heavy and, therefore, expensive to ship. And H2 gas is so tiny that it easily diffuses out from whatever container it is stored in.
3.  The most common and least expensive method is to purchase pure metal tablets such as elemental magnesium. They are small and easy to ship. When dropped in water, magnesium reacts with the water to produce H2 gas

Mg + 2H₂O -> H2 + Mg(OH)2

This makes the water slightly alkaline, which slows the reaction, so the manufacturer adds a small amount of naturally occurring organic acid like malic or citric acids.

 *** Note that elemental magnesium is different from ionic magnesium, the form used in magnesium supplements. Magnesium supplements will not make hydrogen-rich water.

Although this process sounds very simple, it took years to develop the technology to create a tablet that would produce enough H2 gas to be clinically effective. Alex Tarnava is the patent holder for this process and has overseen bringing the tablets to market. Most tablets on the market are produced by the same company, and so have the same quality and effectiveness.

Eight Useful Facts About Hydrogen-rich Water Tablets

• Each 80 mg Magnesium tablet produces 6 -7 mg H2 gas. If the tablet is dropped in 16 oz (500 ml) water, it creates a concentration of about 12 mg/l.
• The typical dose used in successful human studies is equivalent to 2 tablets/day, one in the morning and one later in the day (but not right before bed), for a total daily dose of 12 mg.
• Use water at room temperature, 18 – 25 degrees centigrade.
• When dropped in the water, the tablets should bubble for about 1-2 minutes. Drink within a few minutes to get the maximum dose.
• Take on an empty stomach at least 15 minutes before food or 2-3 hours after a meal rich in carbohydrates or fiber. If taken close to a carbohydrate meal, the food will absorb the H2, and it won’t reach your cells.
• If you are having a stressful or energetically demanding day or are traveling, you might want to take more tablets.
• The tablets have very few additional ingredients and are generally well tolerated, even by people with sensitivities or mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).
• In fact, in all the animal and human studies to date, no side effect has been noted. H2 gas at much higher concentrations has been used for decades to prevent nitrogen sickness in deep-sea divers with no adverse effects. This is not a guarantee, of course, but it seems very safe.

My Personal Experience with Hydrogen-Rich Water

Like most things I end up sharing with my community, I tried hydrogen-rich water myself. I had never heard of it before hearing Alex Tarnava on the podcast with Ari Whitten. I didn’t go into the podcast with any preconceived idea about it, just curiosity. The presented science was so compelling that I ordered some and started it back in early June. Pretty much from day one, I started noticing benefits.

• First, I noticed I was sleeping longer before waking up in the night. And after waking up I am able to get back to sleep much faster.
• Next, I felt more energy during the day.
• I had forgotten what it felt like to wake up excited and really looking forward to the day with zest and enthusiasm. Remember, I’ve been ill with ME and associated conditions for 36 years, most of my adult life. From a mood/zest perspective, I’ve never felt better.
• Then, totally unexpectedly, I noticed less chronic inflammatory pain in my joints. After a long hike or hard swim, I am able to recover within 24 hours.

I take two tablets daily, one first thing in the morning before eating and one mid-afternoon after I digest my lunch (or when I remember to do so). On a few days, when I did some major exertion, I took a third tablet and had none of the usual residual effects. If I were on a desert island, HRW would be at the top of my list. I don’t want to be without it.

If you want to try the exact supplement I am using, here is the information.

I take the 80 mg elemental Mg Rejuvenation tablets sold by Drink HRW. I chose this company because it was founded by Alex Tarnava. He has since sold his shares.

If you want to try these tablets, you can use this link if you live in Canada and this link if you live in the USA or elsewhere.

Full disclosure: I will earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links. This will support the free content and free webinars I create.

For more information

On October 16, 2024, I am hosting a free webinar with Alex Tarnava, the inventor and patent holder for the molecular hydrogen tablets.

Register at https://www.eleanorsteinmd.ca/alex-tarnava

Afterward, the recording will be posted on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@DrEleanorStein

References

Energy Blueprint Podcast with Alex Tarnava    https://theenergyblueprint.com/molecular-hydrogen-alex-tarnava/

Quantum Conversations podcast with Dr. Tyler Le Baron https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEGFB7nj034

Dhillon, G., Buddhavarapu, V., Grewal, H., Sharma, P., Verma, R. K., Munjal, R., . . . Kashyap, R. (2024). Hydrogen Water: Extra Healthy or a Hoax?-A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci, 25(2). doi:10.3390/ijms25020973