Hydrogen's Role in Reversing the Clock: An Anti-Aging Breakthrough
Aging is a natural and inevitable journey, characterized by a gradual accumulation of changes in our body. When this process is unbalanced, it increases our susceptibility to illnesses. However, it invariably leads us to our ultimate destination—death.
Aging results from a combination of environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors and is associated with diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Let's then explore to what extent molecular hydrogen can help balance this process to avoid these consequences.
Molecular hydrogen can play a very prominent role in aging process:
- Hydrogen water has been shown to mitigate oxidative stress, and may exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects. Study here & here
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Another study indicated that molecular hydrogen is able to reduce DNA damage and prevent premature cellular senescence, making it a potential anti-aging agent. Study here
- Hydrogen is proposed to be effective in protecting cells from damage that leads to a decrease in NAD+ levels and maintains sirtuin activity. Study here
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Hydrogen water may increase telomerase activity, protecting telomeres from degradation.A recent randomized controlled pilot trial has shown that the intake of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) favorably affected several aging-related features in healthy elderly individuals. The study concluded that hydrogen “could be recognized as a possible anti-aging agent that tackles several hallmarks of aging, including loss of function and telomere length shortening.” Study here & here
- In a study, researchers concluded that “H2 has long-lasting antioxidant and anti-aging effects on vascular endothelial cells through the Nrf2 pathway, even after transient exposure to H2”, suggesting that “Hydrogen-rich water may thus be a functional drink that increases longevity”. Study here
Having delved into the rejuvenating wonders of molecular hydrogen within our bodies, let’s now illuminate another facet of its charm – its ability to bestow a youthful glow and resilience to our skin, turning the mirror into a canvas of timeless beauty.
Rapid absorption
By taking a HW bath, hydrogen nano-bubbles could rapidly infiltrate into the dermis and be absorbed into the blood stream. The data suggest that hydrogen molecules can rapidly pass through the skin and be absorbed into the blood stream.
Study here
Enhanced Skin Appearance
This study revealed that the hydrogen-rich water bath improved the appearance of skin among persons with diverse ROS-related diseases. Thus, the HW bath with high-density nano-bubbles has beneficial effects on serum antioxidant capacity, inflammation, and the skin appearance.
Another study showed that hydrogen-rich water bath helps in the lightening and size reduction of the dark dermal spots and stains, improving skin quality and appearance: “The wide-ranging, dense, and irregularly shaped skin blotches became markedly smaller and thinner, assumedly through reductive bleaching of melanin and lipofuscin and promotion of dermal cell renewal by the hydrogen-rich warm water.”
Wrinkle repression was clinically assessed using a HW-bathing. Thus, HW may serve as daily skin care to repress UVA-induced skin damages by ROS-scavenging and promotion of type-I collagen synthesis in dermis.
While aging is inevitable, molecular hydrogen offers promising benefits in slowing down the aging process by targeting various factors contributing to aging. Given the knowledge of the benefits that hydrogen offers, the challenges of growing older could be mitigated.
