Anyone that has lived with or is currently living with a family member who has Alzheimer’s knows only too well the emotional distress that the disease causes for loved ones.
Alzheimer’s is what I refer to as one of the “brain” diseases. By that, I mean diseases that affect mental behaviors and capability due to the inability of molecules to pass the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier protects the brain via a filtering mechanism in the capillaries that carry blood to the brain which block the passage of unwanted substances. While protecting the brain, the blood-brain barrier also rejects every antioxidant other than H2 from doing the work that they need to do to keep the brain healthy.
As our diets become less natural, and our stress levels rise, and as pollution affects our air and water, it appears that the ability of our bodies to produce H2 in the gut deteriorates. Since H2 is the only antioxidant that can pass through the blood-brain barrier because of its tiny size, one has to wonder if the dramatic increase in “brain diseases” is correlated with inability of our bodies to produce enough H2. Based upon my discussions with scientists studying H2, I believe that H2 offers great hope in the area of brain disease treatment. However, this article is about the actual research that has been done which supports the benefits of H2 for Alzheimer’s as opposed to what I think.
Statistics:
The incidence of Alzheimer’s increases as we age and is the most common disease of our aged. More than 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzeimers and the number is expected to almost triple in the next 30 years. More than 100,000 Americans die each year due to Alzheimer’s.
How H2 can help with Alzheimers
The following information is a summary of a 10 minute video produced by Tywon Hubbard which can be seen below.
1) Oxidative Stress: The brains of Alzheimer patients present significant oxidative damage and studies suggest that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimers.
The brain is considered to be the most vulnerable part of our body to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and as we age, the antioxidant defenses against free radicals can no longer maintain a metabolic homeostasis in the brain. One study suggests antioxidant therapies may be beneficial for preventing ROS diseases such as Alzheimer’s. An animal study indicates that the administration of H2-rich saline inhibited oxidative stress and improved impaired memory. Another study suggested that H2 is beneficial for the prevention and alleviation of oxidative stress induced human neurodegenerative diseases (discussion starts at 4:00 in the following video)
2) Neuro Benefits (neuro protection, anti-neuroinflammation, anti-neurodegenerative effects): Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation have been reported to be involved in Alzheimer’s. Recently, the neuroprotective effects of treatment with H2 have been reported in clinical and non-clinical settings. One study concluded that hydrogen rich saline prevented induced neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. A published review paper indicated that H2 offers significant neuroprotective effects for neuropathic pain, Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, and brain injury by alleviating excess inflammatory response and oxidative stress. One study indicated that drinking H2 water for 18 weeks inhibited neurodegeneration (discussion starts at 4:57 in the following video)
3) Mitochondrial Dysfunction: Extensive literature exists supporting the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage in the development of Alzheimer’s. One study shows that H2 increases the antioxidant potential of mitochondria and concludes that H2 attenuates mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction. The results published in another study indicated that H2 scavenged intracellular Reactive Oxidative Species (ROS) and prevented the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production induced by ROS. Another study indicated that H2 promoted mitochondrial biogenesis (creation of new cells). Another study indicated the H2 rich water directly counteracts oxidative damage by neutralizing excessive ROS leading to the alleviation of cell death and found that H2 water may have therapeutic value in inhibiting neurotoxicity (discussion begins at 5:52 in the following video)
4) Ghrelin: Ghrelin is known as the hunger hormone because it stimulates appetite, increases food intake and promotes fat storage. Ghrelin plays a role in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders and has recently been associated with Alzheimer’s for it neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic (natural death of cell) activity. Ghrelin is also known to improve memory and learning as well as being linked to energy balance regulation and cognitive processes. One study shows that ghrelin is altered in Alzheimer’s patients and the disruption may contribute to the metabolic changes seen in Alzheimer patients. The results suggest that ghrelin might improve cognition in Alzheimer’s. Another study shows that H2 consumption increase ghrelin secretion providing neurological benefits(discussion starts at 7:52 in the video below)
5) Dementia : Alzheimers’ accounts for 75% of all dementia cases. In 2009, 25 million people in the world suffered from dementia and the number is expected to double in 20 years. An animal study shows that consumption of H2 water shows the potential to suppress dementia and the lifespan of subjects were greater for those receiving H2 than the control group. Research reviews indicate that H2 enriched water inhibits age-related brain alterations and memory decline as well as preventing age related cognitive disorders (discussion starts at 8:51 in the video below)
SUMMARY:
H2 water is effective in preventing neurodegenerative disease without any serious side effects. Alzheimer’s occurs due to cumulative damage to the brain over time. Consuming H2 water appears to be an effective preventative measure against the onset of Alzheimers.
You can watch the 11 minute video below produced by Tywon Hubbard which appears on his www.h2fx.com website and YouTube to verify the facts appearing above.
- Tags: Alzheimer's, H2