I expect this article about the benefits of hydrogen gas in preventing strokes will be the first in a long list of “disease” specific articles where scientific studies indicate that hydrogen gas (H2) may show clear benefits.

Before jumping into the scientific study and its important implications, let’s take a quick look at the basics of strokes:

Why should we be concerned about strokes?

Approximately 800,000 people suffer a stroke each year in the USA (one every 40 seconds) and someone dies of a stroke every 4 minutes.

What causes strokes?

Strokes happen when there is a problem with blood getting to the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, causing the death of brain tissue.

Symptoms of strokes

* Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
* Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech
* Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
* Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination
* Sudden severe headache with no known cause

What to do if you experience or witness someone else experiencing the signs of a stroke

Acting F.A.S.T. can help stroke patients get the treatments they desperately need. The stroke treatments that work best are available only if the stroke is recognized and diagnosed within 3 hours of the first symptoms. Stroke patients may not be eligible for these if they don’t arrive at the hospital in time.

If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and do the following simple test:

F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?

T—Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.

It is essential to note the timing that symptoms first appear and to call 911 immediately. FAST action can save a life of someone you love.

Sometimes stroke symptoms go away after a few minutes following a

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).

Ischemia is defined as a restriction in blood supply to tissues causing a shortage of oxygen and glucose needed for cellular metabolism (to keep tissue alive). Ischemia is generally caused by problems with blood vessels, with resultant damage to or dysfunction of tissue.

When an ischemic stroke occurs, a clot prevents blood flow to specific parts of the brain destroying neurons in its path. When the clot dissolves and normal function reappears many victims feel that their “episode” has passed and they don’t follow up with medical help. However, the real damage takes place after the clot dissolves and the surrounding brain cells revive. The revived cells release reactive oxygen species, molecules that damage and kill cells.

Sometimes stroke symptoms go away after a few minutes following the onset of a stroke. That doesn’t mean the victim is OK as a TIA is an indication of a serious condition that may end tragically without proper medical attention.

A new American study on the potential benefits of hydrogen gas in regards to preventing strokes

Pharmaceutical scientist Dr. Mami Noda of Kyushu University (who trained at Rockerfeller University in New York and serves as an adviser on Tyler LeBaron’s Molecular Hydrogen Foundation) and neurologist Bruce Ransom of the University of Washington recently completed an animal study which showed promising results in the potential prevention of TIA.

You can read the abstract from their study here:
http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?sKey=248206c2-21f6-45bf-a3db-d39f3de6abf8&cKey=8f03dd55-112b-4e54-a5f6-99570d39ab54&mKey={70007181-01C9-4DE9-A0A2-EEBFA14CD9F1}

Their study showed that hydrogen enriched water may prevent some of the brain damage resulting from strokes. The gas is a known antioxidant which passes through the blood-brain barrier, protecting brain cells from the toxic aftereffects of oxygen starvation that strokes can cause.

Mice used in the study drank hydrogen enriched water for 7 to 10 days. Afterward, the animals’ optic nerves were removed and kept alive. To mimic the effects of a stroke, the nerve fibers were deprived of glucose and oxygen for 60 minutes. Normally, only 25 percent of the fibers survive, but 50% of those that were previously exposed to the hydrogen enriched water survived and other signs of damage from reactive molecules were also reduced.

A great deal more research is required before anyone should be making claims. Unfortunately, that won’t stop companies from over-stepping the bounds of supportable evidence through unsupported claims in an attempt to increase their profits.

For what it is worth, my entire family has been drinking hydrogen enriched water for the past couple of years because I have read way too much to ignore the evidence. I believe it is inevitable that the public will eventually become aware of the overwhelming amount of research supporting hydrogen gas over time.