Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
January 30, 2022
As you know, I’m always looking for ways to improve my health and reduce the likelihood of cancer cells attacking my body. So, when I spoke with several accredited molecular hydrogen researchers and learned about the potential benefits of drinking hydrogen water for cancer patients, I had to give it a try. I never shy away from being my own guinea pig, and I share all my results with you – both good and bad.
So, is hydrogen water a miracle cure for cancer patients? Read on, and I’ll tell you what I’ve found so far.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. And hydrogen may be one of the most critical elements for maintaining health and wellness as well as healing from various diseases.
Earth’s atmosphere is composed of approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide as well as trace amounts of neon, helium, methane, krypton, ozone, and hydrogen. So, the amount of hydrogen gas in the air we breathe is extremely minute. However, hydrogen makes up about 9.5% of our body mass.
And this hydrogen has many biochemical functions. The H2 molecule is the smallest in the universe, which allows it to diffuse through all cell membranes, including the blood-brain barrier and subcellular compartments, and into the mitochondria.
Hydrogen and Free Radicals
This brings me to the reason for my newest N=1 experiment.
Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that have the potential to harm cells. They are created when an atom or a molecule either gains or loses an electron. Free radicals are formed naturally in the body and play an important role in many normal cellular processes. At high concentrations, however, free radicals can be hazardous to the body and damage all major components of cells, including DNA, proteins, and cell membranes. The damage to cells caused by free radicals, especially the damage to DNA, may play a role in the development of cancer as well as most other chronic diseases.
H2 is a potent selective antioxidant. The fact that it is selective is critical since many other antioxidants like vitamins C and E, are not selective. When antioxidant supplements are taken in excess, they can be counterproductive and even harmful to the body by neutralizing all free radicals – including the necessary ones. In contrast, high doses of molecular hydrogen consumed by drinking hydrogen-rich water only neutralize excessive and damaging free radical production. If these unhealthy free radicals were to go unchecked, they would be significant factors causing cancer as well as many other diseases.[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]
Here is an animation of how hydrogen gas is a superior and selective antioxidant compared to other indiscriminate antioxidant supplements:
In addition, drinking water infused with molecular hydrogen can suppress the growth of cancer cells. H2 also alleviates the side effects caused by conventional chemotherapeutics that are used in treating existing cancers.
My N=1 Experiment
My conversations with molecular hydrogen researchers have brought me to the design of my N=1 experiment. I’ll be drinking high doses of molecular hydrogen water twice a day on an empty stomach. This may be the ideal dose to offer the greatest benefits in reducing cancer and improving healing. In this 2021 peer-reviewed published paper, the authors explain the current thinking about hydrogen-rich water and cancer.
The product I am using is HRW Rejuvenation Tablets. These patented tablets contain magnesium. Chemically, when magnesium nanoparticles react with water, nano-sized bubbles of hydrogen gas are produced by the following chemical reaction; Mg + 2H2O → Mg (OH)2 + H2.
I started my N=1 experiment with hydrogen-rich water on Monday, 1/24/22.
My goal is to consume 16mg/L (16 PPM) of hydrogen per day. I’ll divide this into two doses of 500 ml in the AM and 500 ml in the afternoon on an empty stomach. To get to this dose, I’ll dissolve 2 tablets of HRW Rejuvenation Tablets in 500 ml of spring water each time.
When I’m ready to drink the hydrogen water, I’ll drop the tablets into room temperature spring water. The water must not be carbonated. The tablets will dissolve and make the water look very “cloudy”. The “cloudy look” is the nano-sized molecular hydrogen bubbles dispersed in the water. It is important to let the tablets completely dissolve and then drink the solution immediately all at once. If the “cloudiness” goes away, the hydrogen gas will be gone, and the benefit of the hydrogen-infused water will be lost.
I’ll be using room temperature Mountain Valley Spring water as my drinking water source. In the AM drink, I will also add 1 teaspoon of SOLE as I have been doing in the past.
A side benefit of using HRW Rejuvenation Tablets is that the magnesium used to create the molecular hydrogen will provide all the magnesium my body requires.
I’m anticipating results that I can identify subjectively and objectively. I don’t know how successful I will be since I’m just starting this N=1 experiment.
- Subjectively, I am looking for a reduction in bone pain which I experience 24/7. Currently, my only medications for bone pain are over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
- Objectively, I may be able to see clinical changes in my blood tests. I have blood work every four weeks when I visit my oncologist at the Cancer Clinic. My oncologist and I will be able to see if there are any changes in these labs (i.e., CBC – complete blood count, CMP – comprehensive metabolic panel, SPEP – serum protein electrophoresis, and Immunofixation)
Additional Benefits of Molecular Hydrogen
Molecular hydrogen has been studied extensively and has been shown to provide benefits other than my emphasis on cancer. This 2020 published medical article is an excellent summary of how hydrogen can assist in disease treatment. I’ve listed some of the specific benefits below …
- Hydrogen supports the body’s natural antioxidant system by enhancing the production of endogenous antioxidants like glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, but only when they are needed.[7],[8]
- Hydrogen gas has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and can reduce pain. This pain relief is due to the reduction in oxidative stress by hydrogen gas.[9],[10] However, its anti-inflammatory effects do not prevent the normal inflammatory processes of the immune system.
- Hydrogen water can prevent muscle wasting in mice that had muscular dystrophy.[11] These beneficial effects can assist athletes with their recovery after exercise and strenuous events. It can reduce muscle fatigue by reducing lactic acid buildup.[12]
- Hydrogen can help cells maintain homeostasis and healthy modulation.[13]
- Hydrogen can reduce damage to the brain that is seen in Parkinson’s disease.[14] Its general neuroprotective properties are due to its ability to fight oxidative stress.
- Hydrogen increases insulin sensitivity and decreases blood sugar as well as unhealthy blood cholesterol levels.[15] These effects make hydrogen a potential therapy for fighting obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
- Your mitochondria are the energy sources of your cells like the batteries in a flashlight. Hydrogen-rich water has been shown to improve mitochondrial function, which may be a significant factor in chronic disease prevention and treatment.[16]
- Hydrogen gas significantly protects DNA against radiation damage by scavenging hydroxyl radical formation.[17]
- It seems that hydrogen restores healthy processes throughout the body by bringing them back to a state of balance or homeostasis.[18]
- Hydrogen has been observed to generally protect the body and organ function.[19]
- Drinking hydrogen water improves the diversity and abundance of the gut microbiome[20] as well as normalizes stool consistency.[21]
- Drinking hydrogen water can improve oxygen levels and exercise capacity in COVID-19 patients.[22],[23]
- Hydrogen-rich water may protect the liver from toxicity when consuming high doses of acetaminophen (Tylenol).[24]
- Molecular hydrogen exhibits multiple advantages in the treatment of sepsis due to its unique physicochemical properties.[25]
Is Molecular Hydrogen a Miracle?
The answer to this question is, “Probably not.” But hydrogen provides many impressive benefits.[26]
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may not do very much for a healthy person whose body and biochemical pathways are not out of balance.[27] But if a person had any cellular dysfunction, then hydrogen could bring the body back into balance. It also seems that hydrogen does not interfere with necessary biological pathways. There appears to be no “lethal dose” of hydrogen in the body. The body just uses what it needs, and any excess hydrogen leaves the body unscathed.
My Future Success
So, my experiment of N=1 is just beginning. You can be sure that as the weeks roll by, I will be journaling how hydrogen-rich water affects my body and my bloodwork. From my research, effects should become evident starting about two weeks after beginning my trial. My goal would be to continue drinking hydrogen-rich water indefinitely if results are positive. My oncologist will help me interpret any changes in the monthly blood results.
Two interesting biomarkers I will follow are the ratios of several white blood cells that are reported in my monthly CBC. Specifically, they are the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and the Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio (LMR).[28]
These two ratios are systemic inflammatory markers. NLR is directly related and LMR is inversely related to systemic inflammation. My goal of monitoring these ratios is to determine the direction in which they are moving. A declining NLR and a rising LMR would suggest my systemic inflammation is improving. That would be a good thing.
I’ll keep you informed as time goes by.
[1] https://cdn.amegroups.cn/journals/pbpc/files/journals/3/articles/23326/public/23326-PB6-1799-R4.pdf
[2] https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/4/893/htm
[3] https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13287-019-1241-x
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6691140/
[5] http://www.nutroncol.com/magazine/2019-07-28/001-0044-Progress%20in%20the%20Use%20of%20Molecular%20Hydrogen%20for%20Cancer%20Treatment.pdf
[6] https://www.wjgnet.com/1948-5204/full/v14/i1/242.htm
[7] https://www.nature.com/articles/nm1577
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26276082/
[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11510417/
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4062523/
[11] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26866650/
[12] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22520831/
[13] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21512236/
[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4865993/
[15] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21293445/
[16] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22146674/
[17] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27438130/
[18] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19766097/
[19] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5731988/
[20] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30713665/
[21] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8374459/
[22] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ccr3.5039
[23] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.543718/full
[24] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4394080/
[25] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6567800/
[26] https://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2020/8384742.pdf
[27] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-75492-w
[28] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00016357.2021.1969035
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10 Comments
Thank you Al for this article! You have been a great source of health information for my husband and I. I appreciate all the research you are dong.
You’re an inspiration Dr. Al! I too have heard very promising things about Molecular Hydrogen but haven’t yet tried it. Very interested in hearing about your results and blood work findings. Curious, have you heard of any adverse interactions with other medications, supplements, radiation therapy? Apparently from some of the studies it does not adversely interact with chemotherapy, but might this be for only certain chemotherapy medications or could one assume it is safe with all chemo medications? I’m personally curious about Taxol.
My research of the published peer-reviewed papers suggests that molecular hydrogen prevents toxicity from radiation therapy and chemotherapy mainly because of its selective ability to scavenge damaging hydroxyl free radicals.
Makes sense. I just looked over the website you shared – I’m amazed at all the published studies and research. Going to give it a try.
Dr. Al – thank you for sharing your journey. i, too, am often my own N=1. i have invasive breast cancer (2018) and do not follow conventional treatment protocol. so far, so good. Questions: on point #13 – do you take NAC to counteract acetaminophen liver toxicity? on point #12 – would the increase in O2 via H2 temper cancer cell proliferation, as my understanding is cancer cell growth is inhibited by a high O2 environment? thoughts? also, do you undergo HBOT therapy? ty for your blog. i find your information insightful.
Here are my “10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols”. They include everything if do. I will update the molecular hydrogen in my Protocols after I see they are going to be a permanent part.
https://drdanenberg.com/unconventional-cancer-protocols/
I do not take NAC, and I take very little acetaminophen. I cycle in and out of ketosis, and ketones naturally enhance endogenous antioxidant production via Nrf2 activation. I also do not do HBOT therapy. Hydrogen-rich water has been shown to increase oxygen saturation levels in the blood which is a good thing.
Do you recommend the tablets over the hydrogen water bottles and pitchers? I have Lynch syndrome and have had cancer 3 times and would like to add this water to my regimen.
Thankyou so much for your work.
From my research, you can’t get more than 4 PPM from a hydrogen water bottle or pitcher, and it is biologically critical that the dose in high. I am getting about 16 PPM with the Molecular Hydrogen tablets.
How did this experiment go for you? Is there a blog describing your results?
I am following my Protocol with molecular hydrogen as I described in my Blog. And I am confident in the benefits as reported in several medical publications which I cited in my article. Since this is one of many protocols I follow concurrently, it will be difficult to isolate specific benefits from only the molecular hydrogen.
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