Hydrogen Peroxide and Ozone Therapies: miraculous healing or premature aging?

I really want to believe hydrogen peroxide (HP)and ozone, are miracle substances and the only reason why they haven't been accepted by main-stream medicine is due to the blocking powers and economic interests of pharmaceuticals and other industrial lobbies that have no interest whatsoever in the consumers finding a cheap, easily available and non-patentable alternative treatment to all sorts of medical conditions, and not because the underlying principle of action may be flawed and their side effects potentially serious.

I have been educating myself by reading scientific papers on oxidation processes and therapies (with HP or Ozone) and their effect on the human body. The reports from individual experiences were so positive and some of the defenders so hyped and excited about it that I really though we had discovered something truly remarkable. On top, the underlying principle seemed flawless at first: anaerobic virus and bacteria + oxygen = death of bacteria and virus by oxidation, improvement of health in general. Conversely: aerobic human cells + oxygen = thriving environment for the cells and improvement of the imune system and health in general resulting in delayed aging.

But in fact, and as far as I understand it, it's a bit more complex than that. The HP that reaches the blood stream through oral or IV intake, changes in the presence of certain enzymes such as catalase (ozone (O3) as well). In the presence of catalase, HP (H2O2) will break down into two molecules: one molecule of water (H2O) and a single atom of oxygen (singlet). The singlet, being a single atom, has an erratic and unstable behaviour in the body, and will try to bind to anything it finds in its way, NOT only virus and bacteria and other foreign offenders. Hence the name free radical. They also bind with lipids, and specially proteins and heavy metals, which will 'degenerate' by oxidation the same way the singlet destroys by oxidation anaerobic virus and bacteria. The formation of new and unstable compounds by aglutination of the different molecules, and the resulting chain of chemical reactions could lead to a degenerative process within the body which could eventually result in the development of mutations at the cellular level. This is the reason why the body needs antioxidants (such as vit A, C, E, Selenium etc) to neutralise the effects of free radicals that slowly lead to the development of diseases and aging in general.

Oxygen is necessary for life, but eventually we die due to the effects of oxygen by-products: basically as we oxidate, we are 'rusting' away.

It has been shown scientifically that intense physical exercise, such at that practised by competition athletes leads to the exponential creation of free radicals in the body, due to the high intake of oxygen through intense breathing. In fact it has been shown statistically that the longevity of intense sports professionals is shorter than that of the average individual that does not practice highly intense physical exercise on a regular basis.

Yet, we all know that we feel re-energised and generally healthier when exercising, (although the immediate feeling of energy results partially from being 'high on oxygen'). There are inddeed a lot of positive effects to the body physiology resulting from physical exercise and increased intake of oxygen, but one needs to realise that the by-products of oxygen may be harmful to the body. So the secret is to consume the right amount of oxygen and the right amount of anti-oxidants (generally the higher the intake of anti-oxidants the better) to neutralise the effects of the free radicals. But the question remains: what is the optimal amount of oxygen?

As an example of how delicate is the balance in the human body, and that the secret to prevent diseases is to respect that balance and seek to consume an optimal amount of supplements, take for instance thermal waters. Some of the most famous thermal waters where people go to bathe on have radioactive properties in it. Yet it seems to be the right amount of radiation, since it benefits the body more than it harms it (although it would be conceivable to think that if there were any negative side effects from the radiations these would result from accumulation over a relatively long period of time and be apparent only at a later stage). The same with HP and ozone therapies, they might actually be the holly grail of medical therapies but we need to know exactly what quantity to take either orally or IV in order to reach optimal balance and avoid excessive oxidative effects and degenerative reactions at the cellular/molecular level and prevent mutations and premature aging. It is unclear whether that balance has been found, since also with respect to HP therapy the negative side effects might not be felt immediately after consumption of HP but may only be aparent on mid/long term, and the causality link with the consumption of HP may have been forgotten by then(contrary to its claimed health benefits which seem to be dramatic and occur in a matter of days, sometimes hours). On the other hand, successfuly fighting and curing a serious disease through oxygen therapies definetly changes one's priorities, and in that situation side effects that might affect maximum longevity would be less of a concern when compared with regaining health. But for those in general good health, there is no reason why we should take substances that can potentially be counterproductive in the prevention of disease and in the fight against aging.

I hope that an individual's decision to take HP and to pursue other oxygen therapies is based on a educated choice after having researched serious scientific literature and pondered the prons and cons. That said, I use HP topicaly and would seriously consider taking it orally once more information and research is available regarding its negative side effects. So, if you know of interesting research findings that support the use of HP in a safe way, please share!



NB: When referring to the negative side effects of HP therapies and HP intake either orally or IV, I am already referring to the consumption of food grade HP, in properly diluted minimal and controled amounts. Taking undiluted HP, either orally or IV, would have far more serious and immediate side effects.
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