Hydrogen Biology

There is an estimated 37.2 trillion cells in the body and each cell contains between 2 and 2500 mitochondria each possessing 17000 ATP assembly line. Thus, it is estimated that there are about 10 million billion (10,000 trillion) mitochondria in an adult human! The oxidative phosphorylation of one molecule of glucose consumed by the cell results in the production of 32 ATP by the mitochondrion.

Molecular hydrogen supplementation has the ability to increase mitochondrial ATP production by more than 50% while decreasing the production of superoxide by the first respiratory complex. Thus increasing cell energy availability while decreasing harmful reactive oxygen species. The ability to increase the production of ATP while reducing the production of reactive oxygen species, thus reducing the need to repair the damage they cause, represents an advancement in biology that could not be more relevant in today’s world.

Peer reviewed scientific documents now run into the thousands, and if taken collectively they clearly identify that the deficiency of hydrogen in biological organisms costs the world well over 100 trillion dollars in lost income every single single year. It underpins the health potential and lifespan of all things, and ultimately our entire biosphere (including its climate) as we know it. From a scientific view point  is only now that we are beginning to understand the importance of molecular hydrogen in biology and its tremendous benefit.

The contents of this website, and the function of this research centre, needs to be exposed, taught, and supported by all governments, research institutes, philanthropic idealists, and concerned individuals the world over. From little things, big things come, and it is from the smallest atom that comes a planet of life.

While the global hydrogen focus seems to be around energy production to power our transport and service needs, we believe the big story is its relevance to biology and its role in all living things. The total value of the hydrogen energy sector (an estimated 8 trillion dollars) pales compared to the 100 trillion dollar plus estimate when considering the relevance associated with the hydrogen biology sector. The significance and diversity of this must not be underestimated. The use of hydrogen and oxygen supplementation will define improvements in food production and health for the next hundred years. Our world is about to witness an inevitable evolutionary step in what will be new standards of health, productivity, sustainability and healing.

Molecular Hydrogen (H2) and Oxygen administration in the form of gas inhalation, the consumption and application of oxy-hydrogen enriched water, and the perfusion of an enriched saline solution, have all shown tremendous positive biological effects in the medical and agricultural fields for the last 15 to 20 years. Importantly, Molecular Hydrogen is inherently non-toxic, and can be safely used in the medical and agricultural fields.

It was first suggested in Nature (1996) as a natural antioxidant, and selective scavenger of oxygen free radicals to treat oxidative stress. More recently, it has been broadly indicated that molecular Hydrogen exerts its biological effects in two major ways. The first one is the scavenging of free radicals, and the other is modulating specific gene expression or signalling pathways, both in animals and plants. Molecular Hydrogen has been demonstrated to induce change in gene expression leading to anti-stress, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic responses in all organisms tested without any detrimental side-effects. Thus, molecular Hydrogen is enabling the organism to reduce and withstand stress longer and better while thriving.

However, the very latest revelations take this even further and indicate that it is at the very core of life itself due to its fundamental role in complex I of the mitochondrion, the creation of ATP, and to mitigate the production of the superoxide radical.

The enormous potential that Molecular Hydrogen and Oxygen supplementation has identified to effect and determine outcomes for, includes: 

• Mitochondrial Function
• The increased production of ATP
• Oxidative Stress and its management
• Immune Cell Recovery
• Inflammation and inflammatory response
• NF-kB Protein Complex

A simple google scholar search for oxidative stress returns 3 million papers, while a search for inflammation returns a further 4 million documents. Such tremendous numbers highlight the societal importance of these two challenges alone. It is why any possible way to moderate inflammation and oxidative stress, such as with the use of molecular hydrogen, should be investigated thoroughly given the considerable cost-benefit ratio it represents.

Oxidative stress and inflammation represent huge costs and production losses in agriculture through livestock, plant health and growth. While inflammation decreases the growth rate and productivity of livestock, oxidative stress is a by-product of abiotic stress in plants which limits growth, reduces flowering potential, production and business returns.

Hydrogen supplementation however increases the resilience of livestock to pathogens, decreases inflammation and improves plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. This results in positive effects on germination, seedling growth, accelerated root growth and development of plant crops when utilising Hydrogen and Oxygen enriched water. It is also acknowledged with reports of improved nutritional value and post-harvest quality of these agricultural products making them more desirable in the marketplace. This can all be achieved while using less biotic intervention and mineral/chemical inputs, ultimately reducing costs while improving quality. Furthermore, it leads to less waste, runoff, and contamination to the surrounding environment such as land, rivers, oceans and the wildlife that live thereon and in.

Finally, there is the value adding potential that soil supplemented with Hydrogen leads to carbon sequestration not only by encouraging root systems and organic matter back into the earth, but also by boosting soil microbial community in a similar fashion likened to what is achieved by planting legumes. Enabling access to the biological gasses of life obviously creates a favourable environment capable of sustaining life. This is exactly the shift needed when regenerating contaminated or unproductive land whether it be salt affected, heavy metal, desolated or monoculture-based farmland, where soil has then  contaminated deteriorated to such an extent that it has become just a lifeless dirt. Creating a favourable environment for life to live, is the key to carbon sequestration and the future we seek.

No matter the what strategy one decides to use for what ever biological improvement they are looking to achieve, hydrogen will remail the single biggest piece of the puzzle and must be considered as part of the solution.

Cellular respiration is a catabolic pathway that breaks down glucose and other molecules to ultimately produces ATP. The stages of cellular respiration include glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid or Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation that use oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor. However, the process is very complex and sensitive and is at the origin of the accidental production of reactive oxygen species. Thus, the mitochondrion is also the centre of oxidative stress where the most potent free radical, the hydroxyl radical is produced. Ohsawa et al. (2007)¹ demonstrated that Hydrogen gas could scavenge the hydroxyl radical in live cells. By scavenging the Hydroxyl radical molecular hydrogen decrease oxidative stress in vivo. Furthermore, Ishihara et al (2019)² demonstrated that Hydrogen supplementation suppressed the production of superoxide a major radical that result by complex I in the production of Hydroxyl radical and the perhydroxy radical (HO2). Furthermore, Ishihara et al (2019) propositions that H2 could donate electrons the Q chamber taking together with the work of Zhang et al that shows H2-evolution by complex I shows that Complex I could be using H2 directly to enable the pumping of protons from the matrix to the intermembrane space increasing the potential ATP production without using substrate originating from the degradation of glucose. Indeed, Gvozdjáková et al. (2020) report an increase of more than 50% in ATP production in presence of H2 compared to control.

Furthermore, under high energetic demand the cell switch to aerobic glycolysis and lactate production. However, this switch is supposed to be transient and the longer it persists the more reactive oxygen species are produced resulting in oxidative stress and damage to the mitochondria. Molecular hydrogen supplementation is capable to reverse the metabolic pathway from aerobic glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation.

Inflammation is a generic response of body tissue following damage to our cells or detecting potential damage effectors. Both infectious and non-infectious agents, as well as cellular damage, can activate an inflammatory response. The response is generic because it doesn’t distinguish between the possible causes. The inflammatory response removes harmful stimuli and initiates the healing process while involving immune and circulatory systems. However, it is a balancing act that can go awry.

Molecular Hydrogen supplementation acts against inflammation in two synergistic ways. First, oxidative stress can initiate or sustain an inflammatory response. Since Molecular Hydrogen is a powerful antioxidant, it suppresses the oxidative stress signal and, in turn, reduces the risk of unnecessarily triggering or over sustaining an inflammatory response. Second, all pathways to inflammation pass through the activation of the NF-kB pathway. It is true in oxidative stress, and it is also true in the case of infection or chronic inflammation. Molecular hydrogen also dampens the NF-kB pathway, directly avoiding a highly detrimental runaway inflammatory response.

NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) is a protein complex that controls transcription of DNA, cytokine production and cell survival. NF-κB is found in almost all animal cell types.

It is involved in cellular responses to stimuli such as stress, cytokines, free radicals, heavy metals, ultraviolet irradiation and bacterial or viral antigens. In addition, NF-κB plays a crucial role in regulating the immune response to infection. Thus, incorrect regulation of NF-κB is linked to cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, septic shock, viral infection, and improper immune development.

The triggers of an inflammatory response are very diverse, including oxidative stress, each using a different path that all converge to the Nuclear Factor Kappa B family of transcription factor.

Although the inflammatory response is essential, it can become self-sustaining and become a problem in itself. For example, inflammation causes oxidative stress, that itself causes inflammation. Self-perpetuating inflammation can lead to the development of cancer or cause chronic inflammatory diseases, of which there are many.

Long-lasting immune challenges such as chronic inflammation or chronic illness such as cancer, results in abnormally high exhaustion rates of immune cells that ultimately lead to their death. Recently, Scharping et al. (2021)¹ demonstrated that immune cell exhaustion was caused by mitochondrial dysfunction associated with increased reactive oxygen species, such as the hydroxyl radical. Interestingly, Chen et al. (2020)² demonstrated that just two weeks of molecular hydrogen inhalation could reactivate normal levels of exhausted immune cells in stage III and IV cancer patients.

At the start of the study, the patient presented with abnormally high levels of exhausted cytotoxic T cells, senescent cytotoxic T cells, and killer Vδ1 cells, and abnormally low level of functional helper and cytotoxic T cells, Th1, total natural killer T cells, natural killer, and Vδ2 cells. After two weeks of molecular hydrogen inhalation, the number of exhausted and senescent cytotoxic T cells decreased to within the normal range, and there was an increase in killer Vδ1 cells. All the while, T cells, Th1, total natural killer T cells, natural killer, and Vδ2 cells subsets increased to within the normal range.

This suggests that the scavenging of the hydroxyl radical may be able to restore the normal function of the immune system, by rescuing the abnormal exhaustion of its effector cells.

• Molecular Hydrogen improves the normal functioning of the mitochondria.
• Molecular Hydrogen is nature’s own potent anti-oxidant.
• Molecular Hydrogen manages oxidative stress.
• Molecular Hydrogen acts as an anti-inflammatory.
• Molecular Hydrogen decreases proinflammatory cytokines.
• Molecular Hydrogen assists in avoiding cytokine storm.
• Molecular Hydrogen regulates the action of the NF-kB transcription factor.
• Reactivation of exhausted immune cells.

We believe that the biological relevance of Molecular Hydrogen represents the single most important technology on the planet today.

Hydrogen supplementation can improve the health, growth rate and feed conversion ratio of livestock such as poultry, where a 10-15% increase in weight can be achieved along with an improvement in meat quality while decreasing stimulant and biotic intervention. In aquatic species, increased yields of 30-40% are seen as growth rates increase and mortality decreases.

In plants, treatment with hydrogen-enriched water increases yield, salt and heavy metal resilience, flowering potential and fruit set. Increases in H2 in the rhizosphere leads to beneficial impacts for subsequent plant growth resulting in a 15–48% biomass increase in plants and is being termed as a hydrogen fertilization effect. Throughout all agricultural endeavours, it represents a low-cost solution to improve nutritional content and enhance production under abiotic stresses, such as drought and salinity. It will enable productivity from millions of hectares of land otherwise thought lost for various reasons, as well as the ability to regenerate the environment such as is required by environmentally destructive enterprises such as mining.

The following represents just a few of the many fields requiring the practical application research this technology will influence over the coming years.

There is great anticipation to advance the practical application of molecular hydrogen and oxygen supplementation throughout this sector as there is immense complementary efficacy evidence already available as well as stand alone results. In many instances there are dis-eased states that are referred to as incurable such as the many autoimmune disorders that are almost commonplace throughout the world today.

Both acute and chronic inflammatory based challenges, be it in the airways to sustain life,, or non life threatening conditions that progress and worsen over time, require hydrogen atoms for both resolution or management regardless. Virtually all disease we know of can be traced back to known hydrogen or oxygen cellular respiratory or mitochondrial challenges including metabolic disease, immune reactivation, inflammation, oxidative stress and cancer. It is completely logical and is naive to think otherwise. In cancer for example, the major effectors of our bodies anti-cancer responders such as CD4+, CD8+, γδ T cells, and NK cells, all have a relationship with hydrogen in some way or another. Whether it be directly associated with the management and reduction if Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), or the reactivation of T Cells amongst others, inflammation, or the switch between ATP production pathway or preference. Hydrogen is crucial in virtually every respect.

The beneficial effect of hydrogen does not stop there, however, improved general health and resistance to minor ailments, radiation exposure recovery, the reduction of adverse events from procedures or medications, the reduction of bacterial load and sepsis, and the improvement of cognitive function associated with mental illnesses and decline. Further yet again, molecular hydrogen and oxygen supplementation have shown life-changing biological improvement of skin conditions, joint inflammation, fertility and reproduction. It is evident that a deficiency of available hydrogen throughout the mass of an organism will have detrimental effects and consequences for that particular organism when considering its ability to recover, regenerate and survive.

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There is an immense potential associated with hydrogen and oxygen biology technology and present viable solutions to advance government objectives in several of the key areas associated with feeding the world. This technology will not only assist in the volume of goods produced, but also the quality of the goods, the post-harvest lifespan, the nutritional content, the ability to better resist environmental events, the ability to better resist biological attack, and significantly improve reputations as a preferred product of choice. Further to this, hydrogen and oxygen supplementation applications demonstrate remarkable improvements in drought tolerance, salinity resistance, dis-ease resistance, lower water allocation requirements, improved soil life and stronger, healthier livestock. It is expected that the technology will offer more product with a greater nutritional content, at a higher price, with less risk.

It is understood that consumers of the future will want to know more about where their food has come from and that they will want Hydrogen based farming certifications in a similar fashion to what we see in the “Organically Certified” spaces. The technology affords significant value towards farm biodiversity certification and carbon capture schemes, will set new standards around the world, and give farmers and enterprise considerable advantage and preference throughout the global marketplace. Current evidence suggests significant advantage and advancement for live export, red meat, white meat, seafood and plant industries alike. The global meat, poultry and seafood market is expected to grow from around $1.4 trillion in 2020 to just under $2 trillion in 2025.

The ability to improve yields and decrease losses is a focus of all agricultural enterprises which is now more important than ever before. Since molecular hydrogen supplementation can result in the production of ATP decoupled from the nutrient intake more energy can be invested into growth without an increase in nutrient intake. It is why, for example, molecular hydrogen supplementation is associated with an improvement in food conversion ratio, and improved plant growth. Clean, natural and completely organic in every sense, molecular hydrogen and oxygen supplementation allows crops, animals and produce to grow in otherwise unproductive soil – allowing millions of hectares of farmland to re-enter the market and contribute to addressing the emerging global issues surrounding food security. The biological improvement that can be achieved in this sector has many consequential benefits to the market with including further health benefits to the consumer accessing higher quality protein sources with less pharmaceutical or chemical inputs. Attractive research opportunities include plant protein, Dairy, animal protein, disease resistance, soil biodiversity, carbon capture, environmental repair, water management, soil regeneration, salinity resistance, drought tolerance, post-harvest ripening, and extreme weather event resistance and recovery amongst others.

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This highly susceptible industry has much to gain from the enrichment of molecular hydrogen and oxygen all the way throughout the life cycle from hatchery to plate. However, it has not been until recent times that gas infusion technologies and devices have advanced to the point that large volumes of water can be supplemented with this life-giving gas to make this application viable.

Oxygenation of water is well known to increase biological activity, growth rate and yield potential however, increasing oxygen levels too high increases oxidative potential also leading to high stress levels and catastrophic loss potential too. If oxygen levels are managed well, nanobubble infusion alone would improve feed conversion ratios and avoid mass death due to heat stress and adverse weather events, and is shown to be able to double the harvest potential when compared to classical aerators. However, it is the molecular hydrogen inclusion into this mix of water supplementation at the nanobubble level dramatically improves wound healing, antioxidant capacity and improve mitochondrial function once again translating into better feed conversion ratios by providing a supply of ATP decoupled from food intake. Moreover, Hu et al (2017) demonstrated that molecular hydrogen treatment dramatically improved the innate immune system in fish, thus improving disease resistance also.

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Ultimately, environment change is the cause, and climate change is the consequence.

Strains of a particular bacteria of significant interest such as Variovorax paradoxus, can be categorised into two groups, hydrogen oxidisers and heterotrophic strains, both of which are aerobic and enjoy the availability of oxygen around it. The diverse metabolic capabilities enable it to degrade a wide array of organic pollutants including aliphatic polycarbonates and polychlorinated biphenyls. V-paradoxus is involved in cycling numerous inorganic elements, including arsenic, sulphur, manganese and rare earth elements in a range of soil and freshwater. The species is also tolerant of many heavy metals, including cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, and zinc.

It also promotes the formation of complex biofilm that enables carbon sequestration into the soil from the atmosphere. This has enormous implications when considering the regeneration of lost productive farmland and can significantly ameliorate further destruction of existing stressed pastures and ecosystems. The isolates of V-paradoxus found in both H2-treated soil, and the soil adjacent to H2 producing soybean nodules, had significant impact on plant growth. Furthermore, molecular hydrogen soil treatment will lead to further development of V. Paradoxus naturally within the soil, potentially improving the detoxification of contaminated soil while promoting plant growth.

The development of this knowledge represents an ability to repair farmland thought lost for generations and will enable regeneration and the ability to resume productive farming. We strongly encourage support into this space as we believe that the HBRC can play a ,major role in our planets agricultural biodiversity stewardship initiatives and offer insight into potential not thought possible before now.

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Following the lessons and regenerative solutions identified through soil regeneration and desertification management in the previous section, immense change is possible in a very short period of time given the enormous significance molecular hydrogen and oxygen supplementation can provide using nanobubble infusion methods of our existing water infrastructure and supplies.

Increasing organic matter in the soil for example by increased plants root systems and allowing for the formation of extensive biofilms, improves soil structure and reduces erosion, leading to improved water quality in groundwater and surface waters, and ultimately to increased food security and decreased negative impacts to ecosystems. Dong and Layzell (2001) have demonstrated that 3 weeks of soil hydrogen supplementation led to net CO2 fixation into the soil and increased oxygen consumption. While increased root length following hydrogen supplementation has been widely reported.

Even if it is often difficult to put a dollar’s figure on the benefit of carbon sequestration, done the right way it can deliver tremendous economic benefit through sustainable increased agricultural production, qualitatively and quantitatively. We acknowledge that recent reforms will empower farmers to diversify their income and earn credits under the $2 billion Climate Solution Fund. The changes to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) toolkit will allow the agency to invest in soil carbon sequestration projects, unlocking farmers’ access to $1.6 billion in ARENA funding.

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An increase in PGC-1alpha have been linked to improved cellular energy production and rapid clearance of lactate in the body. Interestingly Hydrogen supplementation upregulates PGC-1alpha in doing so it should promote performance and improve recovery as demonstrated by the work of Aoki et al. 2012.

Furthermore, hydrogen supplementation increases the mitochondrial production of ATP by more than 50% while decreasing the production of superoxide by complex I, increase the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Finally, hydrogen scavenges the Hydroxyl radical as shown by Ohsawa et al (2007). The fact that Hydrogen supplementation not only increase ATP production by the mitochondria but can also lead to an increase in mitochondria numbers via its action on PGC-1alpha presage of tremendous benefit to elite performance.

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Most importantly ageing is associated with specific diseases that we attempt to address only after their onset. However, as for everything prevention is often the best course of action. Yamamoto et al (2021) highlight this and advocate for the preventative use of molecular hydrogen against pre-symptomatic diseases. One core example is immunosenescence brought about by chronic inflammation and a chronic pro-inflammatory state.

Most, if not all, degenerative and age-related diseases can be linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and associated elevated oxidative stress. Molecular hydrogen promotes mitochondrial function restoration by influencing metabolic pathways away from glycolysis and toward oxidative phosphorylation. Molecular hydrogen anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immuno-restorative action is documented and lacks deleterious side effects, making it a prime candidate for the preventive treatment of pre-symptomatic diseases. Because H2 diffuse rapidly in the organism reaching every mitochondrion in the body molecular hydrogen can act as a protectant to all pre-symptomatic diseases at the same time and indiscriminately before the onset of symptoms.

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Significant financial support towards this critical research endeavour will allow momentous, unhindered progress towards clean, natural, and effective core solutions to address the precarious state of our fellow inhabitants, the food chain and environment. What this technology proposes is truly game changing for so many on what will be a massive scale.

Hydrogen and oxygen have been intrinsically involved with evolution of life in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes (e.g. hydrogenases, hydrogenosomes, mitochondria, etc.). We are at the leading edge of a new understanding in biology and unsurprisingly there is still much to learn, nonetheless, a common theme has emerged, and that is that the supplementation of Molecular Hydrogen into the biological system, has a complementary beneficial effect on the entire system. As you can see, there are a huge range of options and potentials that could all benefit us in both the long and short term, and there are several strategic ways we could look at this.

Many of us are challenged mentally and emotionally when we see things like a 2 or 3 million dollar playground being funded by government, or a $127 million for a traffic roundabout, or a $180 million for an upgrade to an existing function centre in a small remote city. While we fully appreciate that these are all good things that strengthen our communities, workforce and infrastructure capabilities, they all pale when compared to the significance and return of the advancement this technology represents.

There are trillions and trillions of dollars at stake here and the world as a whole, has an opportunity to mediate and address obvious solution potentials in what are extremely troubling times, and with an increasingly uncertain future ahead.

• Both the quality and quantity of food stuffs need to be secured.
• We need to manage the soils and inputs from where this life-giving sustenance comes from.
• We need to manage the runoff of these inputs into our environment.
• Improve the overall environmental protection and sustainability potential for future generations.
• Prevention from disease in high density farming environments.
• Opening our borders and economies while protecting our families and children.
• Reduce human disease and improve productivity.
• Reduce healthcare costs to government and society.
• Rectify upstream processes and management systems to reduce runoff that challenges our waterways and reefs such as what is happening to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
• Massively improve the ability to resist external international pressures and vulnerabilities.
• Create an entire industry and advance manufacturing capabilities.
• Create and secure tens, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs.
• Immense reduction in the cost of Health Care.

The benefit of moderate supplementation of oxygen is well established, however, since a seminal paper published in 2007, as well as the many hypothesis and scientific relevance preceding by decades, the number of reported benefits of molecular hydrogen in biological systems has been tremendous. Indeed, molecular hydrogen supplementation in the form of Hydrogen gas or Hydrogen enriched water, has proven beneficial in the domains of human and animal health as well as plant growth and resistance to abiotic stresses. From aquaculture and marine life to the microbial abundance and diversity in soil, environmental remediation and regeneration, as well as carbon sequestration from atmosphere to earth, this research field is still young, and due to its immense potential benefits, needs to be nurtured, understood, and refined.

The HBRC’s primary focus is to apply this science to the huge array of challenges and applications that modern science is still unable to resolve. The HBRC will engage and collaborate with the many Governments, globally influential leaders, charitable organisations and research institutes from around the world, to apply real life clinical and practical solutions facing much of humanity, our earths co-inhabitants and the environments in which they live.

The Hydrogen Biology Research Centre is a not-for-profit organisation and all funds raised for a particular project, are dedicated to that particular project and outcome. A global scientific community will be encouraged to engage and contribute towards this immense undertaking across the many associated fields of expertise with real world solutions the ultimate objective.

We passionately and respectfully request support from everyone everywhere, and to come with us as we make the world a better place through clean, natural, biologically proven fundamental science for the greater good of all life that is so inter-dependant on each other. Please support us however you are able, in whatever capacity you can, as it will be our strength as one, where our momentum will create the biggest difference. Make no mistake, we are all in this together, and we will all benefit from what is created here.