Molecular hydrogen is not a treatment for depression. However, researchers have studied its relationship to oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, two biological processes that have been associated with depressive disorders.
This article explains what current research shows about molecular hydrogen and how it may support brain health at the cellular level, while discussing the proposed mechanisms, evidence, and limitations of existing studies.
Researchers are studying molecular hydrogen because oxidative stress and neuroinflammation have been associated with depression.
In this post, we describe in great detail:
Let's dive right in!
As science continues its steady march forward, and our capacity for measuring and understanding human physiology continues to improve, we learn more about the physiological basis for disease states every day.
We have come to learn that even states of mind, moods and mood disorders often have a basis in physiopathology.
That’s not to say that something like depression is rooted solely in an individual’s physiology-there is a larger bio-psycho-social framework at play as well.
And it seems likely that if we look at mood disturbances like depression and anxiety, we’ll find that they exist on a spectrum from largely biological to largely external.
Some people are born with genetic depressive tendencies, which is very different from someone who is depressed because of recent events in their life.
In any case, we’ve come to learn that wherever you may fall on that spectrum, there is absolutely a physiological component to neurocognitive disorders.
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Research suggests oxidative stress and neuroinflammation may contribute to depression in some individuals.
Neuroinflammation has been observed in many studies involving depressive disorders.
There is definitely some debate around the chicken and egg nature of these findings...i.e., does neural inflammation cause these mental states, or does being depressed cause neural inflammation?
Researchers continue to investigate whether reducing oxidative stress and inflammation may influence depressive symptoms.
Studies have shown that treatment with anti-inflammatories such as NSAIDs can actually improve depression and anxiety. NSAID stands for “Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug” and includes common OTC medications such as Tylenol and Advil, as well as their prescription counterparts.
While this is a very exciting finding, there are several reasons that it’s not desirable to take NSAIDs regularly. For one, NSAIDs can be hell on your stomach.
Long term use of NSAIDs has been shown to cause gastric ulcers, and some of the prescription NSAIDs have been shown to cause ulcers in as little as 2 weeks. No bueno.
Why Researchers Are Studying Molecular Hydrogen
Research suggests molecular hydrogen may help modulate oxidative stress and .
Researchers have studied molecular hydrogen for its potential to help modulate oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling pathways.
Oxidative stress is thought to contribute to neuroinflammation, which has been associated with depressive disorders.
Oxidative stress refers to an imbalance between the production of harmful free radicals and our bodies’ natural antioxidant defense systems. Ideally, these two live in harmony, and we produce sufficient antioxidants to keep pace with the production of free radicals.
However, for any number of reasons, this system can get out of whack. In the brain, studies have shown that aging, job stress, long work hours, cognitive load (not to mention diet, exercise, environment, etc) can all lead to an overproduction of free radicals, leading to oxidative stress and oxidative damage.
This results in a chronic inflammatory state as your body tries to keep pace with the damage.
Molecular hydrogen is a selective antioxidant that has been studied for its effects on oxidative stress. It works by selectively targeting some of the worst free radicals, like hydroxyl and peroxynitrite.
It also ramps up your own endogenous production of antioxidant powerhouses like superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase.
So it’s perfectly suited for re-balancing the critical anti-oxidant/free radical balance in your cells.
What makes hydrogen so exciting in terms of brain health is that because it’s so small, molecular hydrogen is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, and diffuse directly into neuronal cells, exerting its powerful antioxidant activity at the level of each neuron.
This works to directly counteract the effects of excessive free radical production and oxidative stress, helping modulate oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling pathways.
And this isn’t just theory.
Stressed Out Mice
Animal studies have reported improvements in depression-like behaviors following administration of molecular hydrogen, although results from animal models do not necessarily translate to humans.
Apparently, stressed-out mice get depressed. When these mice were stressed, they gained weight, grew lethargic, spent all day in their pajamas, etc. Administration of either inhaled hydrogen or hydrogen-rich water resulted in more activity, no weight gain, and better performance at cognitive tasks than the control groups.
But that’s just an animal study...what about people?
Well, these extremely promising results led to human trials.
Stressed Out People![]()
Preliminary human studies have reported improvements in mood, anxiety, and quality-of-life measures. However, these findings require confirmation in larger clinical trials.
This study also found something else really cool. One of the markers the researchers looked at was activation of the subjects’ sympathetic nervous systems. That’s the “fight or flight” side of the autonomic nervous system.
Chronic stress, fatigue, etc., can lead to chronic elevation of your sympathetic nervous system, which leads to inflammation, poor blood sugar control, and weight gain, and is correlated with most chronic diseases.
In this study, researchers observed changes in markers related to autonomic nervous system activity.
What’s more, is that to remain consistent with prior studies, the concentration of hydrogen used was kept quite low, less than 1.8 parts per million.
Researchers are also investigating molecular hydrogen in a variety of neurological and mental health conditions, although the evidence remains preliminary, and additional clinical research is needed.
Hydrogen Therapy and the Future
As we become increasingly aware that oxidative stress (and damage) and the ensuing inflammation appear to be at the root of so many of these disorders, research suggests molecular hydrogen may help modulate oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways involved in brain health. Its potential role in depression remains under investigation.
Certainly, if you or a loved one is struggling with depression, anxiety, or any other neurocognitive disorder, you should absolutely consult with your primary health care provider for treatment and management.
