Women's health is a subject that is dear to me, because it took some major time and growth for me to recognize how I had deeply deprioritized it within my own life. As a human, I am sensitive to any and all hormonal changes that occur in my body, and it has wrought havoc on my physical and mental health - especially without proper guidance on how to handle it all.
On the path of a workaholic that tries to do everything for everyone, I am still in the process of learning what it means to truly rest, set boundaries, and work through whatever childhood and adolescent traumas that make it hard for me to regulate. As a woman - and I speak mostly for myself - I realized that it was paramount to start actively regulating my nervous system, because my hormonal sensitivities consequently result me experiencing PMMD, which can be debilitating.
I've come a long way over the last 3 years, learning about the mental-emotional and physical components of my being, and applying all of that to my daily life. I am getting closer to what I would consider to be my psychological baseline (not perfect, but also knowing how to bring myself back into balance in different ways), while also learning how to take care of myself within the realm of physical fitness. That left the diet and nutritional aspect of my health.
To me, this has meant improving my iron intake, exploring the world of beef organs and fermentation, learning how to grow food, and realizing that animal-based foods are life savers when you source them sustainably. And now, part of that journey includes drinking hydrogen water every day. 😊
This blog is meant to be small exploration of how molecular hydrogen impacts the female body, based on several studies that are currently out. From my perspective, the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties of the molecule are valuable enough to invest in, but it was curious to see if anyone had done any research into how this might impact the female body.
Reproductive Organs + Homeostasis
Hydrogen supplementation has already been discovered to exert protective effects on the uterus, ovaries, and mammary glands, while also improving follicle development. Not only does hydrogen protect our reproductive organs, but it also helps these organs heal from injury (ex. adnexal torsion, or twisting of the ovaries/fallopian tube). Ovarian failure, for example, can be caused by genetic anomaly, immune dysfunction, various cancers, exposure to radiation/chemotherapy, etc. Hydrogen supplementation has been shown to both protect against the external causes of ovarian failure, while also protecting the ovarian reserve function of those with ovarian failure caused by genetic/autoimmune dysfunction.
One cool therapeutic benefit of hydrogen supplementation is that is helps support the female body through menopause. The drop in estrogen that occurs during menopause leads to gradual breast atrophy, the thinning/drying of the genital walls, and osteoporosis. While hydrogen exerts a generally beneficial effect on issues that are exacerbated by inflammation, it has been shown specifically to improve bone density, therefore reducing menopausal osteoporosis (which should definitely be paired with a consistent resistance training program!).
Physical Inflammation
Molecular hydrogen reduces uterine inflammation by reducing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and contractile proteins in the uterus. In pregnant women, a regulation of the amount of progesterone in the maternal serum can reduce the risk of preterm birth. Additionally, hydrogen supplementation has been shown to reduce the risk of preeclampsia, and lessen some its symptoms in those that already have preeclampsia (ex. lowering arterial pressure, increasing fetal and placental weight, and reducing angiogenic imbalance).
The impact that hydrogen exerts on the body when it comes to inflammation can help to reduce the intensity of uterine cramps that a woman feels that are associated with menstruation, ovulation, and those that occur during pregnancy. This helping to support her body through the ups and downs of the menstrual cycle.
Mental Health
The emotional impact of the menstrual cycle, caused by fluctuations in hormones (ex. estrogen and progesterone), can cause minor disruptions in daily life for some, while causing full blown crises in others. Experiences associated with PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) can parallel symptoms associated with BPD (borderline personality disorder), causing a myriad of psychological upsets that leave some women reeling month after month. Proper hydrogen supplementation can help lessen the severity of these symptoms, acting as one part of the holistic puzzle that is mental health. Separately, molecular hydrogen has also been shown to improve general anxiety and panic, which can also benefit a woman who experiences a spike in these symptoms associated with her cycle.
Impact on Female Reproductive Cancers
There have been multiple studies that are beginning to explore the efficacy of using various forms of hydrogen therapy (ex. inhalation, hydrogen water) to treat and/or prevent cancers that are female-specific. Several initial studies have found that that endometrial, ovarian, and mammary tumors could be reduced by using hydrogen supplementation. One thing I do want to note is that more studies need to be done to really confirm just how impactful hydrogen therapy is when it comes to these types of cancers, as most studies that have been done focus on other forms of cancer, with breast cancer being the most common female-specific cancer studied. Like any new discovery,
Sources
Aker, M.N., Gönenç, İ.M., Çalişici, D. et al. The effect of hydrogen-rich water consumption on premenstrual symptoms and quality of life: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Women's Health 24, 197 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03029-8
Ariana Cabrera-Licona, Juan Paz-García, Oscar F. Beas Guzmán, Iván Delgado-Enciso, Brenda A. Paz-Michel. Neutral Electrolyzed Water Decreases Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Viability, Clonogenic Survival, Adhesion, Migration, and 3-D Spheroid Growth. Journal of Cancer Science and Clinical Therapeutics 8 (2024): 83-94.
Fernández-Serrano AB, Moya-Faz FJ, Giner Alegría CA, Fernández Rodríguez JC, Soriano Guilabert JF, del Toro Mellado M. Effects of hydrogen water and psychological treatment in a sample of women with panic disorder: a randomized and controlled clinical trial. Health Psychology Research. 2022;10(2). doi:10.52965/001c.35468
Frajese, Giovanni Vanni, Benvenuto, Monica, Mattera, Rosanna, Giampaoli, Saverio, Ambrosin, Elena, Bernardini, Roberta, Giganti, Maria Gabriella, Albonici, Loredana, Dus, Ivan, Manzari, Vittorio, Modesti, Andrea, Mattei, Maurizio, Bei, Roberto, Electrochemically Reduced Water Delays Mammary Tumors Growth in Mice and Inhibits Breast Cancer Cells Survival In Vitro, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018, 4753507, 14 pages, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4753507
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Shang, L., Xie, F., Li, J., Zhang, Y., Liu, M., Zhao, P., Ma, X., & Lebaron, T. (2018). Therapeutic potential of molecular hydrogen in ovarian cancer. Translational Cancer Research, 7(4), 988-995. doi:10.21037/tcr.2018.07.09
Yang, Y., Liu, P.Y., Bao, W. et al. Hydrogen inhibits endometrial cancer growth via a ROS/NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD-mediated pyroptotic pathway. BMC Cancer 20, 28 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-019-6491-6
Zhang Y, Liu H, Xu J, Zheng S, Zhou L. Hydrogen Gas: A Novel Type of Antioxidant in Modulating Sexual Organs Homeostasis. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021 Jan 16;2021:8844346. doi: 10.1155/2021/8844346. PMID: 33510842; PMCID: PMC7826209.
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