Allergy relief: How can hydrogen inhalation alleviate allergies?

Allergies are among the most common chronic health problems. Whether hay fever, dust mite allergy, or allergic asthma – millions of people suffer from irritated mucous membranes, respiratory problems, itching, or persistent inflammatory reactions. Increasingly, scientific research is therefore investigating whether molecular hydrogen (H₂) can play a supportive role in allergic inflammation.

In an allergy, the immune system overreacts to substances that are actually harmless, such as pollen or house dust. This triggers the release of various messenger substances, including histamine and pro-inflammatory cytokines. These lead to:

Many forms of allergy – especially allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and allergic asthma – are even considered by medical professionals to be chronic inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract. This is precisely where the scientific interest in molecular hydrogen comes into play.

Molecular hydrogen has been the subject of intensive research for several years because it possesses two remarkable properties:

• antioxidant effect – neutralization of certain aggressive oxygen radicals
• anti-inflammatory effect – influence on inflammatory signaling pathways in the body

These properties are particularly relevant in diseases associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammation – including many allergies.

Several scientific studies have shown that hydrogen can influence inflammatory processes in the airways. For example, one study demonstrated that hydrogen gas reduced allergic asthma inflammation by inhibiting key inflammatory signaling pathways. This included a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines and a weakening of the allergic immune response.

Further studies have also observed that hydrogen inhalation reduces inflammatory markers in the airways. In a clinical trial with asthma and COPD patients, hydrogen inhalation lowered various inflammatory mediators in the respiratory system. Animal models of allergic diseases also showed:

• reduced mucosal inflammation
• reduced allergic cytokines (e.g., IL-5 and IL-13)
• less inflammatory cell infiltration in the airways

These results indicate that molecular hydrogen can positively influence the inflammatory environment in allergic reactions.

In allergies, the inflamed areas are usually located directly in the airways and mucous membranes. When hydrogen is inhaled, it reaches the following areas directly:

• Nasal mucous membranes
• Sinuses
• Bronchia
• Lung tissue

This allows the hydrogen to act precisely where allergic inflammation originates. Especially in cases of chronic allergies or allergic asthma, this natural method could help reduce the overall inflammatory environment in the body.

BestElements is MHI member, Sources: Zhang J. et al. (2021): Molecular hydrogen alleviates asthma through inhibiting IL-33/ILC2 axis. Inflammation Research; Wang S.T. et al. (2020): Hydrogen gas inhalation ameliorates airway inflammation in asthma and COPD patients. QJM; Fang S. et al. (2018): Beneficial effects of hydrogen gas inhalation on allergic rhinitis. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine.

Besides inhalation, molecular hydrogen is also ingested through hydrogen-rich drinking water. In this process, water is enriched with dissolved molecular hydrogen (H₂). After drinking, the hydrogen quickly enters the bloodstream via the digestive tract and, due to its very small molecular size, can rapidly distribute itself throughout the body.

Here, too, research focuses primarily on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Since many allergies are associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammatory processes of the immune system, scientists are investigating whether hydrogen-rich water can positively influence these processes.

For example, a clinical study examined patients with atopic dermatitis, an allergic skin disease. In the study, researchers reported improvements in symptoms, changes in inflammatory markers, and a reduction in oxidative stress through regular consumption of hydrogen-rich water.

These results suggest that hydrogen-rich drinking water can positively influence the overall inflammatory environment in the body. Hydrogen intake via inhalation as well as via drinking water can provide systemic support to the organism, which can be particularly interesting in allergic diseases where the immune system overreacts overall.

BestElements is MHI member, Source: Kim Y. et al. (2013): Improvement of atopic dermatitis symptoms by drinking hydrogen-rich water. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition.