Ozone Therapy is the application of ozone gas for medical purposes. While oxygen combines two oxygen atoms, ozone is the combination of three oxygen atoms. Ozone Therapy positively impacts health and physiology in an extremely wide variety of ways. Ozone Therapy also has a variety of administration options. For example, Ozone Therapy can be effectively used as a home remedy for conditions of the ears, nose, sinuses, skin, vagina, and bladder for example. Additionally, individuals can take advantage of excellent systematic absorption with intravenous use of ozone or rectal use in the comfort of one’s home.
Amongst its many unique benefits, Ozone Therapy promotes longevity and healthy aging by suppressing inflammation and by promoting the upregulation of innate antioxidant systems in the body. It does this by promoting balance between prooxidants that cause oxidative stress and antioxidants that neutralize oxidation. Without this balance oxidative stress results in excessive cellular damage. Other established benefits of Ozone Therapy include its ability to increase energy by upregulating oxygen usage for conditions characterized by fatigue. Ozone Therapy may be most well-known for its combined ability to both act as an antimicrobial agent while simultaneously upregulating the immune response. In this blog I focus on Ozone Therapy’s longevity promoting benefits by way of downregulating chronic inflammation and upregulating antioxidant systems.
Oxidative Damage, Inflammation, and Premature Aging
Excessive free radical damage or oxidation, along with chronic inflammation are both hallmarks of premature aging and chronic disease. Every chronic disease has higher rates of both disastrous processes. Consider how oxidative damage ravages low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol, increasing the risk of cardiovascular events and accelerating arterial disease. Or consider how oxidative damage in the tiny blood vessels of the eyes and kidneys lead to eye damage and kidney dysfunction. And wherever there’s excessive oxidative damage, inflammation is involved. No wonder supplements on the market designed to help protect tissue from oxidative damage and inflammation typically contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Oxidative stress is a natural and normal part of physiology and the consequence of respiration, energy production, metabolism, and immune defense. We are also subject to several external sources of oxidative damage from reactive oxygen species caused by ultraviolet light, environmental toxins like heavy metals and pesticides, ionizing radiation, and tobacco smoke. When increased oxidative stress overrides our antioxidant capacities, damage, disease, and premature aging results.
Ozone Therapy Upregulates Antioxidant Systems
Although we can obtain important antioxidants from our diet, the most powerful antioxidants are those that our body makes. The pathways in our body that make antioxidants are known as antioxidant systems and involve a series of enzymatic reactions, cofactors, and nutrients. These systems are upregulated by virtue of Ozone Therapy’s ability to apply a gentle stress that leads to an increase in stress resistance. This helps neutralize and prevent oxidative damage from outpacing antioxidant capacities, bringing this equation back into balance.
How Ozone Therapy Upregulates our Antioxidant Defenses:
- Increases Nrf2: nuclear factor-2 related factor is a transcription factor and master regulator of antioxidant defenses. Nrf2 stimulates endogenous antioxidants, increases phase two detoxification, decreases inflammation, lowers oxidative stress, increases mitochondrial function, and up regulates renewal of stem cells. Activation of the Nrf2 pathway helps protect us from cancer, toxicity, inflammation, pathogens, and premature aging.
- Increases hydrogen peroxide: the oxidative effect of hydrogen peroxide leads to the induction of endogenous antioxidant systems such as the powerful superoxide dismutase, and heme-oxygenase, glutathione reductase, catalase, and nitric oxide.
- Induces lipid peroxides: lipid peroxides are a variety of oxidation products that act as signaling molecules contributing to oxidative stress. This stress then stimulates the expression of cell survival and protective mechanisms so characteristic of antioxidant systems.
Ozone Therapy has Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Effects
It is well known and established that chronic disease is characterized by chronic inflammation. What is not so well recognized is the role that oxidative damage plays in perpetuating inflammation. Nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-κB) is a common culprit in chronic inflammation and is present in chronic infections, chronic diseases and even cancer. Ozone’s ability to increase Nrf2 leads to increases in superoxide dismutase which in turn suppresses NF-κB, turning down inflammation.
Summary
Ozone Therapy is the application of ozone gas for medical purposes. Ozone Therapy positively impacts health and physiology in a wide variety of ways. Ozone Therapy can be effectively used as a home remedy for conditions of the ears, nose, sinuses, skin, vagina, and bladder for example. Individuals can take advantage of excellent systematic absorption with the intravenous use of ozone or rectal use in the comfort of one’s home.
Amongst its many unique benefits, Ozone Therapy promotes longevity and healthy aging by suppressing inflammation and promoting the upregulation of innate antioxidant systems in the body. These systems are upregulated by virtue of Ozone Therapy’s ability to apply a gentle stress causing the body to respond by increasing stress resistance. This helps neutralize oxidative stress, keeping oxidative damage from outpacing antioxidant capacities.
Dr. Ayo Bankole
Bankole is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor treating persons with heart disease, diabetes, inflammation and other environmental and lifestyle related conditions. He also possesses advanced training in environmental medicine and uses IV nutritional therapy, ozone therapy, detoxification, and chelation therapy.
He is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine www.a4m.com, American Academy for the Advancement of Medicine www.acam.org, and the California Association of Naturopathic Doctors www.cand.org.
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