Hydrogen Bath for Health
- Thomas P Seager, PhD
- Feb 10
- 9 min read
Alex Tarnava -- Inventor, Scientist, Philosopher
Summary
Healthy human bodies make hydrogen in their gut, via their gut microbiome. By contrast, methane production in the gut is unhealthy.
Hydrogen water can help restore a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion of fiber.
Transdermal absorption of hydrogen in a bath is a more direct route to the bloodstream, and may be more effective for targeting mitochondria -- especially in the liver.
Hydrogen inhalation machines typically engender risk of hydrogen combustion -- despite the fact that hydrogen is only a weak antioxidant in water.
Morozko Mineral Bath is the first in the world to incorporate a built-in hydrogen cycle .
Introducing Alex Tarnava
After Gary Brecka appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast and said "Bathing in hydrogen gas can be one of the most therapeutic things that you can do," I got a text message from Rogan asking, "Is hydrogen legit?"
I didn't know. To find out, I went to the library to read about the clinical trials in humans and animal models that showed hydrogen gas can relieve symptoms of chronic oxidative stress. Because most Americans suffer from some form of chronic oxidative stress, it sounded to me like yeah -- hydrogen is legit.
That was the genesis for the Morozko Mineral Bath, which incorporates a hydrogen generator to infuse the hot water to deliver hydrogen gas to the blood stream through the skin -- but to enrich my understanding of the medical benefits and mechanisms of hydrogen, I reached out to Alex Tarnava.
Tarnava invented the hydrogen tablets that Brecka was describing on Rogan's podcast, and Brecka hosted an extensive interview with Tarnava on his Ultimate Human podcast. You can listen to my conversation with Tarnava at the video link above. He points me in the right direction for more research about hydrogen, I challenge him on some of the claims he makes, and we discover that we hold several philosophical views unrelated to hydrogen in common.
What Is Hydrogen Water?
Hydrogen water is liquid H₂O that is infused with H₂ gas.
Hydrogen is the simplest of all the atomic structures. The hydrogen atom has just one proton and one electron, it is the smallest of all the atoms, and it performs several functions essential to life. Namely:
Water molecules are composed of two hydrogen and one oxygen atom, H₂O. The hydrogens are so small, compared with oxygen, that their electrons are largely captured by the oxygen nucleus, thus imparting a positive charge to the two hydrogen atoms and a negative charge to the oxygen. It is the dipole formed by this charge distribution that is the basis for all the unique properties of water in its many forms, including its structure, its effectiveness as a solvent, and its expansion when freezing into ice crystals.
Hydrocarbons are polymeric combinations of hydrogen attached to long carbon chains, and they are the basis of metabolism from which our mitochondria extract energy by forming carbon dioxide and water from glucose, fats, proteins, and ketones.
When hydrogen atoms are dissolved in water, they typically lose their electrons and consequently carry positive charge. This is how acids form, and is the basis for the measure pH, in which the H stands for hydrogen as H+. It is also how mitochondria move charge -- by modulating the movement of hydrogen protons across their semi-permeable membranes.
The least stable form of hydrogen is H₂ gas. It is charge-neutral, combustible in air, acts as a weak anti-oxidant in water, and modulates several metabolic functions in the body, including the gut (digestion) and mitochondria (respiration).
Hydrogen Production in the Human Gut
Healthy human metabolism takes place in two stages: 1) digestion, and 2) respiration.
Digestion takes place in the gut, where the food we eat is converted to glucose and fatty acids that are absorbed in the bloodstream. Respiration takes place in the mitochondria -- organelles contained within almost every cell of the human body where the products of digestion are oxidized to produce ATP and heat.
Digestion isn't really human at all, in the sense that it relies on trillions of separate microorganisms in the gut. Collectively, these are called the gut microbiome and they have their own DNA and their own reproductive and survival agenda. Ironically, more than 99% of the DNA on which our digestive system relies doesn't even belong to us, in the sense that it is not passed down from our parents -- it is in the cells of the microorganisms that live within us (Yong 2019).
The human colon is the final stage of the long gastrointestinal tract. It is anaerobic, which means that the microorganisms that reside there are never exposed to oxygen, and they don't have mitochondria. They don't need it, because they produce ATP via fermentation, not respiration.
There are two possible gaseous end-products of gut fermentation: 1) hydrogen, and 2) methane. Which gas dominates depends on the mix of different gut microbes. Some produce more hydrogen, and other species produce more methane. That is, the species of microbiota that dominate the gut govern the end-products of digestion that reach the bloodstream. An imbalance in these bacteria can lead to digestive issues and other health problems related to the immune system, digestive disorders, and even mood.
As far back as 1969, scientists have measured hydrogen production in the human colon (Levitt 1969). Because the introduction of hydrogen gas to the colon may favor those gut microbes that produce hydrogen, drinking hydrogen water may promote a healthier balance of gut bacteria (Ichikawa et al. 2023).
Hydrogen in the Mitochondria
While drinking hydrogen water delivers H₂ to the gut, bathing in hydrogen-enriched water delivers it through the skin to the bloodstream, bypassing the gut. Some of the hydrogen in the bloodstream will escape through the lungs, such that breath analysis is a reliable indication of hydrogen concentrations in the body. However, most of the H₂ in the bloodstream is used in other ways.
For a long time, the antioxidant properties of hydrogen gas were assumed to be the dominant mechanism by which H₂ benefited mitochondria. In theory, hydrogen could act as an electron donor to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) before they cause damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), thus preserving mitochondrial function under stress.
mtDNA are inherited exclusively from Mothers. With the exception of mutations and rare events involving paternal inheritance, today's humans contain the same mitochondria that our ancient ancestors did, because mitochondria do not reproduce sexually. They replicate via mitosis, like bacteria, by dividing into two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent. When mtDNA is damaged by a chronic excess of ROS, their function is impaired. Insulin resistance climbs, energy production declines, and the body becomes at increased risk of chronic illness.
In this way, the antioxidant theory of hydrogen gas preserving mitochondria is very sensible. In reality, I doubt it is the anti-oxidant properties of hydrogen that are the principal mechanism of action in the mitochondria. Recent research examining suggests that free radical scavenging is secondary to direct interaction of H₂ with electron transport inside the mitochondria (Ichikawa et al. 2023). In other words, it is not the physical electrochemistry of the hydrogen gas that modifies mitochondrial function, but the way hydrogen gas alters other biological functions.
In human biology, signaling molecules are those that initiate other biological processes. They don't necessarily participate in those processes. Rather, signaling molecules inform those processes -- i.e., their presence directs the body like a traffic signal directs automobile drivers. For example, ROS activate mitobiogenesis.
In Hormesis for Health I described the classic upside-down "U" curve typical of the body's response to stress. Without any stress, health suffers. As stress increases, health improves.
The presence of ROS is a hormetic stressor, which means that a little bit of ROS causes the body to adapt by building new mitochondria. Just like exercise initiates processes within the body that build muscle, cold exposure initiates processes within fat cells that build new mitochondria.
In Ice Baths for Mitochondrial Therapy I wrote that activation of brown fat via cold water immersion is the single most effective method of initiating mitophagy (elimination of damaged mitochondria) and mitobiogenesis (production of new mitochondria, Palikaras et al. 2015). The overall result is improved mitochondrial function, increased insulin sensitivity, resolution of metabolic dysfunction, and reduced risk of chronic illness.
Hydrogen gas in the bloodstream also initiates a mitochondrial upgrade via mitophagy and mitobiogenesis (Zhang et al. 2023). Tarnava made this claim -- that hydrogen bathing would act as a hormetic mitochondrial stressor -- but he never explained how. I think that's because no one yet really knows.
A New Hydrogen Hypothesis
This my current hypothesis is that hydrogen therapy activates the same mitochondrial adaptations as fasting.
Here's my reasoning:
Hydrogen production in the body principally takes place in the colon via fermentation of carbohydrates that cannot be processed in the small intestine. As Tarnava explains, the dietary source of those carbohydrates is fiber. For example, beans, bran, whole fruits, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, and even potatoes contain carbohydrates that resist digestion in the small intestine, but are subject to fermentation in the colon (i.e., large intestine). Therefore, diets high in fiber can promote high levels of hydrogen production in the colon for those people with a gut microbiome that favors hydrogen over methane. Some of that hydrogen will reach the bloodstream, and from there it will reach the mitochondria (e.g., in the liver).
Because fiber fills the stomach, but does not fuel the body, a high fiber diet could result in an energy deficit similar to fasting. Studies of high fiber diets typically report that people allowed to eat ad libitum (as much as they want) show that caloric intake drops naturally and subjects lose weight (Howarth et al. 2001, Te Morenga et al. 2011).
Fasting initiates mitophagy and mitobiogenesis (López-Lluch et al. 2006, Sinigaglia et al. 2025). That is, the caloric restriction that characterizes fasting is a hormetic stressor that signals the body to upgrade mitochondria, thereby improving the efficiency of energy processing at a time when energy is scarce.
Research regarding high fiber diets during caloric restriction typically focuses on appetite (satiety) via modulation of ghrelin and GLP-1, or production of short-chain fatty acids in the gut that boost metabolism (e.g., Guarneiri et al. 2025). No one has yet investigated whether hydrogen in the bloodstream initiates mitophagy and mitobiogenesis in the absence of fasting, but one study discovered that subjects with a gut microbiome rich in bacterial species that promote hydrogen production lost more weight (Ortega-Santos & Whisner 2019).
I'm not saying that hydrogen therapy will help you lose weight.
I'm saying that when mitochondria sense hydrogen in the bloodstream, they respond as if energy in the diet is scarce. When you think about our ancient ancestors, it makes no sense to think that they'd be filling up on tubers and vegetables if fish and fat were available. That is, when dietary fiber intake is high, it's probably because the energy-density of available food is low. One of the mechanisms by which the body adapts to the hormetic stress of low-quality food sources is probably hydrogen production that signals a mitochondrial upgrade.
If that's the case, then hydrogen water or a hydrogen bath could initiate the same mitochondrial processes, even under high food quality conditions.
Morozko Mineral Bath Delivers Hydrogen
The best way to stimulate mitobiogenesis is an ice bath. However, I now think that a hydrogen bath might be another good way to target mitochondria -- without the pain and discomfort of the cold.
What that means is that a hydrogen hot tub like the Morozko Mineral Bath could provide mitochondrial benefits at warm temperatures that I previously thought were only available from cold.
For people who can't, or won't ice bath, the Morozko Mineral Bath might be an effective, albeit expensive, alternative for boosting mitochondrial function, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of chronic illness, modulating immune function, and extending life.
References
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Ichikawa Y, Yamamoto H, Hirano SI, Sato B, Takefuji Y, Satoh F. The overlooked benefits of hydrogen-producing bacteria. Medical Gas Research. 2023 Jul 1;13(3):108-11.
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Levitt MD. Production and excretion of hydrogen gas in man. New England Journal of Medicine. 1969 Jul 17;281(3):122-7.
López-Lluch G, Hunt N, Jones B, Zhu M, Jamieson H, Hilmer S, Cascajo MV, Allard J, Ingram DK, Navas P, De Cabo R. Calorie restriction induces mitochondrial biogenesis and bioenergetic efficiency. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2006 Feb 7;103(6):1768-73.
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Ortega-Santos CP, Whisner CM. The key to successful weight loss on a high-fiber diet may be in gut microbiome Prevotella abundance. The Journal of Nutrition. 2019 Dec 1;149(12):2083-4.
Palikaras K, Lionaki E, Tavernarakis NJ. Balancing mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy to maintain energy metabolism homeostasis. Cell Death & Differentiation. 2015 Sep;22(9):1399-401.
Sinigaglia G, Zanini G, Selleri V, Pinti M. Fasting, mitophagy, and aging. InMitophagy in Health and Disease 2025 Jan 1 (pp. 309-327). Academic Press.
Te Morenga LA, Levers MT, Williams SM, Brown RC, Mann J. Comparison of high protein and high fiber weight-loss diets in women with risk factors for the metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial. Nutrition journal. 2011 Apr 28;10(1):40.
Yong E. I contain multitudes: The microbes within us and a grander view of life. Random House; 2016 Aug 18.
Zhang X, Xie F, Ma S, Ma C, Jiang X, Yi Y, Song Y, Liu M, Zhao P, Ma X. Mitochondria: one of the vital hubs for molecular hydrogen’s biological functions. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 2023 Nov 7;11:1283820.
About the Author
Thomas P Seager, PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University. Seager co-founded the Morozko Forge ice bath company and is an expert in the use of ice baths for building metabolic and psychological resilience.
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