Imagine this scenario. Your friends want to take you to the top of a very tall mountain. It is more than 14,000 feet high. You don’t even have to hike. There’s a tram that can take you right up.
You agree to go. It’s a pleasant ride up. You spot some wildlife. All is going well…until you reach the top.
The moment you get off the train and start walking, you notice that you are not getting enough air on every breath, no matter how hard you inhale. Your head feels light like it’s going to pop off your head and fly to outer space. On top of that, you’re also feeling nauseated.
What you’re experiencing is mountain sickness. It’s a condition that affects people who go too high too quickly. Other symptoms can include fatigue, headache, rapid heart rate, nausea, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping.
In 2015, Chinese scientists published a hypothesis paper suggesting that hydrogen water be studied for mountain sickness, because the condition is linked to something called oxidative stress. It’s an idea for research, not a tested treatment.
What Is Oxidative Stress?
We actually talk about oxidative stress in excruciating detail in our previous post What Is Hydrogen Water. But we get it, having a million tabs open on your computer isn’t fun, and who wants to read another article just to understand the one you’re on? That would be an insane expectation on our part.
So here is our TL;DR version of oxidative stress:
- Your body has tiny molecules called free radicals.
- Some of these free radicals are harmful and tear your cells apart.
- Antioxidants are molecules that can neutralize them.
- If there are more free radicals in your body than antioxidants, your body is in a state of oxidative stress.
- Oxidative stress is linked to a number of health conditions including diabetes, obesity, Parkinson’s, and more.
- Oxidative stress is also linked to aging effects in your body.
Oxidative Stress At High Elevations
There are various issues that come with high elevations. For one thing, the concentration of oxygen is much lower. This means that for every breath you take, you are getting less of what you need out of the air.
You are also exposed to more UV light, lower temperatures, dust, and wind that carries the dust. All of these things individually can cause oxidative stress. At high elevations, you are dealing with all of them together.
Oxidative Stress And Mountain Sickness
Oxidative stress is known to be a factor in mountain sickness, but scientists don’t know exactly how it happens. What they do know is that when people enter high altitudes, certain indicators of oxidative stress increase.
One way to prevent mountain sickness is to gradually climb to higher altitudes, especially if you are going above 9,850 feet. Scientists say you should stay at that level for a few days before ascending any further.
Researchers have also studied substances with antioxidant activity, such as ginkgo biloba and rhodiola extracts, with mixed results.
Hydrogen has been suggested as another antioxidant worth studying. You could probably guess where this is going.
Where Hydrogen Water Fits In
When you drink hydrogen water, you are getting hydration plus dissolved hydrogen molecules, which have antioxidant properties in lab studies.
Researchers are interested in hydrogen because it behaves differently from many other antioxidants. As we said before, antioxidants are molecules that will get rid of free radicals that cause oxidative stress. The problem with them is they also get rid of other free radicals that are actually good for you.
In lab studies, hydrogen selectively targeted the most harmful free radicals. It may also have signaling effects that influence oxidative stress in other ways.
There aren’t any studies showing that hydrogen water prevents or treats mountain sickness in people. The link to oxidative stress makes it a reasonable question for research, but that’s all it is for now.
It remains a hypothesis proposed by Chinese scientists, and it would need to be tested in people. In the meantime, gradual ascent is the best-established way to lower your risk, and a doctor can advise you if you’re prone to altitude sickness.
It’s Not Just About Extreme Heights
Altitude matters even if you aren’t on top of a 14,000 foot mountain. Many people in the U.S. are living in places that are more like 1,000-2,000 meters (3,280-6,561 feet) high, and the conditions at those points can also contribute to oxidative stress.
Denver, Colorado for example is known as the Mile High City because it is 5,280 feet above sea level. At that height, the percentage of oxygen in the air is about 17% lower than it is at sea level.
Or let’s say you like to go skiing in Aspen. That is 8,000 feet above sea level. At that height, the oxygen is a whopping 25% lower. That’s low enough that you could easily feel the effects.
Where To Get Hydrogen Water
There are many different ways to get hydrogen water. One of them involves using special tablets that you put into the water. They contain magnesium, and they create a chemical reaction within the water that creates hydrogen.
There’s nothing wrong with doing this, but the main drawback is it’s kind of expensive. Every time you drink hydrogen water, you have to use a tablet. They aren’t super expensive by themselves, but if you’re drinking it everyday, the costs can add up.
A reusable hydrogen water bottle like the Echo Flask is a more cost effective way. The initial price is higher, but you end up paying less in the long run. It creates hydrogen by pumping an electrical current into the water. This breaks some of the water molecules apart, and some of the resulting hydrogen atoms bond to create hydrogen molecules. It’s these molecules that have antioxidant properties.
The Echo Flask is easy to use. You just add water and choose a cycle, which sets how much hydrogen is produced. While the bottle is creating hydrogen, you can take it anywhere you are going, whether you’re running errands, going to work, hitting the gym, or anything else.
Get your own Echo Flask today!
