Exploring Ozone Therapy: Controversy and Potential Health Benefits

The Benefits of Ozone Therapy

Life on Earth wouldn’t be possible without ozone. Is there a way to harness the power of ozone for your own health?

This little molecule is quite controversial. The FDA has said repeatedly that there is no proven medicinal use for ozone. It’s been called “pure quackery” by mainstream physicians. That’s what makes it interesting.

Talk to your doctor before considering this therapy. This article is not medical advice.

What is Ozone

Ozone is an inorganic molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms (O₃). It is produced naturally by UV light but can be made in labs pretty easily. Ozone is a very reactive molecule. When it comes into contact with organic compounds it contributes its oxygen atoms and forms ozonides.

Ozonides are then converted into hydroperoxides. Peroxides release oxygen as pH increases. This causes oxidation. This is the main mechanism of action of ozone.

Most of the time, oxidation is a bad thing for the body. It would seem ozone therapy is counterintuitive for this reason. But it’s not.

Ozone has been shown to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes through its oxidation. When ozone comes in contact with bacteria it oxidizes the cell wall which is made of lipoproteins and phospholipids. The cell wall breaks and the bacteria die. It kills fungi in a similar way.

It interferes with viruses by breaking down the viral capsid and interfering with viral replication. In fact, this was one of the proposed therapies for covid-19 due to the high amount of cysteine found in SARD-CoV-2.

Another mechanism for ozone is the stimulation of oxygen metabolism. Ozone stimulates 2,3-diphosphoglycerate which causes oxygen to be released into the tissues.

Ozone is thought to activate the Krebs cycle through the oxidation of pyruvate - this increases the amount of ATP (energy) created by the cells.

It is also thought to produce free radical scavengers like glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. It promotes the production of prostacyclin which is a vasodilator, leading to improved blood flow.

Ozone doesn’t only kill microbes by coming into contact with them. It also stimulates the immune system as a whole. Ozone increases the production of interferon, TNF, and IL-2 - these are all important immune signaling molecules.

As you can see, there are multiple different mechanisms through which ozone affects the body.

There are also drawbacks to ozone therapy. The same mechanisms discussed above also cause damage within the body. For example, while it damages bacterial cell walls, it can also damage the cell walls within your body. It also doesn’t react well with the lungs.

Because of the risks, it is important to have strong oversight when utilizing these therapies. Someone should be available to watch for and discuss side effects.