By Dr Amtul Qudoos Farhat, MBBS, DCH (UK), FCPS (Pakistan) Assistant Professor, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Pakistan

A tool of nature which has been claimed to help

• Alter the course of various types of cancers
• Modify the autoimmune and chronic lung disease
• Fight chronic tiredness
• Give burst of oxygen to sparkle aging and dying cells

You will be surprised to know that Hydrogen Peroxide is not just an antiseptic or a bleaching agent, it is the natural mechanism provided in our body to fight the invading organisms such as bacteria, fungi, parasites and even cancer cells.

Neutrophill, a type of White Blood Cell in our body, is the factory to produce H2O2 in response to any foreign infective organism. This makes the First Line Defence of our body1. Intravenous Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy works on same scientific basis!
Hydrogen Peroxide, when given intravenously, breaks down to Water and Oxygen in the circulation. The Oxygen so released refreshes every cell of our body, just as Ozone Machine may be used to refresh our home. The reaction is written as follows:
H2O2—————– H2O+O

Such an oxygenation reaction can perform a host of functions in our body! Some of them are summarised below:

1. Chronic Infections:

Chronic infections are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasite and fungi which do not like Oxygen. They prefer anaerobic environment (without Oxygen). A burst of Oxygen may kill them. Just as it is done by the Neutrophills in our body(1).

2. Hydrogen peroxide can also work for acute infections such as the Flu(2). If you are down with chills, fever and flu like symptoms, a few sessions of treatment with hydrogen peroxide intravenously help relieve symptoms.

3. Role in Cancer Therapy:

Cancer cells have many unique features:
• Such cells thrive on Glucose (3).
• They may be killed in high Oxygen tensions (4).
• They have new vessels formation (5)
• They have many surface receptors for growth.(7)
• They fail to commit suicide (Apoptosis) (8)
• They have fewer gap junctions (6)

Therefore Hydrogen peroxide has been incorporated in to Integrative Cancer Therapy Programs. There are reports showing regression of tumour mass in various types of cancers (9,10,11,12).
It is also reported to enhance the sensitivity of the cancer to Radiotherapy(13). A direct relationship between the concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide and the sensitivity to Radiotherapy has been reported (14).

4. Hydrogen Peroxide as a Chelating Agent (Chelox Therapy):
Chelox Therapy is used as Chelation Therapy. It dilates small blood vessels which improves circulation. It also reduces endothelial inflammation (inner lining of the blood vessels which makes the bed for Plaque). Such inflammation may be reflected in the blood as raised HsCrp. Higher level of HsCrp in our blood is a risk factor for Heart Disease. It should always be tested while screening for Heart Risk Profile.

5. Oxygenation and Tiredness:
Hydrogen peroxide helps fight tiredness, fatigue, chilly feeling and feverishness. Such symptoms may go untreated for years since mainstream doctors may not find any specific test result to prove any cause.
Such tiredness is generally multi factorial. The major contributory factors may be an underlying low grade infection caused by bacteria, viruses or Candida (yeast) (15). Many of these organisms do not have the ability to survive in presence of oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide acts like an Antibiotic for them even though it is not an Antibiotic! Besides it does not have the side effects like many Antibiotics.

6. Hydrogen Peroxide and Autoimmune Disease:
We now know that Fibromyalgia and Autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, and Scleroderma are not just the result of one’s own unreasonably overactive Immune System. It possibly is a response to an underlying chronic low grade viral or fungal or bacterial infection(16). Hydrogen peroxide helps clear such infection and alters the course of disease.

7. Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD):
Hydrogen peroxide loosens the phlegm which facilitates breathing17. Phlegm nurtures bacteria, which may worsen the problem. Hydrogen peroxide helps clear the secondary infection. The patient may feel opening up of sinuses and respiratory passages right after the treatment.
However, it cannot reverse the damage already done to the lungs(18).
Hydrogen Peroxide is very useful for other respiratory conditions like Chronic Sinusitis, Bronchiectasis, Flu Syndrome and Halitosis (bad or offensive breath) (19).

8. Oxygen helps Thyroid and tired Adrenals to sparkle in rejuvenated state (20).

9. Hydrogen Peroxide for Herpes:
Reports show that it is an effective treatment to reduce the symptoms (pain and vesicles) and duration of a relapse of all types of Herpes including Genital Herpes(16).

References:

1. Weiss SJ, Young J, LoBuglio AF, Slivka A, Nimeh NF. Role of hydrogen peroxide in neutrophil-mediated destruction of cultured endothelial cells. J Clin Invest. 1981 Sep; 68(3):714–721.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): What Kills Influenza Virus?
3. Kido Y, Nakae J, Accili D. The insulin receptor and its cellular targets. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001;86:972–9
4. Vaupel, P., Mayer, A. 2007. Hypoxia and cancer: significance and impact on clinical outcome. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 26:225-239.
5.  Liao, D., Johnson, R.S. 2007. Hypoxia: a key regulator of angiogenesis in cancer. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 26:281-290.
6.  Hotz-Wagenblatt A, Shalloway D: Gap junctional communication and neoplastic transformation. Crit Rev Oncog 1993, 4:541-558.
7. Hydrogen Peroxide: Medical Miracle, by William Campbell Douglass
8. Brown JM, Attardi LD (2005)The role of apoptosis in cancer development and treatment response. Nat Rev Cancer 5: 231–237
9. Flood Your Body With Oxygen/ Oxygen Therapies, A New Way of Approaching Disease by Ed McCabe
10. Koch, W.F. The Survival Factor in Neoplastic and Viral Diseases. The Inter. Oxid. Instit, Priest River, Idaho, 83856. 1921
11. Borell G. The Peroxide Story-2nd Printing. ECHO. 1986.
12. Le Beau, C. Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy- New Hope for Incurable Disease. 3rd. Edition, revised.
13. K. I. Block Why Integrative Therapies?Integr Cancer Ther, March 1, 2006; 5(1): 3 – 6.
14.  “Alternatives in cancer therapy” by Ross, R.Ph. Pelton, Lee Overholser
15. Hydrogen Peroxide: Medical Miracle, by William Campbell Douglass
16. Eckhard Alt, MDa, Francesca Leipold, MDa, Danica Milatovic, MDa, Günter Lehmann, MDa, Sybille Heinz, MDa, Albert Schömig, MDa Hydrogen peroxide for prevention of bacterial growth on polymer biomaterials, Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München, Germany
17. Charles H. Farr, M.D., Ph.D.,The Therapeutic Use of Intravenous Hydrogen Peroxide (Monograph). Genesis Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73139, Jan. 1987.
18. Hydrogen Peroxide: Medical Miracle, by William Campbell Douglass
19. T.L. Dormandy, “In Praise of Peroxidation,” Lancet, II (Nov. 12):1126, 1988.
20. Hydrogen Peroxide: Medical Miracle, by William Campbell Douglass