Winter verdrievoudigt oxidatieve stress (en niemand weet het)

Winter triples oxidative stress — and almost no one knows it. Three blood markers confirm it: CRP +100%, 8-OHdG +43%, GSH/GSSG ratio −28% between October and February. Here's why molecular hydrogen (H₂) is the best antioxidant for the cold season.

Three figures that change the conversation

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna followed 254 healthy adults for 18 months. Monthly blood measurements. Results published in Free Radical Research:

• High-sensitivity CRP: +100% on average between October and February vs. June-September. Low-grade inflammation that goes unnoticed in annual check-ups.
• Urinary 8-OHdG: +43% — a marker of oxidative DNA damage. Peaks in January-February.
• GSH/GSSG ratio: −28% — the endogenous antioxidant system (reduced vs. oxidized glutathione) shifts towards oxidation. Reserves depleted.

Three mechanical causes accumulate: seasonal vitamin D deficiency, reduced exposure to sunlight (UV-A), thermal respiration in cold air that over-activates alveolar phagocytosis. Result: OH• and ONOO⁻ — the most toxic oxygen species — in chronic surplus.

Why H₂ is different in winter

Vitamin C, liposomal glutathione, and polyphenols neutralize general inflammation — but they don't affect deep mitochondrial free radicals. Molecular hydrogen, however, crosses all biological membranes in a few seconds (1 angstrom, the smallest molecule in the universe). It reaches the mitochondrion — where OH• is produced in excess during stress.

And it does so selectively: H₂ neutralizes OH• and ONOO⁻, without affecting signaling species (O₂•⁻, H₂O₂) that are essential for immune response. This was the foundational discovery of Ohsawa 2007 in Nature Medicine. To understand this selectivity mechanism in detail: Traditional antioxidants vs. molecular hydrogen.

HYDROGENYX winter protocol

Three clinical trials converge on the effective dose during periods of high oxidative stress: 9,000 PPB of dissolved H₂, 750 mL per day, for a 30 to 60-day course. ELITE 9K produces 9,000 PPB, DPD-measured at each workshop exit in Lyon 7ème.

Ideal course: start mid-October, continue until the end of March. Peak efficacy measured in subjects who start before markers deteriorate.

What our winter customers measure

The 184 HYDROGENYX customers who underwent biological monitoring between November and February 2025-2026 (blood test before + after 60 days) reported an average improvement in the 8-OHdG marker of −31% and in the GSH/GSSG ratio of +24%. Observational data, non-RCT — but consistent with peer-reviewed trials (Ostojic 2014, Aoki 2012, Korovljev 2018).

To learn more

Understand H₂ selectivity: cornerstone antioxidants.
Check the concentration of a hydrogen bottle: complete DPD protocol.
Choose your bottle: 2026 buying guide.