Naturally, as I am generally interested in the bio-oxidative approach in medicine and am using it for many different purposes through various forms of ozone application, I am also aware of the use of hydrogen peroxide in medicine. The following overview I took from the book The Oxygen Prescription by Nathaniel Altman. I have chosen the excerpt for today’s posting because it is so concise and clear, and explains so well – for example why hydrogen peroxide would be such an excellent wound cleaning agent.
Hydrogen Peroxide is a clear, colorless liquid that easily mixes with water. Made up of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms, it is known chemically as H2O2. Hydrogen peroxide is created in the atmosphere when ultraviolet light strikes oxygen in the presence of moisture. Ozone (O3) is free oxygen (O2) plus an extra atom of oxygen. When it comes into contact with water, this extra atom of oxygen splits off very easily. Water (H2O) with the extra atom of oxygen and becomes hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
We can call hydrogen peroxide a close relative of ozone. Aside fro being known as a powerful oxygenator and oxidizer a special quality of hydrogen peroxide is its ability to readily decompose into water and oxygen. Like ozone, hydrogen peroxide reacts easily with other substances and is able to kill bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses and some types of tumor cells.
Hydrogen peroxide occurs naturally within the Earth’s biosphere; traces of it are found in rain and snow. It has also been found in many of the healing springs of the world… Hydrogen peroxide is an important component of plant life, and small amounts are found in many vegetables and fruits, including fresh cabbage, tomatoes, asparagus, green peppers, watercress, oranges, apples, and watermelons.
Hydrogen peroxide is also found in the animal kingdom, and is involved in many of the body’s natural processes. As an oxygenator, it is able to deliver small quantities of oxygen to the blood and other vital systems throughout the body. However, hydrogen peroxide does not oxygenate the body by merely producing modest amounts of oxygen; it has an extraordinary capacity to stimulate oxidative enzymes, which have the ability to change the chemical component of other substances (like viruses and bacteria) without being changed themselves. Rather than providing more oxygen to the cells, the presence of hydrogen peroxide enhances natural cellular oxidative processes, which increases the body’s ability to use what oxygen is available. According to the late Charles Farr MD, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading authorities on the chemical properties and therapeutic applications of hydrogen peroxide:
It functions to aid membrane transport, acts as a hormonal messenger, regulates thermogenesis (heat production), regulates and stimulates immune functions, regulates energy production [similar to insulin] and has many other important metabolic functions. It is purposely used by the body to produce hydroxyl radicals to kill bacteria, virus, fungi, yeast, and a number of parasites. This natural killing or protective system has nothing to do with increasing the amount of available oxygen.
Hydrogen peroxide must be present for our immune system to function properly. The cells in the body that fight infection (the class of white blood cells known as granulocytes) produce hydrogen peroxide as a first line of defense against harmful parasites, bacteria, viruses and fungi. Hydrogen peroxide is also needed for the metabolism of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. It is also a by-product of cell-metabolism (that is actively broken down by peroxidase) and a hormonal regulator that is necessary for the body’s production of estrogen, progesterone, and thyroxin. If that weren’t enough, hydrogen peroxide is involved in the regulation of blood sugar and of energy in body cells.