Drinking Ozone Water

You may have heard about ozone. The ozone layer up above protects us from the sun, and ground level ozone is caused by pollution.

This seemingly simple molecule is one of the most misunderstood and mis-contextualized molecules in existence. It accounts as a paradox within the great expanse of molecules!

Is it dangerous or is it healthy? Is it a pollutant or is it a disinfectant? Is it unstable or predictable?

Yes.

It harnesses all of these capabilities in different environments.

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Ozone’s basic properties allow for a dynamic range of uses in many different industries. It can destroy bacteria and viruses to create safe drinking water, eradicate mold in a house, prevent a gangrenous leg from being amputated, or be injected to treat herniated discs. 

Each industry adds different pieces to the puzzle, which in turn, only adds more questions and fewer answers! People often read information from one industry and apply it to all the others, which ends up in even more misunderstanding. 

Ozone water for medical purposes is commonly used for the following:

• Dental issues: infections, cavitations, receding gums, sores, healing surgery wounds, etc.
• Skin issues: Lavaging of ulcers, infections, sores, non-healing wounds, surgical wounds, etc.
• Drinking ozone water: Claimed benefits on infections, digestive issues, gut healing, etc.

To learn more about the safety of ozone therapy (click here) or how it works (click here). 

This page will cover: 

• What ozone water actually is 
• How it’s used 
• How to make it (at home or in a clinic) 

Scientific Evidence vs. Anecdotal Evidence (personal testimonies)

I know many people and doctors will criticize me for this article.  My intention is just to lay out the information that exists and allow people to make informed decisions.  Please feel free to present me with good scientific information that contradicts my statements.  

I would also like to encourage these organizations to produce more data on drinking ozone water, either good or bad: International Scientific Committee of Ozone Therapy, The World Federation of Ozone Therapy, the University of Sienna, the Journal of Ozone Therapy, and the Spanish Association of Medical Professionals in Ozone Therapy.

Drinking ozonated water is not an easy subject to nail down because there is very little scientific evidence for its effectiveness, which is different from blood or rectal treatments with ozone.

Ozonated water for the washing of wounds and dental purposes has significant scientific research, dating back to World War I.  But the drinking of ozone water is almost ignored by most scientific ozone organizations, perhaps due to its unknown complexities. 

This doesn’t mean that drinking ozone water has no benefit.  It means that we don’t know exactly how or if it works.  Most ozone doctors claim that ozone water is safe to drink.

There is preliminary data that suggests it’s effectiveness for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial infection that can cause severe stomach ulcers.  (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

The majority of people drinking ozone water do it for one of these reasons:

• They feel better when they do.  Perhaps placebo, perhaps not.  
• A doctor or authority figure told them to do it based on their clinical observations.  They see people who get better with it but don’t know exactly why.  
• There are some people making embellished claims on drinking ozone water because they profit by selling the equipment.  It is either negligence in researching, an almost blind trust in the effectiveness, personal experience, or a malicious endeavor to profit (I don’t think this is likely, knowing them)
• Testimonies of people touting the benefits of drinking ozone water.  

What is ozone water? 

Ozone is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms (O3), a close relationship to oxygen (O2).  Different from oxygen, ozone is extremely unstable because the extra oxygen atom wants to break off and combine with other molecules — a process known as oxidation.

Making ozone water involves infusing ozone gas into water. Ozone gas is bubbled through the water and slowly dissolves until the water retains a reasonable concentration of ozone that can be used for drinking.

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Benefits of Drinking Ozone Water

There isn’t any other good scientific data yet, which is unfortunate considering the amount of anecdotal testimonies.‍

Scientific Data:

• May work against H. Pylori infection

Anecdotal Testimonies:

• May assist gut diseases such as Leaky Gut, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS, IBD, and food sensitivities
• May aid in digestion
• May increase energy
• May reduce inflammation

Risks

• Largely unknown
• Scratchy/sore throat

Contraindications and Reasons to Avoid Drinking Ozone Water

• Largely unknown
• Ozone allergy (rare - people develop a rash when exposed to ozone)

Ozone water is useful for things beyond drinking 

Ozone water is used as a disinfectant 

Ozone gas is one of the most powerful antiseptics known to man, and was being used to disinfect wounds as far back as WWI. 

Ozone water is sometimes used by integrative practitioners to treat skin wounds and open sores even today. Due to its antiseptic properties, ozone water is often used to disinfect medical instruments. 

Ozone water is used in dentistry 

Along with disinfecting their dental equipment, integrative dentists utilizing ozone in their clinics often use ozone water to wash and irrigate wounds and infections in the teeth and gums. 

Ozone water is a much safer and more natural way to clean than synthetic chemicals. That’s why dentists in the know are such big fans (though they’re few and far between).  

You can make your own ozone water at home 

Regardless of how you choose to use ozone water, the most efficient way to come by it is to make it yourself. But just like everything else about ozone water information, there’s a lot of conflicting ideas about how to do it, what you need, and what to do with it once it’s made. 

We already covered in this article what ozone water (actually) is and what you can do with it. Now let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of what you need and how to make it the right way. 

What you’ll need 

• Oxygen Tank
• Oxygen Regulator (typically comes with the generator)
• Ozone Generator
• Ozone Water Bubbling Device

How to make ozone water

Common Protocol for Drinking Ozone Water

Low and Slow Approach

• Start off with 16 ounces of water at around 20 gamma or roughly ¼ LPM (Liter per min) 2-3 times a week. 
• After 1 week, you can move up to 32 ounces at or around 20 gamma for 2-3 times a week. 
• You can then titrate up to as high of a level of gamma as desired by your medical practitioner - see Helpful Hints below for adverse reactions

Aggressive Approach

• Start off with 16 ounces of water at around 20 gamma or roughly ¼ LPM (Liter per min) 2 times per day/5 times a week
• After 1 week, work up in strength/gamma by 10 every every 2-3 days on the same regimen of 16 ounces 2 times per day
• You can then titrate up to as high of a level of gamma as desired by your medical practitioner - see Helpful Hints below for adverse reactions

Helpful Hints

Ozone water has a very short half life, so it’s best to drink right after you make it for maximum efficacy. 

There really is no hard data on how much ozone water a person can or cannot drink as of this writing, but it is widely believed that ozone water is not harmful.

Ozone can react to some materials, so avoid drinking ozone water from a plastic cup. Glass or stainless steel cups are best.

Some people prefer their ozone water to be stronger while others like it very weak, so the titration part of ozone water is critical to find what works best for each person.

Ozone Water Complications and Things to Look For

Some people can experience headaches or scratchy throat after drinking ozone water. If this happens, lower the gamma and time by half for the next treatment or discontinue.  

Common Protocol for Dental Ozone Water

Swishing ozone water in the mouth on a daily basis is only recommended when there is an oral infection or issue present.  

• Swish 8 ounces of ozone water in the mouth for 60 seconds up to two times daily.
• Oil pulling with ozone oil is generally preferred for infections deep in the tooth.  If using ozone oil, swish in the mouth for 15 - 20 minutes two times per day.
• Continue until issue is resolved

Common Protocol for Washing Wounds with Ozone Water

Limb bagging and ozone oil is generally preferred for wounds, ulcers, and infections.

• Pour ozonated water over the affected area and into the wound if possible
• 2 - 3x daily until issue is resolved

Final Thoughts 

Ozone water is useful for a variety of things. It may not be the miracle cure that many claim it is, but it is a potent disinfectant and easy to make on your own. Talk to your doctor about how ozone water may affect you before you try it yourself.

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