By Gary Null, Ph.D.
Many feel it to be the most promising, safe, and generally efficacious treatment for major degenerative diseases, from AIDS and chronic fatigue to cancer and arthritis. It's ozone - - medical ozone.
Medical ozone differs from atmospheric ozone in that it is pure and concentrated. This is an important distinction because atmospheric ozone, produced from ultraviolet radiation, is combined with different nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide products and is harmful. It's not used in medical practice. Ozone (O3) is produced by the reaction of oxygen atoms (O) with molecular oxygen (O2)- This allotrope (different form) of oxygen possesses unique properties that, while they have yet to be completely defined and understood, have been benefiting clinical practice for years, albeit mostly in Europe. Most of the states in this country have yet to legalize use of the healing powers of this nontoxic molecule.
Of course, lack of official acknowledgment within certain political boundaries in no way negates the properties of any natural substance, and that includes ozone. As a molecule containing an excess of energy, ozone manifests bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal action, which may make it a treatment of choice under certain conditions and an adjunct to treatment in others.
Some of its characteristics and applications are described by Dr. Stanley Beyerle, a naturopathic physician who trained with some of the pioneers of ozone research and treatment: "Systematically, it oxidizes organic compounds. Topically, it can be used to treat burns. Ozone has hemostatic effects that stop bleeding. It accelerates wound healing, induces enzyme production, and activates immune system response. It is also believed that ozone may have the ability to peroxidize lipids [break up fats]."
As early as World War I, ozone's bactericidal properties were used to treat infected wounds, mustard gas burns, and fistulas, although these treatments were limited by technological difficulties. Current ozone therapy uses a mixture of ozone and pure oxygen, and with today's medical ozone generators, the ability now exists to deliver pure ozone-oxygen mixtures in precise dosages. The Europe-based Medical Society for Ozone and the National Center for Scientific Research in Cuba currently use the treatment for a wide variety of conditions, including wound problems, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, and AIDS. Doctors report particular success with the different types of hepatitis, as well as candida, allergies and bladder infections. Other disorders treated with ozone therapy: herpes, arthritis, respiratory conditions, multiple sclerosis, sexually transmitted diseases, and parasitic conditions. And this is just a partial list. What's more, while ozone can be used to treat a wide spectrum of conditions, it can also be used prophylactically to combat harmful viruses, bacteria, and free radicals before degeneration and disease occur.
Additionally, already healthy people can use ozone to rejuvenate cells so that they can stay younger longer. As science reporter Nathaniel Altman observes, it is unusual indeed to have a product that treats such a tremendous range of conditions. Altman recounts ozone's multiple benefits: "First of all, it stimulates the production of white blood cells and increases the production of interferon, interleuken-2, and tumor necrosis factor, which the body uses to fight infections and cancer. It is anti-neoplastic, which means that it inhibits the growth of tumors. One study performed at Baylor University in Texas, in 1962, determined that ozone can help to kill tumors and enhance the effect of different types of anti-tumor drugs. Ozone kills bacteria and viruses. In addition, it increases the amount of oxygen in the blood and helps deliver oxygen to all of the cells in the body. It also helps degrade petrochemicals. This includes different toxins that one might have in the body due to the environment or food eaten. It helps dissolve and eliminate them from the body, and hence, lightens the body's toxic load. It also increases red blood cell membrane distendability, making it more flexible. This is one way it is used in the treatment of heart disease.
The administration of ozone changes the blood formation and helps the blood flow more effectively. In Cuba, for example, there is an ozone generator in every major hospital emergency room. It helps heart patients and stroke victims recover much quicker. It also increases the effectiveness of the antioxidant enzyme system, which scavenges excess free radicals in the body. These are just some of the things that it does."