Is Depletion of Antioxidants Responsible for the Ozone Sauna Induced Rash and Is The Rash a Sign of the Body Being Burned by Oxygen??

by | Last updated: May 2, 2014 | 7 comments

Many people, who start doing ozone saunas start developing a rash which can be extremely itchy. Saul Pressman explains in the book “The Story of Ozone”:

“Unlike other methods of ozone application, employing ozone in a steam sauna will induce the “healing crisis”, which feels like having the flu for a few days. People should be informed of this effect so they can be prepared, and welcome it as a sign of beneficial healing. Skin rashes are common as the toxins are pushed out through the skin rapidly. Often the rash is very itchy, and this can be alleviated by taking protease enzymes, and applying Gardener's Dream Cream.”

The skin, being the body’s largest organ of elimination, pushes out the oxidized toxins, resulting in small red itchy pimples. Once all toxins are removed from the body, the rash disappears.

The rash can become extremely uncomfortable, sometimes being so itchy that it doesn’t allow people to sleep or participate in normal daily activities. The red spots can start oozing liquid. Some people scratch themselves bloody. No cream or ointment seems to offer any permanent relief.

Consequently, many people have a hard time believing that it’s something beneficial and necessary happening to them. Paired with the nowadays popularized notion of the dangers of oxidative stress and the necessity to supplement with antioxidants, some start theorizing whether the rash is in fact a symptom of depleted antioxidants level in the body or even a sign of oxidative damage to the tissue. A page on silvermedicine.org picks up on those fears and seems to offer a scientifically looking explanation:

“Individuals who react to ozone with a severe detoxification rash are individuals who have vastly depleted antioxidant levels in the body, or individuals who have alot [sic] of toxic waste stored in fat cells, or individuals suffering from chronic/systemic infections (which results in the accumulation of toxic acidic waste build up in-body from the pathogenic organisms). In such cases, ozone therapy is either causing extreme oxidative stress and massive amounts of damage due to oxidation, or the ozone is breaking down too much toxic waste for the liver to be able to handle processing. Individuals with low antioxidant levels are literally burning the body with oxygen and producing free radicals that the body is not able to cope with.” http://www.silvermedicine.org/ozone-sauna-rashes.html

Silvermedicine.org basically gives 3 different reasons why individuals might experience a rash after ozone sauna:

1. Vastly depleted antioxidant levels or

2. Toxic waste stored in the body fat or

3. Chronic or systemic pathogenic infection It then proposes a protocol with which one can allegedly take the body “from a healthy cellular state, where an individual could do 30 minutes of ozone twice daily with no reaction, to a depleted state where the ozone rash occured [sic] with a single ozone sauna session… and then back again.”

This protocol involves both high dosages of powerful antioxidants as well as various other minerals and supplements which are designed to raise the body’s pH level.

In this posting, I will only address the claim that depleted antioxidant levels and a “firey [sic] process” of oxidative burning of the skin is responsible for the rash and not deal with the website’s further claims of the importance of raising ph levels and supplementing with minerals.

Problems with the “lack of antioxidants / burning one’s body with oxygen causes a rash” theory:

1) The website completely fails to explain why an oxidative burn would result in small red itchy pimples. The ozone induced rash has a typical occurrence: numerous eruptions, usually very tiny but can vary in size to a considerable degree, concentrated on certain areas of the skin. Silvermedicine.org completely fails to provide proof that that is indeed how oxidative burns look like. Instead it just makes an assumption.

It doesn’t offer any pictures or descriptions of how typical oxidative burns look like nor does it consult any other sources about it and compares them to ozone sauna induced rashes, nor does it provide any other clinical observations of practitioners or other professionals in the field familiar with oxidative burns.

It takes an observable symptom typical for ozone therapy, pairs it with the nowadays popular notion of the importance of antioxidants supplementation and presents an arbitrary explanation without providing any scientific or clinical proof.

2) Given that the whole body (except the head) is subjected to ozone in the sauna, then if the rash would really be due to the ozone burning the skin tissue one would expect a uniform red burn of the entire body.

What one sees instead are localized patches of red blisters, preferably on the abdomen, chest and back or other areas of the body which correspond to its fat deposits.

If the rash was due to ozone burns then there is no reason to believe that the ozone would attack the skin selectively – preferring certain areas over others.

But that is exactly what is being observed. Certain areas of the body are more prone to develop a rash then others – again, no explanation is given for this phenomenon.

3) If the ozone burned the skin, then the parts of the body which are closest to the ozone output in the sauna and which logically are exposed to a higher volume and higher concentration of ozone should display more severe ‘burns’.

Yet that is also not what is being observed.

Instead, independent of where the ozone output hose is placed inside the sauna, the same areas of the body tend to erupt in different individuals: belly, chest and back, waist and upper arms. This mirrors the localities of most organs and fat deposits in the human body, which tend to hold onto toxins more than for example muscle tissue.

4) In order to be able to convincingly claim that the rash is due to “vastly depleted antioxidants / oxidative burning of the skin” one would need to have performed the proposed “experimental research protocol”on an individual on whom the possibility of developing a rash due to “toxic waste stored in fat cells” or due to “chronic/systemic infections” has been excluded.

That is one hell of an assumption and one hell of a clean individual which again the website omits to explain how that person was located and how it was ascertained that the person had no toxic waste deposits in the fat nor any pathogenic infections.

Following the logic of the website, only a person with a body sterile enough not to develop a rash due to toxins or pathogens, could verify the assumption that the rash is indeed due to oxidative damage and not due to the other factors. Clearly, in order to confirm that theory they must have conducted the experiment on a human being who has not been raised on Earth.

5) The article states that “we” (it remains unclear throughout the text and website who that entity is) succeeded, in the course of the ozone and antioxidant supplementation experiment, in taking a

“human body from a healthy cellular state, where an individual could do 30 minutes of ozone twice daily with no reaction, to a depleted state where the ozone rash occured with a single ozone sauna session… and then back again”.

So basically, what they allege is that they took that extraterrestrially raised individual who was completely void of any toxins and pathogens, subjected him or her to twice daily ozone saunas, during which period that individual was not depleted in antioxidants yet (no rash), then became depleted in antioxidants (onset of rash) and then was not depleted anymore (no rash again).

What is the problem with this unlikely scenario?

The fact that increased oxidation promotes the body’s production of antioxidants.

This phenomenon is so well established in human physiology that scientist who want to measure oxidative stress in humans, often do so by measuring the body’s production of glutathione (one of the most potent antioxidants) and conclude from that the level of what they call oxidative stress.

One can order such tests for example here: https://www.promega.com/products/cell-health-and-metabolism/oxidative-stress-assays/

By alleging that subjecting an individual to increased oxidation (ozone therapy) would lead to a depletion of that individual’s antioxidant levels, silvermedicine.org turns an established physiological fact on its head.

Subjecting a person to ozone therapy increases that person’s production of antioxidants, not depletes them, as explained here:

“However, moderate oxidative stress activates another nuclear transcriptional factor, nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 then induces the transcription of antioxidant response elements (ARE). Transcription of ARE results in the production of numerous antioxidant enzymes, such as SOD, GPx, glutathione-s-transferase(GSTr), catalase (CAT), heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NADPH-quinone-oxidoreductase (NQO-1), phase II enzymes of drug metabolism and heat shock proteins (HSP)” http://www.medicalgasresearch.com/content/1/1/29

Hence the explanation that the rash was due to depleted antioxidant levels which occurred during ozone therapy is not based in scientific fact or clinical observation and hence is highly unlikely.

That is really where our discussion could end since obviously the questionable website’s main nonsensical claim has been sufficiently refuted, but just out of pure fun of putting a final nail into the coffin:

6) The described phenomenon of someone doing ozone saunas and initially not developing a rash, then once the rash has occurred, subsequent ozone dosages easily trigger more rash, until finally no rash occurs after continued ozone treatments – that is exactly what is being observed during regular long term ozone therapy without anti-oxidants.

Once the body has been cleared of toxins, the ozone does not trigger any more rashes. This describes the regular course of ozone therapy without having undergone any antioxidant supplementation regimen.

Towards the end the webpage states

“On occasion, indivdiuals [sic] still may experience the occasional small rash localized to areas of the body that hold a trauma history pattern. This is normal, and usually subsides within a few days.”

So what it basically says, that on occasions when their protocol with which they promised one

“can quickly and safely reverse low antioxidant levels, and experience ozone sauna therapy as it was meant to be experienced.”

apparently isn’t so bulletproof, and the rash can still occur, despite the claimed re-establishment of antioxidant levels. Only this time it’s not due to oxidative burn or toxins or pathogens but due to a “trauma history pattern”.

Right, or whatever other explanation the author cherry picks to fit his or her argument.

Have I ever experienced the ozone sauna rash?

Yes, I have.

Two different kinds:

1) Five years ago when i started a high volume daily ozone treatment I developed a rash on the inside of my thighs. It looked like red streaks and was very itchy. It looked to me like burned skin. I’ve never seen skin burned by ozone, but if there was such a thing then what I had on the inside of my thighs seemed like what I imagined it would look like.

I contacted Saul Pressman who explained to me that that rash was toxins leaving the body and that it would subside with continuous ozone treatment.

Initially, I thought his explanation was complete BS.

What I had developed on my legs did not look like a rash to me at all. It looked like burned skin. Period. I did not believe him in the least.

Yet I had to admit that I didn’t know for sure and I continued with the vaginal insufflations which had brought it on and which continued to stir it up and make it worse.

After several more months of daily ozone treatment the rash and the itch stopped. I was able to continue with the insufflations of up to 60 minutes at a time without triggering any rashes.

I had not taken any antioxidants during that time.

Saul Pressman proved to be perfectly able to explain what was happening and predict what would happen. Once the toxins were cleared, the rash disappeared.

2) After starting doing the ozone saunas I had also developed the more typical rash of little red dots all over my torso and back. Fortunately, it lasted only few days and it didn’t itch too badly. Again it went away after continued ozone treatments. Before it went away completely, it would continue to flare up with subsequent ozone treatments.

During that time, I did not take any anti-oxidants.

The rash came and went with continued ozone therapy, just like one would expect it to happen after the body cleared all necessary toxins.

A number of other testimonies dealing with the healing rash can be found here: http://o3center.org/ConditionsCenter/HealingReactions/index.html

 

Conclusion:

Silvermedicine.org offers a novel explanation for the typical ozone sauna induced rash: the depletion of antioxidants or the burning of the body with oxygen. After an analysis of the provided text, the claim was sufficiently dismissed due to lack of scientific and clinical evidence as well as logic.

Additional information on antioxidants:

Supplementation with antioxidants can cancel out the oxidative properties of ozone therapy and has also been linked to a number of adverse health effects.

Here just a small selection:

1) James Watson, Nobel Prize winner for the co-discovery of the DNA helix, links antioxidants to cancer: http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/james-watson-hypothesis-links-cancer-to-antioxidants/81247848/

2) Swedish scientists discover: antioxidants speed up lung cancer: http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/39022/title/Antioxidants-Speed-Up-Lung-Cancer/

3) Supplementation with antioxidants during chemotherapy and radiation is discouraged since it can lead to tumor protection and reduced patient survival: http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1093/jnci/djn148

4) “antioxidants can counter the effects of oxygen free radicals and as such, they may protect cells exhibiting metaplasia, dysplasia or neoplasia, allowing them to grow and metastasize” http://www.philica.com/display_article.php?article_id=153

5) Dr. Randolph M. Howes points out in his book “Death in Small Doses?” the link between antioxidants and increased risk of cancer, heart disease, strokes, and increased mortality and provides a veritable avalanche of studies and research papers on the topic.

The currently raging pro-antioxidant cult can be summarized as follows: “Breathing is bad for your health” or “Oxygen is death and the elimination of oxygen (antioxidants) is life”. Any sanely thinking person or anyone who has tried to survive longer than 20 minutes by not breathing will realize that the proposed “Antioxidant Dogma” must be an outgrowth of psychopathic modern medical industry or at least nonsense.

But that will be, hopefully, the topic of another posting …

p.

About the author:

PaolaI’m Paola the Crazy Old Ozone Lady behind The Power of Ozone. I’m a licensed naturopathic practitioner, natural health consultant, ozone therapy enthusiast, researcher, and ozone therapy analyst. I hold certificates in ozone therapy, hyperbaric ozone applications, Oxyvenierung, and the Andrew Cutler chelation. I own several ozone generators including a German hyperbaric 10 Pass machine. I have been using ozone for over 13 years, I’ve chelated with the ACC program for close to 5 years and I’ve been carnivore for nearly 1.5 years. This website serves as a resource for those who are interested in ozone therapy and other approaches to successfully manage chronic conditions. 

Legal Disclaimer

Information provided is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. No health claims for these products or treatments have been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nor has the FDA nor any other medical authority approved these treatments or products to diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. Neither The Power of Ozone nor the manufacturers of these items are responsible for the misuse of this equipment or the information on this page. It is highly advised to receive professional council from a licensed doctor before using ozone therapy or any of the mentioned products or tests on yourself.

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains links to vendors of products I endorse, including amazon.com. If you decide to make a purchase through one of my links, they will pay me a commission. This does not influence my opinion about the products, as you can see from my reviews.