In the realm of natural therapies, ozone therapy emerges as one of the most promising yet misunderstood options for addressing chronic fatigue, bolstering immunity, and enhancing recovery. At Health Yourself, we have seen how it can support women navigating the complexities of perimenopause and menopause — always as one layer of a bigger plan. Let's delve into what ozone therapy really is, what the research does and does not show, and how it might support your health journey.
What is ozone therapy?
Ozone therapy is the controlled administration of an oxygen–ozone gas mixture into the body. Ozone is a molecule made of three oxygen atoms, and in practice it is given in a controlled setting through methods such as insufflation, treating a small volume of blood outside the body and returning it (autohaemotherapy), direct injection, or application to the skin — a 2017 overview in Medical Gas Research describes each of these routes and notes that inhaling ozone is the one route that must never be used (Smith et al., 2017).
The same review sets out the proposed mechanism: a brief, controlled oxidative stimulus that prompts the body to raise its own antioxidant enzymes. The authors are candid that much of this evidence comes from laboratory and animal work, and that larger double-blind trials are still needed.
Addressing chronic fatigue
Many women over 40 experience persistent fatigue that isn't alleviated by rest. This is often compounded by hormonal changes and the demands of daily life. Fatigue isn't just feeling tired; it affects your ability to function at all.
The human evidence for ozone and fatigue is early and small. In a 2018 open-label report from an Italian clinic, 50 cancer patients with fatigue were treated with ozone autohaemotherapy; 35 of them (70%) reported a greater-than-50% improvement on the Fatigue Severity Scale, with no side effects recorded — but there was no control group, and the authors themselves describe their data as preliminary (Tirelli et al., 2018). In my rooms, many women describe feeling more energetic and alert after a course of sessions. That is why I offer it alongside — never instead of — the nutrition, sleep and strength work that we know moves energy.
Supporting the immune system
Ozone therapy is often described as immune-modulating. The proposed route is the one above: a small oxidative stimulus that nudges the body's own antioxidant and immune systems into gear (Smith et al., 2017). The hope is that this helps you recover from everyday infections more easily. It is important to say plainly that this has not been proven in large human trials, and I never recommend ozone as a replacement for the things that are proven to protect immunity — sleep, protein, vegetables, sunlight and stress management.
Enhancing recovery
Whether recovering from illness, surgery, or simply the physical toll of daily life, recovery depends on good oxygenation and cellular repair, and inflammation sits at the root of many chronic conditions women face as they age. Ozone has been studied most for wound healing: a 2015 Cochrane review found three small randomised trials (212 people) of ozone for diabetic foot ulcers, with unclear methodology, and concluded that no firm conclusions could be drawn about its effectiveness (Liu et al., Cochrane 2015). That is the honest state of the evidence — promising signals, small studies, more research needed.
A realistic perspective
Ozone therapy is not a cure-all, and it is not without controversy. The US Food and Drug Administration's regulations state that ozone is a toxic gas with no known useful medical application, and that inhaling it can injure the lungs (21 CFR §801.415). In South Africa it is offered as a complementary therapy. It should only ever be considered as part of a comprehensive health strategy that includes nutrition, lifestyle changes, and conventional medical treatment where necessary — and you should consult your doctor before trying any alternative therapy, especially if you are pregnant, have a lung condition, or are in active treatment.
At Health Yourself, we offer the Ozone Pod as part of our holistic approach to women's health. Our focus is on helping you understand your body and empowering you to take charge of your health with informed choices. If you're curious about whether ozone therapy might be right for you, book a free 20-minute consultation to discuss your unique needs and how we can support you.
Sources
- Smith NL, Wilson AL, Gandhi J, Vatsia S, Khan SA. Ozone therapy: an overview of pharmacodynamics, current research, and clinical utility. Medical Gas Research. 2017;7(3):212–219. doi:10.4103/2045-9912.215752. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5674660/
- Tirelli U, Cirrito C, Pavanello M, Del Pup L, Lleshi A, Berretta M. Oxygen-ozone therapy as support and palliative therapy in 50 cancer patients with fatigue – a short report. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 2018;22(22):8030–8033. doi:10.26355/eurrev_201811_16432. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/16432
- Liu J, Zhang P, Tian J, et al. Ozone therapy for treating foot ulcers in people with diabetes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015;(10):CD008474. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008474.pub2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8246444/
- US Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR §801.415 — Maximum acceptable level of ozone. Code of Federal Regulations, current edition. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-801/subpart-H/section-801.415
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