Foreword to the Third Edition by Velio Bocci, M.D. Preface to the Fourth Edition Acknowledgments Introduction Part one Foundations 1 Foundations of Oxidative Therapies 2 What Are Oxidative Therapies? 3 Ozone: Properties and Uses 4 Ozone in Medicine 5 How Is Ozone Therapy Applied? 6 Hydrogen Peroxide 7 Hydrogen Peroxide in Medicine 8 How Is Hydrogen Peroxide Administered? 9 Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Oxygen Multistep Therapy Part two Oxidative Therapies in Medicine 10 Cardiovascular Diseases 11 Cancer 12 IV/AIDS 13 Infectious Diseases 14 Musculoskeletal Problems 15 Neurodegenerative Disorders 16 Diabetes 17 Gynecology and Obstetrics 18 Lung and Bronchial Diseases 19 Diseases of the Skin 20 Eye Diseases 21 Diseases of the Ear 22 Other Health Problems 23 Accidents, Injuries, and Wound Healing 24 Athletic Performance, Preventive Health, and Healthy Aging 25 Dentistry 26 Veterinary MedicinePart three A Holistic Protocol 27 Body Cleansing 28 An Oxygenation Diet 29 Nutritional Supplements and Healing Herbs 30 Exercise and Breathing: Oxygenation and Oxidation 31 Emotions, Mind, and Spirit Conclusion The Future of Oxygen Therapies Appendix 1 Oxygen Products, Services, and Applications Appendix 2 Resources Notes Index

13Infectious Diseases Viral Diseases Hepatitis Russian physicians have been using ozone therapy to treat patients with chronic hepatitis for over ten years. The mechanism is believed to involve ozone’s antiviral properties, whereas virus cell receptors are destroyed and cannot penetrate the host cell. The failure in virus multiplication process is also caused by a breakdown in the virus’s RNA. At the same time, ozone activates both cellular and humoral immunity (the humoral part of the immune system includes antibodies and immunoglobulins in blood serum). A 2008 clinical study found that a two-month course of ozone therapy destroyed all viral signs in 66 percent of patients with chronic hepatitis B and in 60 percent of cases suffering from chronic hepatitis C. The four primary methods of treatment include rectal insufflation, minor autohemotherapy, intravenous infusions with ozonated saline, and major autohemotherapy. (10)A group of researchers from the Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology at Assiut University in Egypt undertook a study to evaluate the role of ozone therapy in decreasing the HCV ribonucleic acid (HCV RNA) load and its effect on the liver enzymes among patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C. This study included 52 patients with chronic hepatitis C (positive polymerase chain reaction [PCR] for HCV RNA and raised serum alanine transaminase [ALT] for more than 6 months). All patients were subjected to a meticulous medical history and clinical examination before the clinical trial. The examination included a complete blood count, liver function tests, and abdominal ultrasonography for all patients. The ozone group included 40 patients who received major autohemotherapy, minor autohemotherapy, and rectal ozone insufflation. The other 12 patients (conventional group) received silymarin [a standardized extract of milk thistle seeds] and/or multivitamin therapy. Silymarin is often used in conventional medicine for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases, including hepatitis and liver cancer. Writing in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, the researchers reported “significant improvements” of most of the symptoms of the patients in the ozone group in comparison to those in the conventional group. ALT levels normalized in 57.5 percent of the ozone group and 16.7 percent of the controls. Aspartate transaminase (AST) levels normalized in 60 percent in the ozone group and 8 percent in the conventional group. The researchers also reported that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HCV RNA was negative among 25 percent and 44.4 percent after 30 and 60 sessions of ozone therapy, respectively, in comparison to 8 percent among the conventional group. The researchers concluded: “Ozone therapy significantly improves the clinical symptoms associated with chronic hepatitis C and is associated with normalized ALT and AST levels among a significant number of patients. Ozone therapy is associated with disappearance of HCV RNA from the serum (-ve PCR for HCV RNA) in 25%–45% of patients with chronic hepatitis C.” They added: “Ozone, because of its special biologic properties, has theoretical and practical attributes to make it a potent hepatitis C virus (HCV) inactivator, which suggests an important role in the therapy for hepatitis C.” (11) Ozone and Human Pandemics Ebola Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The Ebola epidemic of 2014–2015 is believed to have been transmitted to people from wild animals in Africa and spread through human-tohuman transmission. Mortality rates during the height of the epidemic were estimated to vary between 83 to 90 percent. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are no proven treatments available for EVD. However, a range of potential treatments, including blood products, immune therapies, and drug therapies, are currently being evaluated. At the time of this writing (2016), no licensed vaccines are available. The three primary mechanisms of action of therapeutic ozone include: • The inactivation of bacteria, fungi, yeast, virus, and protozoa by disrupting the integrity of the cell envelope through oxidation of the cell phospholipids and lipoproteins. Ozone also has been found to upset their reproductive cycle. • Stimulation of oxygen metabolism, causing an increase in the red blood cell glycosis rate. It also stimulates the production of enzymes that act as free radical scavengers and cell-wall protectors. • Activation of the immune system through the production of interferon, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-2, which launches a cascade of beneficial immunological reactions throughout the body. During the height of the Ebola epidemic, Dr. Adriana Schwartz of the International Medical Ozone Federation (IMEOF) appealed to the WHO to consider utilizing ozone therapy as a safe, low-cost, and effective treatment for Ebola virus disease. In a well-documented scientific report released to the health care community in October 2014, Dr. Schwartz wrote: “It is an absolutely safe treatment that stimulates the immune system. It may be available in large quantities at low cost, even in the poorest areas of the world. The antiviral and antibacterial properties of ozone are well recognized. The Ebola virus has little chance to survive [when] directly exposed to its gas.” When used according to established protocols, Dr. Schwartz believes that medical ozone can: 1. Kill the Ebola virus 2. R educe the patient’s level of oxidative stress brought on by the disease 3. R educe patient pain and discomfort due to its analgesic properties 4. Boost the patient’s overall immune system 5. Help maintain a sterile environment in the hospital or clinic (23) Her appeals were largely ignored by the WHO and other sectors of the mainstream medical community. Why was this? We mentioned earlier that a major reason for a lack of interest is that ozone is a nonpatentable substance that is inexpensive to manufacture and use. The net cost of the materials for a treatment of rectal insufflation can be less than $10, especially in a clinic designed to treat large numbers of people in a developing country.