Ozone

Ozone (O₃) is an allotrope of Oxygen, characterized by its chemical formula O₃, which is significantly less stable than the more common diatomic allotrope O₂ (dioxygen) due to its triatomic structure.

In nature, Ozone is formed from dioxygen (O₂) through the action of ultraviolet (UV) light in the stratosphere, where it absorbs UV radiation and plays a critical role in protecting life by filtering harmful rays. It can also be produced by atmospheric electrical discharges, such as lightning, which energize O₂ molecules to combine into O₃. Ozone is present in very low concentrations throughout the Earth’s atmosphere, with the highest levels occurring in the stratosphere (the ozone layer, approximately 10-50 km above the surface), though trace amounts exist in the troposphere as well.

In Medicine, Ozone Therapy is a form of medical treatment that increases the amount of oxygen in the body through the introduction of Ozone through various routes such as intramuscular, subcutaneous, intravenous, and vaginal or rectal insufflations.

Ozone Therapy has been used to treat a wide spectrum of diseases, including cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Lyme disease, herniated discs, diabetic neuropathy and others.

Ozone is also being used successfully in dentistry thanks to its high bactericidal power (which causes the destruction of the membrane of the bacterial cell by oxidative processes), virucide (which inactivates the receptors on the viral surface interrupting its reproduction mechanism), and antifungal, (attacks the double bonds of the phospholipid membrane of fungi).

The supporting scientific evidence for and against these applications is very contradictory. While its proponents claim that the lack of clinical studies that support the effectiveness of ozone-based therapies is due to pressure from pharmaceutical multinationals, its detractors point to the fact that ozone in non-medical concentrations is potentially highly toxic, something that is easily avoidable by using the correct equipment.

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