Hello, I’m Jun, a health industry salesperson who continues to chase the potential of hydrogen! How did you like the previous episode on “Racehorses”? I’m sure many of you were surprised by the fact that hydrogen is becoming a main player in athlete care behind the scenes of glamorous horse racing.
Now, for this 5th installment of the series, I’ll shine a spotlight on “livestock sites” that support our “food.” Actually, the application of hydrogen to cows is said to go beyond mere health maintenance and is now even being called something that “saves the future of the Earth.” I will explain this exciting theme, which has recently been coming up more frequently in sales discussions!
- A Cow’s “Stomach” is a Huge Chemical Factory
It is famous that cows have four stomachs, but the first stomach (rumen) is a huge fermentation tank inhabited by countless microorganisms. Cows decompose the grass they eat here and convert it into energy. However, there is a troublesome byproduct of this fermentation process. That is “hydrogen” and “methane.” Normally, the hydrogen generated in the rumen is converted into methane gas by a certain type of microorganism (methanogens) and is discharged out of the body as burps. In fact, this methane gas is viewed as a problem worldwide as one of the causes of global warming.
- Giving Hydrogen Reduces “Methane”? A Surprising Mechanism
You might think, “If hydrogen is already being generated, wouldn’t giving them more hydrogen have the opposite effect?” This is the interesting part of science. Latest research suggests that giving cows hydrogen water or feed that generates hydrogen can change the metabolic pathways in the rumen. By appropriately supplying hydrogen, it suppresses the activity of methanogens and instead promotes the production of a substance called “propionic acid,” which serves as an energy source for the cow itself. In other words, it reduces “methane,” which is bad for the Earth, and increases “energy,” which becomes nutrition for the cow. This is truly killing two birds with one stone; a paradigm shift is about to occur in the livestock industry.
- Suppressing Oxidative Stress for “High-Quality Livestock Products”
Just like humans, cows feel oxidative stress from heat (heat stress) or overcrowded breeding environments. When oxidative stress increases, their immunity drops, making them more susceptible to illness, and the quality of their meat or milk decreases. This is where the “antioxidant action” of hydrogen comes in.
* Growth Promotion: It has been reported that by reducing stress, the growth speed of calves increases, potentially allowing for earlier weaning.
* Improvement of Milk Quality: Data is also emerging showing that in dairy cows, the somatic cell count decreases, allowing for the collection of higher quality and healthier raw milk. To farmers in the field, hydrogen—which allows them to raise healthy animals while reducing antibiotics—may truly look like a “magic supporter.”
- Japan-born Hydrogen Technology Contributing to SDGs
Currently, research on this “methane reduction via hydrogen” is being led primarily by Japanese national universities and research institutions. While scientists around the world are researching “how to reduce cow burps,” an approach using hydrogen—a safe substance that exists in the natural world—is very characteristic of Japan and is a sustainable method. Even from my perspective as a salesperson, there is no other product proposal that directly connects to “social contribution” like this. The day when labels saying “This milk was made kindly for the Earth through the power of hydrogen” line the shelves might be just around the corner.
- The Connection Between Our Table and Hydrogen
The story of “Livestock and Hydrogen” might sound like a distant topic for us general consumers at first glance. However, consuming meat and dairy products obtained from healthy cows directly relates to our own health. Livestock being raised stress-free, without over-relying on medicine, and without putting a burden on the global environment. Hydrogen exists within that cycle. In Vol. 1, I mentioned that “hydrogen is a supporter of life,” and that means it supports not only the health of individuals but also the health of the massive living organism that is the Earth.
Jun’s Note
When I talk to livestock farmers at sales sites, so many of them say, “Cows are family.” That family can become healthy, and environmental issues can be solved at the same time. I always get excited by the massive potential held by the tiny molecule that is hydrogen!
How was Vol. 5? I think the relationship between cow burps and hydrogen was quite unexpected. Well then, for the next installment (Vol. 6), we will dive into an even more surprising place: “underwater”! The theme is “Can fish also get healthy with hydrogen?”. I will report on the front lines of Fisheries x Hydrogen, covering aquaculture sites, ornamental fish, and even fish transport technology.
Experience it here at our New York salon.
https://www.easeny.com/
【Vitamin C and Hydrogen! Perfect for your daily care!】
Lypo-C Vitamin C
【Latex-Free Cannula】
Latex-Free Cannula
【Distilled Water】
Distilled Water