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My friend from high school messaged me about Asea. He’s a personal trainer and into all of this herbal/supplement/health stuff.  My friend said it can help with a bunch of things including executive functioning, and other diagnosis. I’m kinda sketchy about stuff like this. Let me know what you think. – JT, Calabasas, CA

Thanks for the question! This would also have made a great “bad science on the internet”. Here are the facts from your good friends at UseYourBrain!.

A company called Asea sells the creatively-named supplement “Asea.” They claim it contains “redox signaling molecules” which can promote cellular heath and can be used to improve immune function, improve athletic performance and improve general energy and health. Some have suggested it as a treatment for the symptoms associated with autism.

I watched a few of there YouTube videos and… wow. It’s hard to know where to start. The company claims that a”medical atomic physicist” figured out how to generate and stabilize these “redox signaling molecules”, which they claim are the key to “cellular health.” First of all, there’s really no such thing as a “medical atomic physicist.” I’ve never heard anyone describe themselves this way before and you cannot get a degree in “medical atomic physics.”

It’s also not clear what a “redox signaling molecule” is. “Redox” in this context refers to the ratio of two types of reactions that happen all the time in cells: reduction and oxidation reactions. This is certainly an intense area of study, and most people have heard of “antioxidants” which are thought to benefit health by tipping the redox equation away from oxidation reactions, which are damaging to cells, and towards reduction reactions, which generally aren’t. Certainly, there are compounds that tell cells how to respond to large amounts of oxidation, but Asea doesn’t say what molecules their product is made of or potentially affecting, only that they used salt (sodium chloride) and water as the only ingredients.

What molecules could they generate from these ingredients that could signal a redox response?  Nothing you want to drink, that’s for sure. The Asea folks seem to be referring to reactive oxygen species – things like super oxide (which is just as nasty as it sounds), ozone (which we’ve discussed in the past), and hydrogen peroxide. While all these could be made with with salt and water alone, they are unstable (which fits with Asea’s claims) and they could signal an anti-oxidant response. They stimulate such a response because they are oxidants.  Now is the time I remind you again why we take anti-oxidant supplements – to eliminate damaging oxidants like these.

That sounds dangerous, and it certainly would be dangerous if you were to drink a bottle of oxidants.  Luckily, we can be pretty sure you’re not.  First of all, the Asea bottle lists salt and water as the only ingredients. Asea claims these ingredients are “transformed” and compares their label to food labeling: “when we look at the ingredients on a loaf of bread, we find flour, water, eggs, sugar, oil, yeast, etc. Nowhere on the list does it say “bread.” This makes little sense. Also, these types of molecules are very unstable and would turn back into salt and water.  Even hydrogen peroxide (the most stable of these oxidants) requires the presence of stabilizers to prevent rapid degradation.  Since there are no ingredients other and salt and water, there would be no way to stabilize any of these molecules. Another way you can tell you’re not drinking hydrogen peroxide?  Low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide will induce vomiting. High concentrations (which are sometimes used as rocket fuel) are fatal.

Even if Asea did manage to produce these or other signaling molecules, stabilize them, and somehow make them safe, how would they improve your health Signaling molecules are usually very tightly regulated within cells because cells need to be able to regulate their behavior according to their internal conditions, and not be forced into signaling differently by diet & environment. Calcium is an excellent example – it’s one of the most important signaling molecules within our cells. If you eat or drink a calcium supplement, does this change the way your cells manage calcium signaling? Of course not because that would kill you. Your body controls calcium levels within your cells very carefully, and the same is true for these redox signaling molecules – they are not going to be hoovered up by your cells. All they’ll do is give you an upset tummy.

I’ll also point out that purposely adding oxidants to your diet goes against our current understanding of redox environment and health, which can be summed up as “anti-oxidants = good, oxidants = bad.” And that brings me to the my last point: when a supplement company claims to have discovered a “scientific breakthrough” that will seemingly cure almost everything and is 100% non-toxic, don’t ever believe it. If it was really a scientific breakthrough that could treat so many diseases, you better believe the discoverer or a pharmaceutical company would seek FDA approval. There’s simply way more money to be made if you can sell your product as an FDA-approved treatment. As the old adage goes: if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

Asea also hits some of the common psuedoscientific catchphrases in their marketing, including:

Vague health benefit claims that could never actually be tested: “feel healthy”, More energy”, “greater vitality”, “improving health of every system in your body” “enhance vital cellular functions” “maintain optimal wellness”

Claims that have no scientific meaning: “rejuvenate cells”, “Restore cells”.

Terms they seem to have made up just help them market this product: “medical atomic physicist”, “redox supplement”

All these ambiguous and misleading health benefits of a solution containing only salt and water can be yours for the cost of only $32 for 1 quart.  Which is $1 per ounce.  When purchased in bulk, a quart of bottled water will cost you less than $1.  Skip the Asea, buy the water, and use that extra money on something else.