Category: HBOT Blog

The Science of Healing: How Oxygen Supports Tissue Repair

Our bodies have an incredible ability to heal. Whether recovering from surgery, an injury, a chronic wound, or illness, healing depends on a complex series of events occurring at the cellular level. One of the most important ingredients in this process is oxygen.

Every cell in the body relies on oxygen to produce energy, repair damaged tissue, fight infection, and build new blood vessels. When oxygen delivery is limited—because of injury, poor circulation, inflammation, or chronic disease—healing can slow significantly.

That’s where Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is making a difference.

Why Oxygen Is Essential for Healing

Healing is an energy-intensive process. Oxygen helps fuel nearly every stage of tissue repair, including:

• Cellular energy production
• Collagen synthesis
• Formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and nerves (neurogenesis)
• Reduction of inflammation
• Immune system function
• Growth of healthy tissue

Without adequate oxygen, wounds may heal more slowly, infections become more difficult to control, and damaged tissues can struggle to regenerate.

How HBOT Works

HBOT involves breathing enriched oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. The increased pressure allows oxygen to dissolve more efficiently into the bloodstream, enabling it to reach tissues that may not receive enough oxygen under normal conditions.

This increase in oxygen availability helps support the body’s natural healing response by:

• Increasing stem cell production
• Stimulating the growth of new blood vessels and nerves
• Supporting collagen production
• Reducing swelling and inflammation
• Enhancing the body’s ability to fight certain infections
• Improving oxygen delivery to injured tissues

Rather than replacing the body’s healing process, HBOT helps create an environment where healing can occur more efficiently.

What Recent Research Shows

Research continues to expand our understanding of how HBOT supports tissue repair across a variety of medical conditions.

A 2024 systematic review found that HBOT may improve healing outcomes in reconstructive and facial surgery by enhancing oxygenation, reducing tissue damage, and supporting wound healing, although larger clinical studies are still needed.

Study:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1089/fpsam.2024.0012

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A 2025 review examining HBOT for complex soft tissue infections concluded that the therapy can enhance tissue oxygenation, reduce infection, and improve healing when used alongside standard medical and surgical care.

Study:
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/14/10/3511

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Researchers are also investigating how HBOT promotes tissue repair at the cellular level. A 2025 review describes how HBOT stimulates angiogenesis, supports stem cell activity, and enhances cell signaling involved in tissue regeneration, offering promising insights into the future of regenerative medicine.

Study:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13109970/

Beyond Wound Healing

While HBOT is well known for treating chronic wounds and delayed healing, its ability to improve oxygen delivery has led researchers to study its use in many other conditions, including:

• Radiation tissue injury
• Diabetic ulcers and non-healing wounds
• Burns
• Skin graft recovery
• Sports injuries
• Neurological conditions
• Long COVID
• Stroke recovery

As our understanding of oxygen’s role in healing grows, so does the potential for therapies that support the body’s natural repair mechanisms.

Looking Ahead

Healing doesn’t happen overnight, but every repaired cell is part of a remarkable biological process. Oxygen is one of the body’s most powerful tools for restoring damaged tissue, supporting circulation, and promoting recovery.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy continues to gain attention because it works with the body’s own healing abilities—helping deliver the oxygen tissues need to recover.

As research continues to evolve, HBOT remains an exciting area of medicine, offering hope for improved healing, recovery, and quality of life for many patients.

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While Alzheimer’s remains a complex condition, research continues to expand our understanding of how the brain heals, adapts, and responds to supportive therapies. One area receiving increasing attention is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

Why Oxygen Matters for the Brain

The brain relies heavily on oxygen to produce energy, maintain communication between neurons, detoxify and support healthy tissue function. While it represents about 2% of total body weight, it consumes roughly 20% of the body’s total resting oxygen, and it relies almost exclusively on aerobic metabolism, requiring a constant supply of oxygen. In Alzheimer’s disease, reduced blood flow, inflammation, and impaired cellular energy production may inhibit oxygen supply to the brain and contribute to cellular changes and cognitive decline.

HBOT works by delivering enriched oxygen in a pressurized environment, allowing oxygen to dissolve more efficiently into the bloodstream and reach areas of the brain that may need additional support.

Research demonstrates that increased pressure and oxygen availability may help:

• Support brain metabolism and cellular energy
• Reduce inflammation
• Improve circulation and spur the formation of new blood vessels
• Encourage neuroplasticity and brain repair pathways
• Support memory and cognitive function
• Support glial cells (the nurse cells and housecleaners of the brain)

What Recent Research Shows

Recent studies continue to highlight the potential of HBOT in supporting brain health and cognitive function.

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis examining randomized controlled trials found that HBOT showed promising effects on cognitive function and daily living abilities in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Study link:
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience – Systematic Review of HBOT for Alzheimer’s Disease

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Additional 2025 research in animal models demonstrated that HBOT may help reduce amyloid plaque accumulation, improve mitochondrial function, and suppress neuroinflammation—key processes associated with Alzheimer’s disease progression. Researchers also observed improvements in cognitive performance.

Study link:
Experimental Neurology – HBOT and Alzheimer’s Pathology Research

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Emerging neuroscience research also suggests HBOT may support pathways involved in learning and memory, including increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein associated with neuroplasticity and cognitive health.

Study link:
Neuroscience – HBOT and Brain Plasticity Research

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A Hopeful Direction in Brain Health Research

Research is still evolving, however growing evidence suggests that supporting oxygen delivery and brain metabolism may play an important role in cognitive health and recovery.

Perhaps most encouraging is the broader shift happening in neuroscience: researchers increasingly recognize that the brain may retain more capacity for repair and adaptation than previously believed.

For individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease, that growing understanding brings something incredibly important—hope. 

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May is Stroke Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery. While a stroke can be a life-changing event, advances in rehabilitation and supportive therapies are helping many people regain function, independence, and quality of life.

Recovery doesn’t stop after the initial medical treatment—it’s an ongoing process, and the body has a remarkable ability to heal when given the right support.

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Understanding Stroke Recovery

A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, limiting oxygen supply to brain tissue. Without sufficient oxygen, affected areas of the brain are injured or die, and inflammation can impair the function of neighboring brain tissue. This can lead to challenges such as:

• Weakness or limited mobility
• Speech and communication difficulties
• Cognitive changes, including memory and focus
• Fatigue and reduced stamina

Recovery traditionally involves a combination of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other supportive approaches aimed at helping the brain and body adapt. Research demonstrates that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can stimulate the brain to heal – addressing inflammation and spurring the growth of new connections between neurons, even long after the initial injury. (Ready Study Here) 

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Why Oxygen Matters

Oxygen plays a critical role in brain health and repair. After a stroke, some areas of the brain may be damaged, while others remain underactive but still viable. Supporting oxygen delivery to these areas can help reduce inflammation, stimulate the growth of new neural connections (ramification) and bring these idling neurons back online.

Optimized oxygen availability can support:

• Cellular energy production
• Circulation and tissue repair
• Brain function and communication between neurons
• Reduction of inflammation

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How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Fits In

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) involves breathing enriched oxygen in a pressurized environment. This allows oxygen to dissolve more efficiently into the bloodstream and reach areas of the brain that may not be getting enough under normal conditions. Under hyperbaric conditions we  can bring oxygen to areas of the brain where the blood supply has been disrupted due to stroke. Research demonstrates that at between 30-40 treatment hours, the brain is capable of growing new blood vessels into the area damaged by stroke.  (Read Study Here)

HBOT is being explored as a supportive therapy in stroke recovery because it can::

• Help improve cognitive function and mental clarity
• Support motor function and coordination
• Promote neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new connections
• Enhance overall recovery and quality of life

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A Growing Area of Research

Research into HBOT and stroke recovery is ongoing, with studies suggesting that increased oxygen delivery may help activate areas of the brain that were previously under-functioning. Findings demonstrate improvements in cognitive and physical abilities, even months or years after a stroke, and suggest that HBOT may reduce recurrence risk in patients with ischaemic stroke.

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A Message of Hope

Stroke recovery is uniquely individualized, and progress can take time. But the brain’s capacity to heal and adapt is powerful. With the right combination of therapies, support, and persistence, meaningful improvements are possible.

During Stroke Awareness Month, it’s important to recognize not only the challenges of stroke—but also the growing range of tools available to support recovery. Therapies like HBOT are helping expand what recovery can look like, offering hope for improved function, independence, and well-being.

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https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/26/6/1794

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April is Stress Awareness Month—a time to look more closely at how stress impacts the body and explore supportive tools for recovery. While stress is a normal part of life, chronic stress can affect everything from sleep and mood to inflammation, energy levels, and overall well-being.

One emerging area of interest is how therapies that support oxygen delivery—like hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)—may help the body recover more effectively.

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Understanding Stress in the Body

Chronic stress fundamentally alters the immune system, transitioning it from a state of heightened protection during acute stress to a state of chronic suppression and inflammation. While short-term stress can boost immunity, persistent stress leads to elevated cortisol levels, adrenal depletion, reduced white blood cell counts, and increased vulnerability to infections and disease. Constant high cortisol breaks down muscle and reduces bone density by inhibiting bone formation, inhibits neurogenesis, which can lead to neuronal atrophy and is strongly linked to anxiety and depression.

When the body is under prolonged stress, it can remain in a heightened “fight-or-flight” state. Over time, this can contribute to:

• Increased inflammation
• Fatigue and low energy
• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
• Disrupted sleep

Supporting the body’s ability to return to balance is a key part of long-term healing.

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What Is HBOT?

HBOT is a therapy where individuals breathe enriched oxygen in a pressurized environment. This allows oxygen to dissolve more efficiently into the bloodstream and reach areas of the body that may be under stress or not functioning optimally.

This increased oxygen availability can support:

• Cellular repair and recovery
• Circulation and oxygen delivery
• Brain and nervous system function
• The body’s natural healing process
• Immune function

HBOT and Stress: What the Research Suggests

Recent research points to several ways HBOT may positively influence the body’s response to stress:

1. Reducing Inflammation
Chronic stress is closely tied to inflammation. Research shows HBOT can influence inflammatory pathways and reduce pro-inflammatory markers, supporting a more balanced internal environment. Study 

2. Supporting the Brain and Nervous System
Studies have found that HBOT may promote neuroplasticity and improve function in areas of the brain associated with mood, cognition, and stress regulation. Study 

3. Improving Energy and Recovery
By enhancing oxygen delivery at the cellular level, HBOT has been shown to reduce fatigue and support overall energy production key concerns for individuals experiencing prolonged stress or burnout. Study 

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A Whole-Body Approach to Healing

Stress recovery isn’t about a single solution—it’s about creating the right conditions for the body to heal. HBOT is increasingly being explored as part of a broader approach that may include:

• Rest and sleep support
• Nervous system regulation
• Nutrition and hydration
• Physical rehabilitation

What makes HBOT unique is its ability to work at a cellular level, supporting the systems that help the body adapt and recover.

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A Positive Step Forward

While research is ongoing, growing evidence suggests that therapies focused on oxygen delivery and inflammation reduction may play a meaningful role in supporting recovery from chronic stress.

During Stress Awareness Month, it’s an opportunity to consider not just how stress affects the body—but how we can better support healing, resilience, and long-term well-being. HBOT can help you recover, rebuild, and shine your light.

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Long COVID can leave people struggling with symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, mood changes, and low overall energy — sometimes long after the virus itself is gone. Because long COVID is complicated and varies from person to person, experts are exploring different ways to help. One option that’s gained attention recently is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

What Is HBOT?

HBOT is a treatment where you breathe enriched oxygen in a pressurized chamber. The extra pressure helps your body take in more oxygen than normal, which research demonstrates can:

• Support healing and repair
• Reduce inflammation
• Improve circulation
• Spur brain and nervous system recovery

Patients often say it feels like a calm oxygen “boost,” and many clinics use it for wound healing, decompression sickness, and neurological conditions.

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Recent Research — What the Studies Show

Here are some recent studies that give insight into how HBOT helps people with long COVID:

2025 Prospective Registry Study

A large observational study followed over 230 long COVID patients treated with HBOT. It concluded that the majority of patients who opted for HBOT reported a significant and clinically relevant increase in quality of life 3 months after treatment, especially in cognitive symptoms like memory and thinking clarity. The largest increase in scores were energy/fatigue, social functioning, emotional well-being and physical functioning

Read the study here: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for long COVID: a prospective registryhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40759992/

 2024 Long-Term Follow-Up Study

Researchers followed up with patients a year after receiving 40 daily HBOT sessions. The significant improvements achieved in quality of life, sleep, mood, and pain were still present one year later — suggesting benefits can last long after hyperbaric treatment ends.

See the long-term follow-up here: Long term outcomes of HBOT in post-COVID condition https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38360929/

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 What This Means for People with Long COVID

Good news:

• Many people report clearer thinking, better energy, less pain and improved daily functioning after HBOT.
• Research shows benefits lasting months after therapy ends.

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A Quick Takeaway

Recent studies from 2024–2025 show that HBOT may help many people with long COVID, especially for brain fog, quality of life, and overall well-being. If you’re thinking about HBOT, talk with a qualified healthcare provider to see whether it’s right for your situation. Check out our website for more information on Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment and local providers. Affiliated providers in Brattleboro, Montpelier, Hardwick, East Burke and S. Burlington offer safe, affordable treatment and some financial support is available for those with financial need.

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You’ve probably heard mitochondria called the “powerhouses” of the cell. In simple terms, they’re the parts of our cells that turn oxygen into energy. That energy fuels everything we do—from thinking clearly and moving comfortably to healing after injury.

When mitochondria aren’t working well, our bodies feel it. Low energy, slow recovery, brain fog, and lingering inflammation can all be signs that our cells aren’t producing energy as efficiently as they could.

That’s where Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) comes in.

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How HBOT Supports Your Body’s Energy System

HBOT increases the amount of oxygen your blood carries. Under gentle pressure, oxygen dissolves more deeply into tissues—including areas that may be inflamed or have impaired blood flow.

Since mitochondria rely on oxygen to make energy, giving the body more access to oxygen can help them do their job better. When oxygen levels are low, cells struggle to repair and regenerate. When oxygen is restored, healing processes can begin to function more efficiently.

In simple terms: more available oxygen can mean better cellular energy.

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Helping Cells Work Smarter, Not Harder

Research suggests that repeated HBOT sessions may help cells:

• Build and maintain healthy mitochondria
• Improve how efficiently they produce energy
• Support the body’s natural antioxidant defenses
• Enhance recovery after physical or neurological stress

In studies involving active adults, consistent HBOT sessions were linked to improved energy use during exercise and better overall performance—both signs that cells were functioning more efficiently.

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Why Cellular Energy Matters

Oxygen is the fuel that we use to:

• Heal damaged tissue
• Reduce inflammation
• Support brain function
• Maintain metabolic balance
• Recover from stress, illness, or injury

Energy at the cellular level affects how we feel day to day. It’s foundational.

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The Big Picture

Mitochondria sit at the center of oxygen and energy production in the body. By increasing oxygen availability, HBOT may help “recharge” the systems that keep us moving, thinking, and healing.

While research continues to explore all the ways HBOT influences cellular health, what we see in practice is encouraging: when the body gets the oxygen it needs, it can respond in powerful ways.

Healing starts small—sometimes at the cellular level.

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References & Further Reading
• HBOT stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and improves mitochondrial function in cardiomyocytes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40402925/
• HBOT increases mitochondrial respiration and mitochondrial mass in athletes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35133516/
• HBOT may help reduce mitochondrial stress biomarkers in humans. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33120884/
• HBOT generates hyperoxia that affects mitochondria and related cellular pathways. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/2/777?

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January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a meaningful time to raise awareness not only about cancer prevention and treatment, but also about long-term recovery. Many cancer survivors continue to face lingering side effects after radiation therapy—sometimes months or years later. One of the most challenging of these is late radiation tissue injury (LRTI), which can significantly impact quality of life.

For many survivors, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) offers a clinically supported option to promote healing in tissues affected by radiation damage.

What Is Late Radiation Tissue Injury?

Radiation therapy targets cancer cells but can also damage healthy blood vessels and tissues in the surrounding area. Over time, impaired blood flow and chronic oxygen deprivation can lead to fibrosis, non-healing wounds, pain, or dysfunction in irradiated tissue.

This is especially common after radiation to the head and neck, pelvic area, breast or lower abdomen—regions frequently treated for cervical, colorectal, breast or prostate cancers.

How HBOT May Help

HBOT involves breathing enriched oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This increases the amount of oxygen dissolved in the bloodstream and delivered to damaged tissues, stimulating healing processes such as:

• Formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis)
• Reduced chronic inflammation
• Enhanced wound repair and tissue regeneration

For survivors dealing with radiation injury, these effects can support recovery and improved function over time.

What the Research Says

Here are a few recent scientific studies and reviews that explore the effectiveness of HBOT for radiation-related tissue injury:

• Cochrane Systematic Review (2023), which evaluated multiple randomized controlled trials and found evidence that HBOT can improve outcomes in certain types of late radiation tissue injury affecting the head, neck, bladder, and rectum. This review also examined wound healing and pain outcomes. Read more here: PubMed
  
• A case series study of breast cancer survivors treated with HBOT showed significant improvement in pain, fibrosis, swelling, and shoulder mobility up to one year after treatment. Read more here: PubMed
  
• A systematic literature review focusing on head and neck cancer patients suggests HBOT is a safe and beneficial option for radiation-induced tissue toxicity in most studied cases. Read more here: PubMed
  

A Path Forward for Survivors

Late radiation effects aren’t always discussed in the mainstream conversation about cancer survivorship—but they can significantly impact daily life. HBOT is part of a growing body of supportive care options that clinicians and survivors are exploring to address chronic tissue damage and improve overall well-being.

If you or someone you care about is navigating post-radiation symptoms, we encourage you to talk with a qualified hyperbaric medicine specialist or your oncology care team to explore whether HBOT might be appropriate.

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Sepsis is one of the world’s leading causes of death. It happens when the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection, causing widespread inflammation and damage to organs. Standard treatments—like antibiotics, IV fluids, and medications to support blood pressure—are lifesaving, but researchers are finding that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) may be a powerful tool to add to the fight.

Here’s how HBOT can help patients with sepsis, and why the research is encouraging:

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1. Boosts Survival in Animal Studies

In a controlled study with mice who developed severe sepsis, just one HBOT session (oxygen at higher-than-normal pressure) increased survival from 13% to 52%. The therapy worked by calming dangerous levels of inflammation in the body’s tissues (PubMed, PMC).

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2. Improves Blood Flow & Oxygen Delivery in Patients

A clinical study in patients with septic shock found that HBOT improved circulation, increased heart function, and lowered lactate levels in the blood. High lactate is a warning sign of poor oxygen delivery, so this improvement suggests HBOT helps the body’s tissues get the oxygen they desperately need (BioMed Central).

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3. Reduces Harmful Inflammation

Sepsis is dangerous because the body’s immune response goes into overdrive. HBOT has been shown to calm inflammation by lowering harmful immune signals and boosting protective ones like IL-10. This helps the body fight infection without causing as much damage to its own organs (MDPI, PMC, Wiley).

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4. Makes Antibiotics Work Better

Infections can create low-oxygen environments that make antibiotics less effective. HBOT increases oxygen levels in these tissues, which helps antibiotics do their job and boosts the body’s own immune defenses against bacteria (MDPI, Wiley, PMC).

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5. Proven Benefits in Severe Infections

Large studies involving more than 48,000 patients with life-threatening soft-tissue infections (often linked to sepsis) showed that HBOT was associated with much lower death rates and fewer major amputations. These results highlight HBOT’s potential value in the sickest patients (PubMed, BioMed Central, PMC).

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Final Thoughts

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy isn’t just “oxygen under pressure.” It’s a treatment that can:
– Improve survival in severe infections
– Deliver oxygen to struggling organs
– Calm dangerous inflammation
– Help antibiotics work more effectively

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