May 26, 2026
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This GoldCare Grand Rounds conversation with Dr. Jonathan Murphy centered on one of integrative medicine’s most debated therapies and the ways ozone continues being used in clinical practice around the world.
Medical ozone is not pure ozone gas.
Clinical ozone therapies generally use a mixture containing mostly medical-grade oxygen and only a small percentage of ozone. According to Dr. Murphy, treatments often involve approximately 98–99% oxygen with 1–2% ozone.
That distinction matters because ozone in medicine is intended to be carefully generated, dosed, and administered through specific methods.
Ozone first gained attention centuries ago when researchers noticed a distinct smell produced around electrical activity. By the late 1800s, reliable ozone generators began appearing, eventually leading to applications in water purification and medical experimentation. Germany later became one of the major centers advancing ozone research and physician training.
Part of the controversy stems from a long-standing FDA statement describing ozone gas as toxic and lacking medical use. Critics often cite this position, while ozone practitioners argue the statement ignores decades of international clinical experience and research.
This disagreement has contributed to a divide between conventional medicine and practitioners using integrative methods.
Questions continue surrounding where ozone belongs in medicine, which conditions may benefit, and how evidence should be evaluated.
Several proposed mechanisms continue appearing in ozone literature.
Ozone has been studied for antimicrobial effects against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Explanations include disruption of microbial membranes and changes affecting viral activity.
Another major area involves inflammation.
Lower inflammatory signaling, altered immune responses, and improved balance between different immune pathways have all been proposed as possible effects. Ozone has also been discussed in relation to antioxidant systems, including NRF2 activation and increased antioxidant enzyme activity.
Supporters further suggest ozone may influence oxygen utilization at the cellular level and improve circulation by affecting red blood cell flexibility and oxygen delivery.
These theories help explain why ozone has been explored in areas ranging from chronic inflammation to recovery and performance.
Ozone therapy is not a single treatment.
One commonly discussed method is Major Autohemotherapy, where blood is removed, combined with ozone and oxygen under controlled conditions, then returned to the body. Practitioners describe changes in inflammatory markers and oxygen saturation following treatment.
Other approaches include:
Research and use continue expanding into newer applications.
Supporters of ozone therapy emphasize training.
According to Dr. Murphy, inhaling ozone gas poses risks because ozone can irritate respiratory tissues. He also highlighted concern for individuals with G6PD deficiency and stressed that improper dosing or administration could create problems.
The repeated message: method, concentration, and clinical experience matter.
Organizations focused on ozone therapy have published guidelines intended to improve safe practice worldwide.
Interest in ozone appears connected to a broader shift happening in medicine.
Many practitioners are searching for therapies that focus on recovery, inflammation, oxygen utilization, and whole-body function rather than symptom suppression alone.
Ozone remains controversial. It remains debated.
Yet despite decades of disagreement, physicians in multiple countries continue studying it, refining applications, and incorporating it into practice.
The larger question may no longer be whether ozone generates debate.
The question may be why conversations around it continue growing.
