A Metabolic Breakthrough

Dr. Cody Cook is a good example of how one thing can lead to another. In high school, his interests leaned toward the arts, with aspirations of eventually going to film school. The sciences caught his attention in college and catapulted him to the career he enjoys today.

His interests evolved and hit the top when he discovered a new kind of water. Yes, that’s correct. This small-town boy from Bryant has made a big splash for his water discovery. What makes HTWO Hydrogen Water different from the regular H2O we take for granted is its concentrated infusion with hydrogen.

The product’s website, htwo.com, describes the hydrogen water as “ultra-pure water infused with nanobubbles of hydrogen gas that benefits your body at the cellular level to boost metabolism, fight fatigue and relieve inflammation. It is all natural and contains no calories, sugar, fats or additives.”

Skeptics might wonder why this water is different when regular water already contains hydrogen. Cook’s company states that although regular water has hydrogen, it doesn’t contain the hydrogen gas with concentrations of hydrogen that studies show are effective in providing many health benefits.

The discovery started as a cancer research project during Cook’s time at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. While working on his doctorate, he was part of a team of Japanese researchers and began uncovering the connection between increased energy levels when hydrogen is in the body.

Simultaneously, Cook earned his medical degree at UAMS. Instead of going to a residency program like his classmates, he opened a biotech company. HTWO water is just one component of the company, he noted.

The life Cook leads now is far from the dairy farm life he knew growing up in Salem, a community near Bryant.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up,” he said. “We lived a simple life, and there wasn’t much time for dreaming, but at the same time, I learned a lot of respect for nature and the transformative power of learning things and being open-minded, so I was always looking for opportunities.”

After graduating from Bryant High School in 2001, Cook attended the University of Central Arkansas with plans of pursuing a degree in theater. His focus shifted during a biology class. He changed course to pursue a science degree, earning the valedictorian status in his class.

“I decided to take the MCAT like my friends and did really well,” he said. “From my first day in medical school, I knew I wasn’t like everyone else. My friends all knew they wanted to be a surgeon or a pediatrician, and I knew I wanted to spend my career discovering things. I get lost in the details of things.”

While he was interested in the arts in high school, Cook said he did enjoy math, calling it the “language of the arts.”

The language clearly speaks to Cook, founder of MitoGene, which is the parent company of the MitoGene Beverage Company that produces the hydrogen water. The company focuses on genetic therapies, Cook said.

High-profile athletes like Arkansas’ Darren McFadden have been positively impacted by HTWO.

McFadden, who recently was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, is the Arkansas Razorbacks’ all-time leading rusher and a two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up. When he was a Dallas Cowboy, he could be seen in social media posts drinking HTWO to enhance his performance.

McFadden and others have given glowing reviews of HTWO. Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies said HTWO allows him to recover more quickly after games and long road trips. “I’m able to sustain a high level of performance for longer periods, and I definitely noticed that it helped speed my recovery from an ankle injury.

The water doesn’t contain anything fancy. A common response to what else is in HTWO Hydrogen Water states: “We assessed all of the most powerful electrolytes, extracts, essential vitamins and super fruit juices and didn’t let them anywhere near our product. We gathered all of the latest trends and replaced them with the most ancient element in the universe: hydrogen.”

HTWO Hydrogen Water can be purchased at Krogers in the Central Arkansas region as well as other retailers. For a complete list of retailers in your area, visit the website, htwo.com.