The day I understood the power of ozone water

May 10, 2016, was the day I understood the power of ozone water.

I had agreed to help a friend work a booth at a culinary convention in Chicago. My friend Bruce had built a portable sink to demonstrate ozone water. Ozone has been approved by the FDA since 2001 for use in food processing to help reduce food-borne pathogens. At the time, I had no idea that day would change my life.

After shaking hands with hundreds of people, I decided to take a break. As I walked past a booth selling ATP monitors — devices commonly used in food processing to measure biological residue — I stopped. ATP readings are used as an indicator of organic contamination; higher readings suggest more biological material present.

Out of curiosity, I asked the exhibitor to swab the palm of my hand. The reading was high. After a full day of handshakes, that wasn’t surprising.

I walked back to our booth and rinsed my hands under the ozone faucet for about 10–15 seconds. No soap. Just ozone water.

Then I returned to the ATP booth and asked to be swabbed again.

This time the reading was extremely low.

That was the moment it registered with me:

Ozone water has a powerful disinfecting capability on the human body.

I began thinking differently about prevention. Many infectious illnesses begin when pathogens find a hospitable environment and have time to multiply. If surface contamination can be reduced quickly, could early intervention reduce the chance of infection taking hold?

That same day — May 10, 2016 — I began drinking ozone water regularly.

Since then, I personally have not experienced a typical respiratory infection or even a sore throat. Nearly ten years of consistent wellness is what I have experienced. Every morning begins the same way: a glass of freshly ozonated water.

I also began using ozone water as a final rinse after bathing. Over time, I noticed improvements in my skin. I have had several skin biopsies in the past decade and healed quickly, with minimal scarring. More than once, physicians have commented on how rapidly I heal.

Despite this, I’ve found little curiosity from most medical professionals when I mention ozone water. The response is usually, “You’re a fast healer — whatever you’re doing, keep it up.” Only two dentists I’ve met incorporate ozone water into their practices.

Modern medicine operates largely within established guidelines. Physicians follow protocols for good reason — licensing, liability, and standardization matter. But prevention receives less emphasis than treatment.

That realization stayed with me: what if more focus were placed on reducing pathogen exposure in daily life? What if simple sanitation tools were used more proactively?

For me, May 10, 2016 marked a shift toward prevention.

My experience has been positive. Others can evaluate the science, the regulations, and the evidence for themselves. But that day in Chicago was the moment I saw firsthand how powerful a simple intervention could be.

And sometimes one moment changes everything.