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[Home] [Oxygen] Oxygen - We are Oxygen Dependent Creatures If you want to feel better almost instantly, then get more oxygen into your cells. Oxygen is our most important nutrient. Unfortunately, most of us are are getting less oxygen into the cells of our bodies than we need. The benefits are real as shown in the chart to the right. Polluted Air Reduces our Tissue Oxygenation Most health monitoring organizations are concerned with air pollution because polluted air and under-oxygenated air restricts tissue oxygenation in the blood. There is a verifiable increase in mortality rates in polluted cities. Our Homes Often Have Unhealthy Air Most homes have both higher concentrations of pollutants and lower amounts of oxygen than outdoor air. This puts significant stress on the human body as it tries to function without all of the oxygen it needs. As oxygen levels in the body are reduced, the body's immune system begins to weaken, cell performance is impaired, and we become vulnerable to disease and develop other symptoms of oxygen deprivation. Shallow Breathing is a Problem Air pollution is not the only cause of lessened blood and tissue oxygenation. Another very large factor is shallow breathing. Most people don’t breathe deeply enough because of their sedentary life style. We need to breathe deeply often. Aerobic Conditioning Increases Tissue Oxygenation Conditioned persons have more blood vessels and capillaries to carry oxygen to the cells of the body. This is why aerobic exercise is supremely important — it encourages the body to expand its capillary network, allowing the oxygen in the air we breathe at all times (not just during aerobic exercise) to much more quickly permeate our bodies. As Dr. W. Spencer Way writes in the Journal of the American Association of Physicians, "Insufficient oxygen means insufficient biological energy that can result in anything from mild fatigue to life-threatening disease. The link between insufficient oxygen and disease has now been firmly established." According to Dr. Arthur Guyton, M.D., "All chronic suffering is caused from a lack of oxygen at the cell level." His statement is echoed by Dr. Parris Kid, PhD, who states, "We can look at oxygen deficiency as the single greatest cause of all disease." In a publication entitled Oxygen Deficiency; A Concomitant to all Degenerative Diseases, by Dr. Stephen Levine, renowned Molecular Biologist, he states, "In all serious disease states we find a concomitant low oxygen state. Low oxygen in the tissues is a sure indicator for disease. Hypoxia, or lack of oxygen in the tissues, is the fundamental cause of all degenerative disease." Dr. Otto Warburg, recipient of two Nobel prizes in Medicine, referred to oxygen as "A vital cell detoxifier", and pointed to oxygen deficiency as the underlying cause of cancer and other degenerative diseases, and ultimately the death of the cell. He is quoted as saying, "Cancer has only one prime cause. It is the replacement of normal oxygen respiration of the body's cells by an anaerobic (i.e. oxygen-deficient) cell respiration." This was verified by Philip Isely, proponent of the Phytoplankton Project for restoring oxygen to the world, when he said, "There is growing evidence that cancer and other degenerative diseases are partly the result of the earth's diminishing oxygen levels." Scientist like Dr. Way and many others now believe that the initial symptoms of "oxygen deprivation" - which in actuality constitutes the gradual oxygen starvation of the body's seventy five trillion cells - include the following: Premature aging Overall bodily weakness Muscle aches (especially backs of legs) Anxiety, depression and stress Dizziness Irritability Fatigue Memory loss Irrational behavior Chronic hostility Circulation problems Poor digestion Acid stomach Lowered immunity to colds and flu Bronchial problems Tumors and deposit buildups Various bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic infections Conversely, oxygen is the vital factor which gives our body the oxidizing "firepower" it requires to resist microorganisms and repel disease (most infectious agents simply cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment) and liberate the energy which facilitates life. It also helps our bodies to breathe more easily. We encourage you to utilize the following activities and products that will bring more oxygen into your tissues: Brisk walking, especially in an oxygen-rich environment like the seashore or woods Deeper, fuller breathing several times daily Devices to increase the oxygen content of indoor air Oxygenated liquids Don’t let your body’s level of tissue oxygenation go down (like a stagnant pool of water)... it will overtime, if you don’t engage in one or more of the above. And, like getting enough Vitamin D and spending time connected to the earth, getting ample oxygen can be one of the least expensive health practices there is. Cited References and Links for Further Research http://www.airproducts.com/nr/rdonlyres/35b1bc31-7c0e-455b-a723-8255ff28ddba/0/safetygram17.pdf http://www.oxybora.com/knowledgecenter.html http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs292/en/index.html http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=442111