We’re doing it every day, mostly unaware of it, and is is vital for our survival. But how often are we paying attention to it? How much do we really know about its purpose?
Breathing is undeniably one of the most important elements that keep us alive, and when breathing, we inhale a number of chemicals that surround us, some beneficial, some harmful or even life threatening.
Today we’re going to talk about one of the vital and most researched chemical elements — Oxygen.
What Roles Does Oxygen Play in Our Bodies?
Oxygen is our main energy source, necessary in the well functioning of all body systems. Most importantly, we shall note that “only 10% of our energy comes from food and water, 90% of our energy comes from oxygen” (Debra Ross, 2015).
Importance for Physical Health
Oxygen enables our bodies to regenerate, detoxify and strengthen the immune system. It is indispensable in protecting us from environmental toxins, free radicals, viruses, parasites, and harmful bacteria. Just as much, it promotes the absorption of essential nutrients.
Getting enough oxygen is also important for good quality sleep, exercising, studying, working, and managing energy levels throughout the day, especially is busy, more demanding times.
Importance for Mental Health
Oxygen plays a key role in maintaining our brain’s healing, studies showing that higher oxygen levels promote memory and brainpower, enhancing productivity, learning, feeling, decision making, and problem solving abilities. Which explains why taking a walk in the park or just spending time in nature can leave us feeling not only more refreshed, but also more motivated and focused on our tasks.
Additionally, many studies have looked into the correlation between oxygen and mental health disorders, results often indicating a positive impact of enhancing oxygen levels in improving matters ranging from occasional stress, to more serious cases such as depression, anxiety, or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Tips for Maintaining the Right Oxygen Levels
Check Air Quality — Air is not the same everywhere, so we need to ensure we occasionally check the air quality in our areas to see what is considered safe to do (e.g., keep windows open / closed, wear masks, spend time doing outdoor activities). World’s Air Pollution: Real-Time Air Quality Index provides real time insights we can refer to.
Keep It Simple & Clean — Air purifiers, good ventilation, regular vacuuming, and dusting off surfaces can help improve air quality and oxygen levels in our homes.
Manage Temperature Levels — We can breathe in more oxygen in cooler temperatures than hot ones, that’s why it’s good to make sure our homes or workspaces don’t get too hot.
Physical Activity — Working out & staying active promote good circulation so that oxygen can reach everywhere it’s needed.
Breathing Exercises & Meditation — Good breathing techniques and a composed, disciplined mind allow us to breathe in the air that we need, at all the right times.
Regular Blood Tests — Checking our iron, copper, and B vitamins levels may help us understand whether our bodies can make good use of all the oxygen we’ve inhaling. If they’re not within the safe ranges, a qualified healthcare professional can suggest diet adjustments and supplements.
Lifestyle Check — The overall blend of lifestyle elements like dietary choices, rest and sleeping schedule, hydration, activity levels, outdoor time, etc. all contribute to how much and how well out bodies use the oxygen around us.
Reference List
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (2014) Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Adults with Mental Illness: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness. Ontario: CADTH
CoachUp Nation (2015) The Importance Of Oxygen [online] available from https://www.coachup.com/nation/articles/the-importance-of-oxygen
WAQI (2022) World’s Air Pollution: Real-Time Air Quality Index [online] available from https://waqi.info
