Science of Breathing
The Science of Your Breath and Well-Being
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To begin, one must understand how breathing and oxygen affect every
cell in your body. Breathing involves one of only nine muscle groups
within the body with dual control. Dual control means these select
muscle groups can be controlled both by the conscious mind through the
somatic system and by the unconscious mind through the autonomic system.
The muscle groups involved with breathing include the diaphragm and the
intercostals (the muscles between the ribs). The other eight muscle
groups provide the processes to blink, chew, swallow, control
elimination, and move the hands and feet, either consciously or not.
Breathing is a unique process as compared to the processes controlled by
the other eight muscle groups with dual control since it affects the
functioning of every cell and the physiology of the entire body. The
other eight dual controlled muscles and the corresponding processes have
a much more limited effect on the body.
Clearly, there is a need to be able to control the breath at will.
Imagine not being able to hold your breath when swimming or if exposed
to an unpleasant smell. Yet, we breathe without thinking about it most
of the time. When we breathe without our conscious involvement, the
process is governed by the autonomic nervous system. This autonomic
nervous system has both a sympathetic and a parasympathetic sub-system
which work best in balance. The sympathetic system is involved with
active states, such as flight or fight and the parasympathetic system is
involved in states of relaxation.
Most people breathe 15 breaths per minute without their conscious
involvement. At this breathing rate the autonomic nervous system
perceives a "fight or flight" situation, stressing physiological
functions throughout the body. Breathing too frequently and without
enough depth to involve the diaphragm produces sympathetic dominance.
The heart rate increases, muscles tense, and various bio-chemicals are
produced and released in response to the perceived flight or fight
situation. When the autonomic nervous system is in this state of alert,
every single cell is affected. In other words, the body is placed in an
imbalanced state. This imbalance has been found to be a factor in the
development of high blood pressure, anxiety, attention deficit, and many
other problems.
When sympathetic dominance continues over a prolonged period, cells
and systems wear out, failing to function properly. Maintaining the
proper balance within the body will keep the body healthier and
appearing younger. Balancing the breath though optimal frequency and
depth brings the autonomic nervous system into balance. Breathing
frequency affects the sympathetic system and breathing depth affects the
parasympathetic system. When stressed, one can simply take a few slow
deep breaths to experience a more balanced state of being.
Diaphragmatic breathing which engages the movement of the diaphragm
increases the available oxygen levels throughout the body. This
increased oxygen level improves the flow of energy in every cell which
in turn affects every organ and system within the body. Most people
think in terms of getting their energy from the food they eat. While
this is partially true, it does not factor in the role of oxygen in
converting nutrients into useable energy to maintain life. Our food must
go through an oxidation process and have the converted energy stored
within the molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) released to
drive the function of the cell. So to maintain life, respiration
involves and affects every cell in the body.
Obviously, there is a relationship between your breath and your
well-being. Furthermore, the quality of your breathing process varies
during different physical and emotional states. If you are anxious, the
process becomes fast, shallow, and even irregular. Think about the last
time you were scared. What happened to your breath? When a sudden threat
is perceived, most will experience an interruption in normal breathing.
Just as an event can affect your breath, your conscious control of
breath can affect how events in life affect you. In various relaxation
programs, participants are instructed to slow and deepen the breath.
These techniques bring rich levels of oxygen to the cells and balance
the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
Here is a summary of what C. Samuel West, D.N., N.D. says about the
impact of deep breathing in his book, The
Golden Seven Plus One:
Breathing deeply keeps the blood proteins circulating via the
lymphatic system. Deep breathing allows the necessary oxygen to convert
glucose into energy. He states that oxygen is the most important
nutrient.
Dr. West explains the lungs function as a suction pump for the
lymphatic system. The lymphatic system has the responsibility to remove
the blood proteins, like the fibrinogens, albumins, and globulins from
the spaces between the cells. These blood proteins have been shown to
leak out of the tiny blood capillaries. Once the blood proteins are
outside the capillaries there is not enough pressure between the cells
to push them back into the blood circulation. The lymph system must pull
these trapped proteins back through the lymphatic vessels with their
one-way valves up into the subclavian vein at the base of the neck.
If the lymph does not move effectively, these blood proteins become
trapped between the cells and interfere with oxygen metabolism. Once
this occurs, these trapped blood proteins attract excess sodium, pulling
water from the blood which in turn causes excessive sodium and water to
build up around the cell. Then oxygen deficiency within the cells upsets
the sodium and potassium balance which causes a loss of energy, disease,
and death at the cellular level. He said these conditions at the
cellular level produce pain, inflammation, infections, and disease
conditions. In fact, these blood proteins must be removed by the
lymphatic system or you can die within a day. He believed better health
could be gained by five minutes of deep diaphragmatic breathing than by
five minutes of walking. The lymphatic system is also responsible for
removing poisons and waste from the body plus purifying the blood. A
lack of sufficient oxygen is responsible for pain, cancer, inflammatory
responses and ultimately, disease states in general. Other conditions
such as arthritis, obesity, and high blood pressure all share trapped
blood proteins as a causative factor.
There is also research on shock, containing facts about how blood
proteins can kill someone in just a few hours. When someone is in shock,
the capillaries dilate all over the body. This causes the blood proteins
to be released and the circulatory system to collapse. A film documented
by Dr. Shields demonstrates how deep breathing improves the lymphatic
system's ability to move. Other researchers at top medical schools have
discovered that cells can be kept alive indefinitely as long as proper
chemical balance is maintained and waste products of metabolism are
removed. This is what the lymphatic system does when it operates
efficiently.
Dr. Otto Warburg, a Noble Laureate in Physiology and Medicine,
discovered the primary cause of cancer occurs when the respiration of
oxygen is replaced in normal cells by the fermentation of sugar. He also
found that removing oxygen from healthy cells causes the cells to become
cancerous. The respiration of oxygen is how cells normally meet their
energy needs, whereas in contrast cancer cells meet their energy needs
primarily by fermentation. In every case of developing cancer, the
respiration of oxygen fell, fermentation began, and the cells became
anaerobic. These cells then lost their normal function, retaining only
the properties of growth and replication.
He proposed the following to prevent cancer:
- Maintain the blood flow at a high enough rate to insure the venous
blood still contains sufficient oxygen.
- Keep hemoglobin, which carries the oxygen molecule, at high levels
within the blood.
- Add active respiratory enzymes to food and increase the amount if a
precancerous state has already developed.
He believed if the above was done and carcinogens were removed, most
cases of cancer could be prevented. Today, many experts agree that
approximately 80% of all cancers could be prevented, if we eliminate
exposure to carcinogens. It appears that the remaining 20% of cancer
cases could also be prevented if the respiration of oxygen within cells
was sustained at proper levels.
Dr. Warburg questioned why cancer develops if oxygen-respiration is
replaced by fermentation. He knew life existed on earth before the
earth's atmosphere contained free oxygen gas. These life forms existing
before the presence of free oxygen must have derived their energy from
fermentation. The fossil records show life-forms during this period
were, in fact, limited to single and undifferentiated cells. Once free
oxygen became available a billion years ago, the higher forms of life
developed producing the plant and animal kingdoms. Cancer is actually
the reverse process in which highly complex cells dedifferentiate.
Today, cancer develops in the presence of free oxygen gas in the
atmosphere, due to a lack of sufficient quantity available at the
cellular level.
So why did oxygen allow differentiation to take place and why does a
lack of oxygen cause the reverse process? The development of plants and
animals and man from unicellular anaerobes is one of the most improbable
processes we have discovered. What caused this to occur? We now
understand from the thermodynamics of Boltzmann, improbable processes
require work to produce temperature differences in a gas with uniform
temperature. The respiration of oxygen provides this work.
Dedifferentiation begins when respiration or work is inhibited. In the
terms of thermodynamics, differentiation represents a forced steady
state due to work, whereas dedifferentiation and the development of
cancer is a state of equilibrium not requiring work.
In summary, respiration of oxygen (aerobic) is more frequently
impaired than fermentation because it is a more complicated process.
When aerobic respiration is impaired it can be easily replaced by
fermentation, because both processes have a common catalyst called,
nicotinamide. Glycolysis occurs
when aerobic respiration is replaced by fermentation causing the cells
to die due to a lack of energy. Glycolysis loosely means "death by
fermentation" and anaerobiosis means "life by fermentation". If the
energy of fermentation equals the lost energy of aerobic respiration,
then anaerobiosis can occur. Cancer with its dedifferentiated growth and
duplication of cells arises, because only aerobic respiration, not
fermentation, can create and maintain the high level differentiation of
cells.
There is much additional information about the value of deep
breathing on health. In
The New Science of Breath, Stephen
Elliott and Dee Edmunson discuss the frequency of optimal heart rate
variability and breathing that produce optimal homeostasis, ideal
sympathetic and parasympathetic balance and wholeness. The HRV (Heart
Rate Variability) is an indicator of the level of health within
an individual. HRV takes into account the amplitude, frequency, heart
rate, and coherence of the heart. They explain that breathing has a
function extending far beyond gas exchange. Their theory of health is
based on autonomic nervous system balance. This balance is created by a
form of breathing referred to as coherent
breathing. Once coherence becomes established, all systems
throughout the body can communicate more effectively and consistently.
This form of breathing creates the optimal HRV.
They also discuss that many health issues are based in sympathetic
dominance. As discussed earlier in this article, sympathetic dominance
creates wear and tear on the body's systems. Fortunately, humans have
the ability to use their conscious minds and bring balance to the body.
One of the principle ways to do so is by consciously employing
techniques of deep breathing.
The book, Science of Breath, by
Swami Rama, Dr. Rudolph Ballentine, and Dr. Alan Hymes, discusses how
one can improve physical, mental and spiritual well-being through the
breath. Specifically, the authors share how diaphragmatic breathing in
an upright position (a favored position during a Transformational Breath
session) has been found to be the most physiological efficient way to
expose blood in the capillaries to air for optimal oxygen absorption and
metabolism. Diaphragmatic breathing also increases the suction pressure
within the chest cavity and improves the venous return of blood to the
heart.
Their book does a great job at explaining how inner emotional states
are evident within the breathing pattern of a given individual. Various
breathing patterns and associated emotional states are reviewed. They
also discuss how one breathes through the nose affects the total
well-being of the individual. Various techniques are shared to equalize
the flow of air between the right and left nostril. Once the flow is
equalized higher states of consciousness can be experienced. This book
offers many reasons one would benefit from a conscious breath practice.
Oxygen is an amazing element able to sustain life and facilitate
innate healing within the body. The increase in available oxygen through
a conscious breathing practice is very beneficial to bring the body into
balance and maintain its proper functioning. Over time diaphragmatic
breathing as a habit will develop. This improves the efficiency of
oxygen exchange and the overall functioning of every physiological
process.
The relationship between healing and oxygen has been studied by many
other experts. On a most basic level, oxygen is required for the body to
function and obviously for life to continue. Whenever breathing is
hindered and oxygen is limited, the health is negatively impacted. Here
are some basic facts to consider:
- The body needs between 1 cup to 2 gallons of oxygen per minute
depending on whether engaged in a restful state or strenuous exercise.
- Oxygen is one of the major elements within the body.
- The brain needs 20% of the total amount of oxygen needed by the
body.
- Oxygen is required to have the energy for every physiological
process.
- Oxygen affects the body through oxidation and oxygenation.
- Oxidation occurs as food is converted into energy.
- Oxygenation occurs when the blood absorbs oxygen.
Bio-oxidative Therapies
Oxygen has been used within various therapies for many years.
Bio-oxidative therapies employ various substances comprised of oxygen to
accelerate oxygen metabolism. The information within this section on
healing and oxygen can be referenced within the book,
Oxygen Healing Therapies, by Nathaniel
Altman.
It has been demonstrated that increased oxygen levels correlate with
decreased pathogens and diseased cells. The use of these therapies is
limited in the United States and yet has been found to be beneficial in
several countries. Since it is difficult to produce sustainable profits
through bio-oxidative therapies, this may be a critical limiting factor
of seeing more bio-oxidative therapies in the U.S. Here are a few oxygen
based therapies along with a summary of the benefits seen.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
This treatment is used for carbon monoxide poisoning and the bends.
This is the most common use of oxygen in healing within the U.S. It has
also been useful in treating wounds, bone infections, burns and other
conditions in which oxygen does not reach the tissues. The benefits are
achieved by the following actions:
- Reduces free gases trapped in tissues.
- Contracts blood vessels and reduces healing time in burn and crush
injuries.
- Increases oxygen in the tissues of the body.
- Has an antimicrobial effect.
- Promotes blood cell formation.
Ozone and Hydrogen Peroxide
Both of these substances kill viruses and inhibit the growth of
tumors. They also increase the production of interferon and tumor
necrosis factor which are used by the body to combat cancer and
infections. The use of these agents has been shown to increase tissue
oxygenation. There are many studies showing the benefits of these
substances in a wide range of ailments. Some of the highlights are
listed below. The book provides more specifics on the multitude of
studies and clinical results.
Heart Disease
Bio-oxidative therapies have been used for over 30 years to treat
cardiovascular disease and circulatory problems. In Cuba, hospitals
routinely administer ozone to heart attack and stroke victims. Both
ozone and hydrogen peroxide positively affect the flow of blood within
arteries and veins. Studies have shown hydrogen peroxide to affect how
platelets stick together which affects blood clot formation. It can also
oxidize fatty deposits or plague adhering to blood vessels.
Bio-oxidative therapies can activate enzyme activity able to minimize
free-radicals which often contribute to heart disease and circulatory
problems.
There is much evidence of the effectiveness of bio-oxidative
therapies in treating dysfunction of the heart and its related systems.
Here is some information from studies around the world on bio-oxidative
therapies:
- Angina attacks have decreased from 6 per day to less than 3 per day.
- Substantially more patients have responded positively to
bio-oxidative therapy as compared to traditional therapies for the
treatment of atherosclerosis in the extremities.
- A mixture of oxygen and ozone reduced the death rate during surgery
in patients with infectious inflammation of the heart’s membrane.
- Vast improvements in outcomes for stroke patients have been seen.
Cancer
The effectiveness of bio-oxidative therapy on cancer is based on
three important discoveries. First, the key condition for cancer is a
lack of oxygen. Second, viruses are often involved in the development of
cancer. And third, tumor cells are intolerant of hydrogen peroxide. Over
forty years ago, hydrogen peroxide began to be used in conjunction with
radiation treatments. This improved the effect of the radiation
treatment. Here are some other notes from research:
- Hydrogen peroxide in low doses can kill cancer cells.
- Ozone has the ability to kill tumor cells.
- Ozone-oxygen has improved appetite, strength, physical activity, and
reduced pain.
- Significant numbers of patients have gone into remission with no
evidence of cancer after bio-oxidative therapies.
- Literally tens of thousands of Europeans have become cancer free
thanks to ozone therapy.
HIV and AIDS
Within the U.S., billions of dollars are spent each year to research
HIV and AIDS plus treat the patients who have acquired HIV and develop
AIDS. It has become big business with a high profit margin.
Unfortunately, the high profitability of the mainstream approach to
treating AIDS diminishes the energy put into finding cheaper therapies.
There is substantial laboratory evidence that ozone and hydrogen
peroxide can inhibit and even kill the HIV. These bio-oxidative
therapies change the structure of the cell's receptor site thus limiting
the virus' ability to replicate and oxidize the protective coating of
the virus. HIV itself inhibits the production of an enzyme involved in
producing oxygen. Ozone can stimulate the production of this enzyme that
converts molecules of superoxide into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide
molecules.
However, bio-oxidative therapies are not the cure for AIDS. AIDS has
a multitude of causes and bio-oxidative therapies can be helpful while
not curative alone. Ozone used in combination with various drugs has
produced some promising results including the improvement of quality of
life for the AIDS patient. Many anonymous cases are known, however the
specifics are limited due to the fact that the FDA prohibits these
therapies and has threatened medical professionals who have been
reported using bio-oxidative therapies.
Other Uses of
Bio-Oxidative Therapies
Allergies
In a German clinic, 33% of the patients had their allergy symptoms
disappear completely as a result of ozone and auto-homologous
immunotherapy. Twenty-two percent saw significant improvement and
another one-third found some relief.
Burns
Researchers using ozone for burns concluded that it normalized levels
of immune response indicators. They believed this was due to ozone’s
anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory and bactericidal qualities.
Candida
Hundreds of patients have responded positively to intravenous
hydrogen peroxide.
Diabetes
In one study, ozone therapy was the most effective method for
treating a neuroinfected foot. Another study showed ozone effective in
dropping blood glucose by 50% and allowing a reduction in the amount of
insulin required to control diabetes.
Duodenal Ulcers
In a clinical study, 40% of patients receiving ozonated water were
completely healed within a month. The majority showed progress in
healing the ulcer.
Gastrointestinal Inflammation
In a study of over 2700 patients, all of the patients receiving ozone
were cured within 3 days.
Glaucoma
Ozone therapy alone was found to highly effective in improving vision
in patients with glaucoma with approximately 75% of the group having
highly significant improvement in their vision.
Hepatitis
Positive results have occurred in patients with hepatitis A, B, and C
treated with biooxidative therapies.
Influenza
Patients treated with intravenous hydrogen peroxide had their
recovery time cut in half.
Osteoarthritis
Ozone was effective in eliminating pain in over 93% of patients in a
study of 63 people suffering with osteoarthritis in the knee.
Parkinson's Disease
Approximately 90% of patients had symptoms improve after 15 sessions
of receiving ozone.
Skin Diseases
Patients with various types of herpes, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis,
athlete's foot and several other conditions have found relief from the
use of bio-oxidative therapies.
Wounds
Wounds have been found to heal faster with bio-oxidative therapies.
In summary, these bio-oxidative therapies have been successfully used to
facilitate healing for many conditions. Yet, access to bio-oxidative
therapies is often limited for most people, especially in the U.S.
Fortunately, Transformational Breathing is a technique that provides
similar benefits by increasing the oxygen level in the blood and
increasing the circulation of lymph which results in providing more
oxygen to the individual cells. Most importantly, Transformational
Breathing is a modality readily available to anyone willing to learn
this life enhancing technique of deep rhythmic diaphragmatic breathing.
Further information on the value of breathing in addressing various
health issues can be found in
Breathing and Medicine
SOURCES
Additional information about
the physiology of breathing, the role of oxygen in health and in illness
can be found in greater detail in the following books. These books were
the source of the information summarized above.
Oxygen Healing Therapies
By Nathaniel Altman
Science of Breath, A
Practical Guide
By Swami Rama, Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., Alan Hymes, M.D.
The New Science of Breath
By Stephen Elliott and Dee Edmondson, R.N.
The Golden Seven Plus One
By C. Samuel West, D.N., N.D.
Biochemistry
By Pamela C. Champe and Richard A. Harvey