Oxygen as a Nutrient
While the mainstream media is focusing heavily on the issues of excess carbon dioxide, air pollution, and water pollution, they neglect to mention the reason why, which is truly an environmental catastrophe -- the oxygen depletion in our oceans and in our atmosphere.
Most people are unaware of the signs of oxygen deficiency in our oceans. One of the indicators of oxygen deficiency is the sudden increase in jellyfish population, and of course, the death of shrimp and fish.
While most people are aware that they should eat clean food, drink clean water, and even breathe clean air, very few people ever consider that they might need to breathe more oxygen as a nutrient.
Oxygen HistorySeveral people simultaneously discovered oxygen during the years of 1774 and 1775. By 1783, oxygen was first documented as a remedy for lung disease and much later on
was used to remedy most of the common ailments known to men.Even though hospitals use oxygen to help people breathe better, oxygen therapy fell from common medical use by the 1940s. Why did a good therapy mostly fall from use? How important is oxygen as an element for life?
Oxygen makes up about 49% of the mass of Earth's crust, 28% of the mass of Earth as a whole, and about 21% of the air we breathe. It is the 3rd most common element in the known universe. (Carbon dioxide doesn't even rate a percentage!)
It's not surprising that oxygen is the most important element to all higher life forms. While it may be true that we are "carbon based" life forms, without a sustained source of oxygen, we are only able to stay alive for a few moments. Perhaps it would be more accurate to state that we are oxygen-based life forms in carbon-based containers.
Though oxygen makes up about 21% of the air we breathe, that is an average. There is more oxygen content in the air in some areas than in others, due to pollution problems. Did you know that Orange County, California, has a record low of 9.5% oxygen? What about China's air pollution? I don't even know how they breathe there. When oxygen levels are depleted, respiratory ailments become common.
The depletion of oxygen in the atmosphere causes environmental problems, too, as carbon dioxide levels increase disproportionately. Scientists can tell a lot about the atmosphere by monitoring carbon dioxide levels. In the 1900s, the carbon dioxide levels were about 180ppm and today they are about 389ppm. According to ice core samples taken from the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, the maximum ceiling levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 400ppm. This is an indication that we are at the end of the interglacial period and entering an ice age.
Scientists, using soil sample analysis to study oxygen levels during the Permian Period, (the period before the dinosaurs) have discovered that the oxygen content during this very "life friendly" period was 30%. Furthermore, these scientists also discovered that oxygen levels during the "Great Dying" period, where massive extinction events occurred, had dropped to 16%, eventually "bottoming out" at 12%. During this time when oxygen was at its lowest levels, 90% of all marine life died, as well as nearly 75% of all land-based plants and animals.
"Oxygen dropped from its highest level to its lowest level ever in only 20 million years. Animals that once were able to cross mountain passes quite easily suddenly had their movements severely restricted." -- Raymond Huey of the University of Washington.
The shock of an 18% drop in oxygen content over a 20 million year period can hardly compare with the reality humanity is facing in modern times: A 2-3% drop in oxygen levels in less than 100 years. This is a drastic change in air quality. If this frightening trend continues, the consequences may be disastrous not only on our bodies, but also on the environment. Our carbon-based bodies have an extreme dependence on oxygen levels as oxygen is directly related to our bodies' ability to grow, heal, and to manufacture energy.
The body uses many forms of oxygen compounds. The most common stable form that we use to breathe is O2. However, O3, which is ozone, is also used to build our immune system. The O3 easily splits off an O1, which bonds with H2O (water) and forms H2O2, which is hydrogen peroxide. I am mentioning this basic chemistry because it is one of the most important aspects of maintaining good health, rebuilding and maintaining the immune system. It is also critical for thinking clearly and retaining memory.
If you have visited or lived in Japan, you have experienced the stupefying pollution. You go to an oxygen bar or oxygen vending machine and breathe 30 seconds of oxygen to instantly feel smarter, brighter and more alert.
Here is an oxygen vending machine advertisement that I cut and pasted in here.
- Benefits of Oxygen:
- Provides energy
- Calms the mind and stabilizes the nervous system
- Sharpens concentration, alertness, and memory
- Detoxifies the blood and improves the immune system
- Promotes healing and counters aging
- Strengthens the heart, which reduces the risk of heart attacks
- Speeds up the body's recovery after physical exertion
- Provides a natural remedy for headaches, migraines and hangovers
- Relieves temporary altitude discomfort and jetlag
- Improves digestion and cell metabolism
- Relieves muscle stiffness and supports pre-athletic performance
- Lessens fatigue and creates better sleep patterns
By the way, some of these oxygen bars add fragrances to the oxygen and if these fragrances are made from petrochemical distillates, they pretty much cancel out any health benefits one will get from the oxygen as one is adding more toxic petrochemical directly into one's blood stream.
Facts About Oxygen:
- Only 8% of the oxygen in the atmosphere is manufactured by trees and grasses.
- Only 2% of the oxygen is manufactured by soil-based microorganisms
- Fully 90% of the oxygen is actually manufactured in bodies of water by the blue green algae and plankton that reside in the top layer of rivers, lakes, and oceans.
- Lack of oxygen in our atmosphere is caused by pollution, the burning of fossil fuels and overall destruction of the ozone layer - these factors combine to consume existing oxygen and to destroy the organisms that produce our oxygen in the first place.
- The air that we normally breathe contains roughly 19% to 21% oxygen.
- Every day we breathe 20,000 times. 90% of our energy comes from oxygen and only 10% from food and water.
- Blood is the carrier of oxygen that fuels all systems, stimulates chemical reactions and cleans itself of wastes and toxins.
- Oxygen makes up 90% of the water molecule, and water makes up 60%-75% of the human body.
- The brain, which makes up 2% of our total mass, requires 20% of the body's oxygen.
- Research has demonstrated that our vital lung capacity decreases 5% with every decade of life, decreasing oxygen consumption
- Nearly all cancer begins due to lack of cell oxygenation. Cancer attacks every organ in the body, with the exception of the heart, which uses an abnormal supply of oxygen.
Back in the late 1800s and the early 1900s, before the advent of drug therapy, many advanced technologies utilized various forms of oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, hydrotherapy (water therapy), and a variety of oxygen mixed with other gasses, water, and oils to treat or cure many diseases and injuries.
Today, oxygen/ozone therapies are used in hyperbaric chambers to address diabetes, heart disease, strokes, healing of wounds, etc. You will find many pro athletes own these hyperbaric chambers so that they can speedily recover from their knee and back injuries. If you go to www.youtube.com and type in oxygen therapy, you will see a variety of applications. All of these are "off label treatment", in other words, these are not AMA approved therapies.
Caution: You will find some cautions about breathing more oxygen that are legitimate. If one breathes pure oxygen instead of the maximum level of 21%, you are for sure heading for trouble. If you take an oxygen bottle and dive down below 33 feet, which adds an additional 1 atmospheric pressure, oxygen turns toxic and it will kill you.
Ozone on the other hand, is similar to oxygen in that a little bit is incredibly good for one's health and too much of it will most definitely burn one's lungs. A strong concentration can also kill. Those who are trying to promote drug therapies use these facts to convince people to avoid oxygen therapies altogether and choose drugs instead. The truth is that the
correct use of oxygen is uniformly beneficial and preferable to drugs in many circumstances.
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