The change in the way you breathe that can improve your health

2023-10-22 22:13:30

Although it is something we do naturally and unconsciously, breathing is a key activity in our health and the way we do it is important.

Dr. Michael Mosley, author of the podcast Just One Thingjoined Dr. Jon Lundberg, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, to dedicate an episode to the importance of breathing well.

Some people inhale and exhale through their mouth and others use their nose. But Mosley says breathing through your nose can increase oxygen absorption, fight infection and gum health, compared to breathing through your mouth.

“First, breathing through your nose keeps your mouth healthier. Chronic mouth breathing can reduce the amount of saliva produced, making your mouth drier and increasing your risk of cavities and swollen gums. Nasal breathing could also give your brain a boost,” Mosley said.

“In a recent study, 22 volunteers were given a memory test while they were in a brain scanner. When they breathed through their nose, they performed better and the scans revealed that their brains worked more efficiently than when they breathed through their mouth. “revealed Dr. Mosley.

For his part, Lundberg added: “Nitric oxide (NO) is generated in our body and has the main function of regulating cardiovascular function. Therefore, it dilates blood vessels, facilitates blood flow and also reduces blood pressure in very, very high concentrations.”

“Nitric oxide is part of the immune system and, in fact, can help kill bacteria and viruses,” said the Swede, adding that “we have a local production of nitric oxide in the nose and sinuses. So, to locally, we have very high levels of NO there, which I think helps sterilize the sinuses.”

“If you read a medical textbook, you’ll find that the sinuses are sterile, there’s usually no bacteria there, whereas in the nose, the nose is teeming with bacteria even in healthy subjects,” Dr. Lundberg continued.

“The second thing we think is happening, which is even more intriguing, I think, is that when NO reaches the vessels of the lung, it dilates them, which increases oxygen absorption. So we take in a little more oxygen when there is nitric oxide around,” the doctor concluded.