OXYGEN
Unconscious necessity
The Earth and its atmosphere are made up of many elements that make life sustainable. However there is one element, the Oxygen (O2), which is by far the most important factor of human health and well-being.
Breathing is the one activity that we do automatically as soon as we are born, yet few of us even give it a second thought.We take oxygen for granted! However it is not enough just to inhale and exhale. We have an ever changing environment and pollution to contend with and these factors greatly effect how much oxygen we get and how much we need. How healthy and how long one lives may well depend on having a fundamental understanding of how important oxygen is. We are told that the air we breathe contains about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases. However, this fact really only applies to tropical rain forests and some rural areas. The truth is that most areas are closer to 20%, and larger cities can have much lower levels - 15-18%.
This means that in areas with less oxygen the human being does not extract enough oxygen. Scientists have shown that there is a correlation between decreases in oxygen levels and increases in human illness.
Oxygen is our Life Force
Oxygen is the essential element required for our bodies to function correctly, it is needed by every cell in our body ranging from digestion to brain functions. We can live without food for up to a month, without water for days but without oxygen we will live for little more than 4-5 minutes.
Oxygen is our Greatest Energy Source
Health, vitality, physical stamina and endurance all depend on maintaining optimum oxygen levels in the body! Oxygen is the primary source of energy. It is the fuel required for the proper operation of all body systems: 90% of our energy comes from oxygen... only 10% comes from food and water.
Oxygen Gives the Body the Ability to Rebuild Itself
Oxygen detoxifies the blood and strengthens the immune system. Oxygenation neutralizes environmental toxins, and destroys anaerobic infectious bacteria and parasites. Oxygen performs a vital role in the carriage of microbes, acids, proteins, and other nutrients in the body.
Oxygen Powers the Brain
One of oxygen's most important functions is that it allows the brain to process billions of pieces of information every second. Thus our ability to think, talk, feel and act are all dependent on oxygen. Without an adequate supply of oxygen, brain cells quickly die and unlike our liver cells, brain cells can not regenerate. The brain consumes about 20% of our body's oxygen intake while it only takes up 2% of our whole body mass. Scientific studies have demonstrated that an increase in oxygen can heighten concentration and alertness, calm the mind and stabilize the nervous system.
Oxygen for our Hearts
Increased oxygen delivery to the heart lowers the resting heart rate and strengthens the contraction of the cardiac muscle. Heart attacks result from a failure to deliver oxygen to the hard working heart muscle (hypoxia). Mild hypoxia increases the heart and respiratory rates; prolonged or severe hypoxia results in lung or heart failure. Researchers state that a lack of oxygen is the prime cause of millions of heart attacks each year.