Real Life Chiropractic

Day 15 Breathing and the Reduction of Oxidative Stress

Due to the fact that our breathing massages and pumps the lymph through out our body, we can go a little a little bit further into the cell. We have spoken before a little about the mitochondrion within our body; how it is the energy factory in each and every cell. Within this molecule we can get a build up of free radicals. These free radicals are the component towards our body “rusting” or “aging.” Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage. We receive more radicals by being too sedentary, eating unhealthy foods, eating too much food, and even from exercising hard since there is not enough oxygen to take them out sometimes.

What happens if we just let the free radicals build up within our cells? It not only damages the cells, but it can cause illness and faster aging, any age-related problem, and even cancer. Deep breathing increases the oxygen level in our body and thereby reduces oxidative stress, or free radical build up.1

When lymph fluid flows more easily, it helps to pick up more of these free radicals and takes them out of our system. This is done either by sweating, going to the bathroom or breathing! This is a reason why we need to breath faster from exercise. Another thing that helps to bind to free radicals in the cell are antioxidants. We are familiar with the term and how they are very important anti-aging molecules that we can get from our food.

Keep up with breathing deep to infuse your life with more youthfulness and health! Reference:

1. D. Martarelli, M. Cocchioni, S. Scuri, P. Pompei, Diaphragmatic breathing reduces exercise- induced oxidative stress. Evidence Based Complement Alternative Med, 2011 (2011), p. 932430.

Till next time. Thank you

Dr. Josef Patterson DC

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