Oxygen

Oxygen is the compound O2, and makes up 21% of our atmosphere. Although not typically classified as a nutrient, it produces 3/4 of the energy during cellular respiration, while food produces only the other 1/4. Breathing through your nose using the diaphragm oxygenates your body much better than through the mouth using the chest muscles. The brain uses 3x the oxygen that the muscles do, and some claim concentrated oxygen can act as a cognitive enhancer.

Quick Facts

  • Two oxygen atoms bonded together to form O2
  • Makes up 21% of our atmosphere
  • Oxygen is a nutrient according to the definition. Typically not called a nutrient because it is absorbed through the lungs instead of absorbed through the digestive tract
  • All multicellular organisms use oxygen, except three species of bacteria [5]
  • O2, fats, carbs, and proteins are broken down during cellular respiration to create energy that gets stored in ATP [6].
  • O2 acts similarly in our metabolism as it does in a fire, both are combustion reactions, but our metabolism does it in a slower, more controlled fashion [6].
  • Aerobic metabolisms produce 38 molecules of ATP for one unit of fuel used, whereas anaerobic produces 2 molecules of ATP. Oxygen helps generate much more energy in metabolism, which may be why all complex organisms need it [6].
  • Oxygen produces about ¾ of the energy in cellular respiration, whereas macronutrients provide only ¼ of the energy. This is traditionally overlooked in biology. People think their food produces most of their energy, but it is actually oxygen [7].
  • The brain uses 3x the oxygen the muscles do [9]
  • Oxygen concentration is one of the 5 vital signs including body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure [9]

RDI
No RDI commonly accepted, only an acceptable blood oxygen reading of 95-100% by blood oximeter.

Recommendation: Establish good breathing patterns. Breathe through your nose at all times if possible rather than your mouth. Breathe deeply using your diaphragm not your chest – belly rather than chest [9].

Deficiency
Symptoms: there doesn’t appear to be common agreement on mild oxygen deficiency symptoms, but it may include headache, fatigue, confusion, poor coordination and other symptoms.

  • Chronic deficiency in average people may be common due to breathing through the mouth, and/or breathing into the chest. Proper breathing is through the nose into the lower lungs using the diaphragm.
    • Reason 1: our heads contain nasal and oral cavities as well as the upper structure of our lungs and these contain NO2 and CO2, which help dilate blood vessels to allow more blood flow to the body and brain. You only rebreathe these agents when you breathe through your nose.
    • Reason 2: most blood flow is in lower lungs, so CO2 and O2 are exchanged more with breathing into the diaphragm. [9]
  • In more severe cases, deficiency can result from lung diseases
  • The most common form of deficiency is hypoxia, where tissues in the body don’t get enough O2 [8]
  • Even a 1 or 2% decrease in oxygen in the air we breathe can cause deficiency [8]
  • O2 deficiency can be measured using a pulse oximeter, where a healthy reading is usually 95 to 100% [9][10]
  • Some, more recently, have suggested hyperbaric oxygen as a cognitive enhancer:
    • In the book “Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals, and Neurocognition,” page 92, commenting on use of 100% O2, “Research has shown that oxygen administration leads to improved long-term memory and reaction times compared to a control group of normal air-breathing….oxygen administration appears to facilitate cognition most effectively for tasks with a higher cognitive load.” [100][101]
    • One study shows no effect of oxygen saturation on cognitive performance [102]
    • Another study states about 100% oxygen administration to the elderly, “administration of highly concentrated oxygen positively affects cognitive performance in the elderly” [103]
    • Another study demonstrated improved verbal performance and increased brain activation with 30% O2 vs. 21% O2 being breathed by participants [104].

Toxicity

  • Breathing oxygen at a higher concentration than 21%, aka hyperbaric oxygen treatment, is sometimes used for certain emergency instances like decompression sickness or carbon monoxide poisoning [98].
  • Initial symptoms are usually related to the central nervous system and may include twitching of the hands, muscles and the area around the mouth. Longer exposure may cause nausea, vertigo, and even changes in behaviour. Prolonged exposure causes respiratory symptoms of dyspnea, severe coughing, and chest pain [98].
  • Hyperventilating is where you speed up breathing such that you breathe out more CO2 than your body produces, which eventually leads to respiratory alkalosis. Symptoms include dizziness, tingling in the lips, hands or feet, headache, weakness, fainting, and seizures. Extreme respiratory alkalosis can cause carpopedal spasms, which is a flapping and contraction of the hands and feet [99].

Sources
Air, the less contaminants the better. Some argue that air filters are worth installing in homes to remove unhealthy particles.