In light of the recent pandemic, the government has been advising the public to adhere to some common guidelines to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Of course you have already heard of thorough handwashing, social distancing, and mask wearing, however, there is another highly important tip that is not being talked about in the general media. Many healthcare professionals have been speaking about how breathing through the nose (as opposed to the mouth) is a an effective way to combat the spread of sickness.
It sounds so simple that you may wonder how it can be effective, but we do have little hairs in the nasal cavity that can help to work wonders. When we breath through our noses, germs get trapped in those follicles and those germs are prevented from moving through the airway and into the lungs. And even more interesting, in our sinuses and nasal cavity, we have a chemical called nitric oxide and it only gets produced in high levels with nose breathing. According to numerous studies, this chemical stops the replication of viruses in the body. Back in 2005, during the last Corona outbreak (the SARS epidemic), research showed increasing levels of nitric oxide in the body assisted with protecting us from these types of respiratory infections because it stops the replication of the protein which, in turn, prevents infection.
Even when the pandemic comes to an end (hopefully sooner rather than later), continuing to nose-breath leads to great health benefits. Our bodies were designed with the intention of breathing and smelling being the primary duties of the nose, and eating, drinking, and talking being the duties of the mouth. It is estimated that up to half of us are breathing through the mouth which is incorrect and can lead to a host of issues including:
-greater incidence of sleep apnea and snoring
-trauma to soft tissues in the airways
-enlarged tonsils and adenoids
-dental decay and gum disease
-introduction of unfiltered air into the lungs which can spread germs
-upper chest breathing which is inefficient and therefore, tiring
-chronic over breathing
-noisy eating, swallowing, and speech problems
Not only does breathing through the nose help to prevent the above-mentioned issues, it creates 50 percent more resistance to the airstream which results in more oxygen to the lungs. This increases carbon dioxide levels and circulating blood oxygen which improves lung health and volumes. We hope this simple tip of nose-breathing helps to protect you during this trying time and always keep in mind, we are still diligently shipping our ready-made weight loss foods and products which helps to keep you on track with your goals and out of crowded grocery stores!
