8 Intriguing Reasons to Appreciate the Unseen Hero: Breathing Oxygen

From the beginning of creation, God gave us breath; he breathed life into man and woman. Ruach is a Hebrew word used in scripture for the breath, wind, or spirit of God. Doctors and mothers witness the first breath of life through the cries of a newborn, and life forces on earth need this breath to survive. 

So, why is something so vital often not acknowledged as an essential component of your health? We breathe in and out, but do we think about the benefits of oxygen to our health? 

I started my dance classes by breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth. This breathing exercise was one of the best ways to start a dance class, but why? It emphasized the importance of using air to supply oxygen to the cells of my dance students. Many dancers hold their breath and forget to breathe while dancing challenging moves. I would tell them how to take in air as they danced. Seeing this awareness improve their dance performance reminded them that breath is necessary as a tool to enhance the efficiency of their body cells and help them to achieve higher heights. 

Let’s examine why oxygen is essential for athletes, dancers, swimmers, singers, performers, and anyone doing strenuous activities. Here are my top reasons to breathe in deeply as you supply oxygen to your cells:

1. The body needs oxygen to convert food into energy. This process, called cellular respiration, is the ability of the body to transform the food we eat into energy.

   During cellular respiration, the mitochondria in your cells use the oxygen in your body to break down glucose or sugar into fuel. These powerhouse cells are responsible for producing energy to live a vibrant life.

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

2. The brain needs oxygen to handle the many functions of your body’s control center. Making up only 2% of the body weight, it uses 20% of the oxygen consumed by your body. Going without oxygen for five minutes causes brain damage.

   Thinking, analyzing, comprehension, and problem-solving require lots of energy to complete these tasks. You have to stimulate your brain with the number one substance that makes all the difference in your ability to preserve your brain. Let’s not take this crucial fact for granted; your brain needs 1.5 calories per minute when using it in intense ways like problem-solving.

   
   

3. Did you know that oxygen can build your immune system?

   Your immune system plays a crucial role in the fight against different viruses and unhealthy conditions. Oxygen fuels the cells to make the immune system strong and healthy.

   
   

4. Inadequate oxygen can cause hypoxemia (low oxygen in the blood) and hypoxia (low oxygen in the tissues).

   Shortness of breath, fast heart rate, sweating, and a change in skin color can result from these conditions. When hypoxia goes untreated, it can damage your organs resulting in death.

   
   

5. Oxygen plays a crucial role in respiratory-related ailments like pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death in children (under five years).

   
   

   

   
   

   Caused by fungus, bacteria, or viruses, adults over 65 and pregnant women are more vulnerable than the average person. When the air sacs of the lungs become inflamed and fill up with pus or fluid, oxygen has a hard time getting into the bloodstream, and this can cause breathing difficulties that require immediate oxygen treatments.

   
   

6. Oxygen is essential for treating other medical conditions. Hypoxemia can occur in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea, and COVID-19. If you have a severe asthma attack, you can also develop hypoxemia. Getting supplemental oxygen for these conditions saves lives.

   
   

7. Most living creatures need oxygen to generate energy in their cells. Plants produce oxygen using carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water.

   Oxygen is available everywhere, even in tiny pockets in the soil. Most organisms, including most microbes, have systems and organs that let them absorb oxygen from their environment. Microbes can cause severe and fatal diseases; for instance, clostridium botulinum causes botulism. So far, we know of only one living thing—a parasite distantly related to jellyfish—that doesn’t need oxygen for energy. This ‘anaerobic’ terminology describes an environment that lacks oxygen. 

   
   

8. Our oceans also need oxygen. This aquatic ecosystem is teeming with plant and animal life, making it an environment that needs and produces lots of oxygen.

   
   

   

   
   

   Since over half of the oxygen production on earth comes from the oceans, we need the oceans to provide oxygen for all living organisms on earth. The oxygen in oceans comes from two sources: photosynthesis, which occurs near the surface when sunlight penetrates, and water and air mixing caused by wind currents and ocean waves. Since warmer temperatures suck the oxygen out of the water, scientists are concerned about the reduction in oxygen concentration in deep water because it is more hostile to life in the oceans. The adverse effect on marine life damages their health, which disrupts the balance of the marine ecosystem.

   
   

Now that we see the significance of oxygen in our lives, how do we protect the air from pollution? As our world evolves, more chemicals pollute our air at an alarming rate. There is a difference between the air we breathe today and the air of previous generations. Like our soil, we see a difference in quality as we become more advanced technologically. Let’s continue to prevent air pollution from factories by using appropriate devices to filter out harsh chemicals that can affect the health of all life on earth.