Even though we breathe a lot of oxygen, most of us still don’t realize that we’re not breathing optimally. Proper breathing has a big impact on our health and well-being as it is directly related to the oxygen levels in our bodies. Low blood oxygen levels can have a variety of causes, from living at high altitudes to having serious diseases. Whether vitamin or blood supplements help increase oxygen in your blood will depend on the cause of why you would have lower oxygen levels, In this article, we’ll be discussing the ways where we can increase our oxygen levels.
When we breathe, we use chemical and mechanical processes to distribute and bring oxygen into every cell in the body and remove carbon dioxide. Our bodies need oxygen as energy to fuel all our life processes. Carbon dioxide is the waste product of the process. The respiratory system and its conduction and breathing zones bring air from the environment to the lungs and facilitate gas exchange within the lungs and cells.
Causes of low-level oxygen
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Pneumonia
- Congenital heart disease
- Anemia
- Congenital heart defects in children
- Pulmonary Edema
- Sleep apnea
- ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome)
- Drugs that may suppress breathing
How can we breathe more oxygen in?
Breathing exercises
Deep breathing exercises increase the amount of oxygen in our blood. Oxygen enters the bloodstream in the body through the respiratory system, which is why if your breathing is not ideal, it can affect your oxygen levels.
Physical exercise
The better we are at acquiring and utilizing more oxygen, the more energy our cells can produce. Therefore, increasing oxygen utilization will enhance our endurance. There is a clear correlation between performance and the amount of oxygen we breathe. Interval and sprint training are the best training methods to increase our oxygen levels.
Hydration
To oxygenate and exhale carbon dioxide, our lungs need to be hydrated and drink enough water, which affects our oxygen levels. On average, we lose about 400ml of water every day, so it is recommended to drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Vitamin B12
We need vitamin B12 to produce red blood cells that carry oxygen to our bodies. Not getting enough B12 can lead to anemia, which means your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells to do the job. If you are low in vitamin B12, you might experience fatigue.
Fresh air
The simplest way to get more oxygen intake, you can simply to open your windows or go outside. Fresh air will give you energy, can calm you down when feeling uneasy, and bring extra oxygen into your lungs.
Iron
The main sources of iron aside from taking supplements are food such as leafy green vegetables(such as kale and broccoli), fruits(like apples and beans), and lean proteins like eggs, poultry, and fish. Eating certain foods can help improve oxygen levels in the blood. Iron is a mineral needed to promote red blood cells flow, the cells that transport blood throughout the body. This is why if we lack iron, we usually feel tired.
That was it for this article. If you found it helpful, consider checking out our blog STORIFYGO!
