"Oxygen and Life"

As we know . . . Oxygen plays a critical role in respiration, the energy=ducing chemistry that drives the metabolisms of most living things. In a previous Health tip we spoke about "photosynthesis" by plants and how important this is to the generation of "oxygen" for our survival.

So why is this so important? . . . Well, we breathe because "oxygen" is needed to burn the fuel (sugars and fatty acids) in our cells to create energy. Oxygen is brought into the lungs via breathing. It is then transported by "red blood cells" to the entire body to be used to produce energy. Sounds simple enough . . . right?

Well . . . a protein called "hemoglobin" in the red blood cells carry this oxygen around the body. Blood with fresh oxygen is carried from the lungs to the left side of the heart, which pumps blood around the body through the arteries. At the end of this process . . . this blood now without oxygen returns through the veins to the right side of the heart, And then is escorted and pumped back to the lungs so the body can breathe out the carbon dioxide that was produced as waste material. And in response to this process, we now can breathe in more fresh oxygen. This process on average takes about 45 seconds for blood to circulate from the heart, all around the body and back to the heart again.

So if for any reason we can't take in this fresh oxygen . . . something called "Hypoxemia" occurs. This is when levels of oxygen in the blood are lower than normal which can cause mild headaches and shortness of breath.

But . . . the part that can become life threatening is this . . . remember how I'm constantly talking about the "bad" bacteria in our body running a muck on our health . . .

Well . . . "bad" bacteria, illness, disease, infection and "CANCER" . . . "ALL" live in an "OXYGEN DEPRIVED" environment.

That's their safe haven where they fester, grow and mutate!

Illness of any kind even "weight issues" can "NOT" live in an "OXYGEN RICH" environment. It's really as simple as just that!

Even this stupid virus can't live in an "oxygen rich" body!

And guess what? . . . when your blood is "oxygen poor" . . . the immune system is compromised and we can not survive.