When too much fresh air is bad for you

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running out of air in a polluted environment

Heavier folks, breathe in more FRESH AIR, but more air in, also means more pollutants enter the lungs. Those more pollutants, cause more irritation….

“Fresh air is good, if you don’t take too much of it”

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr

Taking in MORE FRESH AIR, is a lofty health  goal…. something we should all aspire to.

BUT,  FRESH AIR is not the same as PURE AIR.  No matter where you reside, the air you breathe includes pollutants….

  • ammonia,
  • sulphur dioxide,
  • ozone, and
  • nitrogen dioxide

For heavier folks…. FRESH AIR represents a two edged sword, because they’re getting,  too much.

Too much of a good thing

Researchers from the Université de Montréal’s School of Public Health, compared breathing rates in normal weight, overweight and obese individuals, as there went about their “normal” business. The team used a technique that tracked the disappearance of deuterium and heavy oxygen, to calculate average inhalation rates over a period of 7-21 days.

The team discovered, overweight/obese adults , breathe between 7-50 % more air per day, than normal weight individuals.

That’s a lot more FRESH AIR going in…

Good air gone bad

All that extra air, passing in and out of the lungs, is accompanied by pollutants.  So more air in, also  means more pollutants are able to enter the lungs.

Since these air contaminants typically act as irritants …..

  • they can directly upset the epithelial cells lining the lungs, contributing to asthma and other pulmonary diseases.
  • they can also indirectly contribute to oxidative stress, promoting  metabolic upsets and furthering obesity.

This propensity of the heavy,  to breathe in MORE, creates a vulnerability….

Asthma-obesity connection

Officially asthma and obesity are separate health problems, but, in reality, they often go together, this research suggests, it is not a co-incidence.

Breathing rates connect the two conditions.

This is why, many people find their asthma symptoms track their weight.  When they lose a few pounds, they breathe a little easier, when they put on a few pounds, breathing becomes a little more laboured.

So what can be done to break this connection ?

Breathe less

Since the problem begins with too much “FRESH AIR” –  the fix is to breathe less FRESH AIR.

One option would be to switch to PURE AIR – this strategy works, but walking around with an  oxygen tank strapped on your back all the time,  is not all that practical.  A more pragmatic option, is simply to  breathe less FRESH AIR, by shedding a few pounds.

Asthma is another thing sugar gremlin’s are responsible for.  Isn’t it time you took steps to TAME your SUGAR GREMLIN ?  Click here to learn more…..

Physiological Daily Inhalation Rates for Health Risk Assessment in Overweight/Obese Children, Adults, and Elderly. Risk Analysis (2014) 34(3):567-582. Pierre Brochu, Michèle Bouchard, Sami Haddad. 

Further reading

vitamin C helping exercising lungs skin flakes mopping up ozone tree cleaning up the air
Oranges at half time help little athletes breathe easier Dust might not be as big a health hazard as you think Trees are deluxe super sucking vaccum cleaners clearing the air 

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