Low Levels of Oxygen In the Body Compromise the Immune
System
The medical community knows that the lower the body’s
oxygen saturation, the greater the risk of disease,
organ failure, brain damage and death. The acceptable
“normal” blood oxygen level is 95% to 100%.
When levels fall to 90%, this is a “dangerous”
warning sign that an individual has a significant physiological
problem.
At 80%, severe hypoxia sets in that can result in damage
to the organs and the brain.
Smog, pollution, stress, depression, diseases or medical
complications, prescription medications, changes in
diet, eating non-nutritious (junk) foods, poor nutrition
(mineral and vitamin depletion), or living or recreating
at higher altitudes can adversely affect the body’s
oxygen levels. Over a prolonged period of time, low
oxygen levels can result in cellular damage, organ malnutrition,
increased toxicity and a higher probability of disease
conditions. Maintaining an adequate oxygen level in
the body is critical to maintaining overall health!
Poor nutrition:
When we think of health, we usually don't think of dirt.
But dirt, or soil, is the primary factor in maintaining
our nutritional health because all our food comes from
the earth. Since our bodies are literally composed of
the "dust of the earth," meaning minerals,
healthy bodies are connected to healthy soil. If any
element is missing from the soil, then it will be missing
from the foods we eat and, as a result, we will not
be properly nourished.
Unfortunately, the commercial methods of agriculture
are not only depleting the soil of precious trace minerals,
they are also destroying the ability of plants to be
able to utilize those elements. Hence, our food is nutritionally
deficient right from the start. To make matters worse,
our food gets refined and more of its nutritional content
is
removed in the process.
Poor nutrition forces the body to expend even more
of its precious oxygen reserve to maintain cellular
health, fight off disease by struggling to keep the
immune system strong, and to eliminate the build-up
toxins in the body. As this struggle continues, the
body slowly loses its battle and the body’s immune
system breaks down and disease conditions begin to take
greater control.
While there are still those diehards in the medical
community who preach the old dogma that supplements
aren't necessary if you eat a "balanced diet,"
it is nonetheless a fact that animal feeds ALL contain
nutritional supplements. Agricultural experts recognize
that farmers must supplement animal feeds. They know
that the grain and other foodstuffs do not contain enough
nutrients to maintain healthy livestock without adding
supplements. If animals can't stay healthy eating our
modern crops, how can human beings? Dr. Bernard Jensen
and Mark Anderson Empty Harvest
Adequate oxygen supplies are critical for healthy skin.
Oxygen is essential for maintaining cellular function
and repair. It is necessary to
promote fibroblast (a type of repair cell) proliferation
and collagen production,
which is essential in the skin healing process.
The availability of oxygen to skin tissues plays an
important and integral role in
the process of skin recovery. When the skin is damaged,
the process of healing
begins with the activation of enzymes and the presence
of white blood cells that
destroy bacteria. Macrophages, (the white blood cells
that remove debris,) clear
the damaged area of destroyed cellular material. Blood
flow to the treated area
increases, bringing nutritive substances, and especially
oxygen, to the damaged
tissue. Macrophages also stimulate fibroblasts that
secrete collagen, a type of
protein that strengthens and heals the tissues.
Within one to two days, the epithelial cell layer of
skin begins to form. Oxygen promotes the production
of collagen and epithelial cell growth within the healing
area. Therefore, proper skin nutrition, the activation
of the immune system and oxygen promote a better quality
of healing.
There are no blood vessels in the epidermal layers
of the skin.
Capillaries are responsible for supplying the skin cells
with nutrients.
Circulation in the capillaries is mediocre, at best.
As we age, the capillaries become less permeable and
allow little or no oxygen
and nutrients pass to the extracellular fluid, which
surrounds the cells.
With little oxygen and nutrients passed to the cells,
it is no wonder that the face skin
is the first part of the body to show visible signs
of aging.
Ted Kalli, Aura Research
Water pollution
What is water pollution? Water pollution is any chemical,
physical or biological
change in the quality of water that has a harmful effect
on any living thing that
drinks or uses or lives (in) it. When humans drink polluted
water it often has
serious effects on their health. Water pollution can
also make water unsuited
for the desired use.
What are the major water pollutants?
There are several classes of water pollutants. The first
are disease-causing
agents. These are bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic
worms that enter the
water supply when water treatment systems fail to kill
these microorganisms.
Outbreaks of these organisms through tap water happen
frequently affecting
hundreds of thousands of people throughout the U.S.
on a yearly basis.
A second category of water pollution is oxygen-demanding
wastes. These organic wastes can be decomposed by oxygen-requiring
bacteria. However, when large populations of decomposing
bacteria are converting these wastes it further depletes
oxygen levels in the water. This causes other organisms
in water, such as fish, to die.
A third class of water pollutants is water-soluble inorganic
pollutants. This includes acids, salts and toxic metals.
Large quantities of these compounds can make water
unfit to drink cause not only the death of aquatic life
but build up in the human body causing a host of diseases.
Another class of water pollutants is considered agricultural
“nutrients”. Hundreds of millions of tons
of manmade water-soluble nitrates and phosphates are
applied to the soil to facilitate crop growth and eventually
find their way into the water supply. These organic
substances cause the excessive growth of algae and other
water
plants, which deplete the water's oxygen supply. These
chemicals not only kill fish but, when found in drinking
water, can also seriously affect our health, especially
young children.
Water can also be polluted by a number of organic compounds
such as oil, plastics and pesticides, which are harmful
to humans and all plants and animals in the water.
Finally, water-soluble radioactive compounds can cause
cancer, birth defects and genetic damage and are also
very dangerous water pollutants.
Where does water pollution come from? Water pollution
is almost always caused by human activities called “point”
and “non-point” sources. Point sources discharge
pollutants at specific locations through pipelines or
sewers into surface water (streams, rivers or the oceans).
Examples of point sources are factories, sewage treatment
plants, underground mines, oil wells, oil tankers and
agriculture runoff. Non-point sources are sources that
cannot be traced to any single site of discharge. Examples
of non-point sources are acid depositions from the air,
traffic oils or coolants, and other pollutants that
contaminate groundwater.
Regardless of the sources, water pollution, when consumed
in bottled or tap water, adds additional stress to the
immune system, affects cellular health and poisons the
body. The body is then forced to expend more of its
precious oxygen to combat these pollutants.
Why is water important to the human body?
We are mostly water. In fact, ninety percent of our
body weight comes from water. Dry us out, and we die.
Tea or coffee won’t do as substitutes and neither
will a beer or a gin and tonic.
Health specialists say we all have elements of toxicity
in our bodies caused by either a build-up of caffeine
or alcohol. Most people don’t realize that these
fluids actually act as diuretics and stimulate the production
of urine that causes us to dehydrate further. Sugar-laden
drinks, and sugar-free drinks, also dehydrate the body.
We need water for our blood. About 83% of our blood
is water. We need water to digest our food, transport
waste, and control body temperature. We need it for
every biochemical process in our body and for water’s
ability to dissolve substances that allow cells to use
valuable nutrients, minerals and chemicals. The carbohydrates
and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized
and transported by water in the
bloodstream.
Water is a lubricant. The presence of water in and
around body tissues helps defend the body against shock.
The brain, eyes and spinal cord are among the body's
sensitive structures that depend on a protective water
layer.
Water is present in the mucous and salivary juices of
our digestive systems. This is especially important
for moving food through the digestive tract. Persons
who experience reduced salivary output soon will realize
that foods taste differently and are harder to swallow.
As a lubricant, water also is helpful for smooth movement
of bone joints.
Water regulates body temperature. Our health and well-being
are dependent on keeping body temperature within a very
narrow range. The human body, which is made of 60-75
percent water, serves this function quite well. Water
itself changes temperature slowly and is able to help
regulate body temperature by serving as a
good heat storage material.
Eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day may not be
enough!
For many years, this has been the traditional “wisdom”.
But the truth is that we should drink one quart of pure
water for every 50 pounds of body weight every day.
This would increase daily water intake to 12 to 16 eight-ounce
glasses for most of us each day!
Dehydration is associated with ageing and in one study
of older people, 10 per cent were shown to be mildly
dehydrated. Dehydration can affect renal (kidney) function
and blood pressure, leading to dizziness. It can also
cause blood clots, constipation and confusion. Fluids
are essential to keep our bodies working properly.
Amount of oxygen in water sources.
Don’t be fooled into believing that you can increase
the level of oxygen in your body by drinking bottled
or tap water. Running water in streams and rivers may
contain as much as 10 parts per million (ppm) of dissolved
oxygen (02). Standing lake water may contain as high
as 7 ppm of O2. Ocean water contains approximately 4
ppm of O2. Standing ponds can contain as little as 1-3
ppm of dissolved oxygen. Tap water in most large, industrialized
cities contains a maximum of 3-4 ppm. Some bottled waters
contain less than 1 ppm of O2.
The average adult at rest inhales and exhales about
7 or 8 liters, (about one-fourth of a cubic foot,) of
air per minute. That totals 11,000 liters of air (388
cubic feet) in a day.
The air that is inhaled is about 20-percent oxygen,
and the air that is exhaled is about 15-percent oxygen.
So, about 5-percent of the volume of air is consumed
in each breath and converted to carbon dioxide. Therefore,
a human being uses about 550 liters of pure oxygen (19
cubic feet) every day. Under stress or with exercise,
this
figure could go up as much as five times or more!
Obviously, 1-10 ppm of oxygen in a liter of water adds
an infinitesimal amount of oxygen into the blood stream!
