by Dr.Harald Wiesendanger– Klartext
What the mainstream media is hiding
In. Out. It happens over 20,000 times a day, mindlessly, involuntarily, instinctively. But maybe wrong. How we breathe influences our brain far more than we realize. A groundbreaking study shows that constantly breathing through the mouth impairs our mental abilities, while breathing through the nose provides a neural boost.
30 to 50 percent of all adults breathe predominantly through their mouth, whether because of a stuffy nose, due to stress, or simply out of habit.
So what?
How we breathe significantly impacts our brain functions, especially on memory and thinking performance, attention, and concentration. This is the conclusion reached by a research group from Gachon University in South Korea. In the respected trade journal Healthcare, she reports how she came up with it:
22 healthy participants were asked to perform an exercise on working memory, which is responsible for only temporarily storing information. The so-called “2-back” task had to be solved: the test subjects looked at a series of numbers one after the other – and had to decide when a number they were currently seeing matched the one that had been presented to them two steps before. They breathed either through their nose or mouth. Meanwhile, the research team tracked their brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This procedure measures changes in tissue blood flow in the various brain regions that result from the energy requirements of active nerve cells.
Mouth breathing damages the brain.
The fMRI scans revealed something astonishing: During continued mouth breathing, several brain regions in which working memory is located were less active – such as the caudate nucleus and the inferior occipital gyrus. In contrast, nasal breathing led to higher activity in 15 areas – including the cerebellum, insula, and inferior parietal gyrus – all of which play essential roles in memory, attention, and information processing. (1)
In addition, different areas of the brain were functionally connected to one another significantly more strongly during nasal breathing than during mouth breathing. The left and right inferior parietal gyrus, two important memory centers, showed increased connectivity to other regions only during nasal breathing. This suggests that nasal breathing optimizes the neural communication and synchronization that underlies memory.
FMRT scans show clearly different activity patterns in the brains of subjects who breathe nasally (A) or orally (B) while performing a cognitive task of reading.
What could that be about? As the Korean researchers suspect, the sensation of airflow through the nasal passages provides the brain with important feedback that makes cognitive processing easier. The lack of this nasal stimulation during mouth breathing could, conversely, explain the observed deficits in brain activation and connectivity.
Scientists believe it is unlikely that occasional mouth breathing, for example, when you have a cold or allergy, causes permanent damage to the brain. However, their results suggest that chronic mouth breathing could impair brain function in the long term.
More plus points for nose breathers
And it’s not just spiritually that we benefit from breathing through the nose. In addition, it offers us several other advantages.
As a natural filter, the nose uses tiny hairs and mucus to catch dust particles, germs, allergens, and other harmful particles before they reach the lungs. “The nose is our first line of defense against bacteria and viruses,” emphasizes US science journalist James Nestor in his book Breath (2021).
By humidifying the inhaled air, the nasal passages protect the delicate tissues of the respiratory tract and lungs from dryness. This function is particularly important in climates where dry and cold air irritates the lungs and respiratory tract and can make them more susceptible to infections. The nasal passages also play a role in warming the air ingested to body temperature.
In addition, nasal breathing helps better regulate the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide entering the bloodstream. Nose breathing offers 50 percent more resistance to airflow than mouth breathing, which increases lung volume and oxygen uptake by 10 to 20 percent. This resistance optimizes the oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange and ensures that the vital organs are supplied with oxygen more efficiently. This has a positive effect on general health and endurance.
Nasal breathing also releases nitric oxide, a vasodilating substance that improves the oxygen supply in the body. If this gas enters the body through the nose, the alveoli in the lungs enlarge. This means more blood can flow through the vessels, and more oxygen can be absorbed. Furthermore, nitric oxide optimizes the functions of the nervous and immune systems, supports the protection and repair of cells, relieves pain, inhibits inflammation, and improves digestion.
Nasal breathing even contributes to the biological cleaning system of the mouth. “Nasal breathing creates a moist environment in your mouth,” explains dentist Dr. Kyle Gernhofer in Epoch Times magazine. “This allows saliva to do its job and prevent harmful bacteria from building up on your teeth and gums. Nasal breathing helps Also, to prevent abnormal jaw growth in children.” Some studies link oral breathing to increased acid levels in the mouth, which erodes tooth enamel and contributes to tooth decay. Conversely, nasal breathers have better oral health thanks to the protective role of saliva.
Switching to nasal breathing could also be the key to better quality sleep. Mouth breathing while sleeping often leads to a dry throat and interferes with rest. In contrast, nasal breathing promotes uninterrupted and deeper sleep by maintaining optimal oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood. The fact that mouth breathing appears to be linked to sleep apnea actually makes it dangerous.
Nasal breathing helps reduce stress. When we breathe through our nose, we do it slower and deeper. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system and results in a calmer, more relaxed state.
According to a study from Florida State University in Tallahassee, nasal breathing also affects blood pressure and other factors related to heart disease: The complex dynamics between the body’s cardiovascular and respiratory systems influence common markers of cardiovascular disease such as Blood pressure, heart rate variability, blood pressure variability and changes in arterial pressure.
Amazing: How people breathe is even reflected in their appearance. Especially at a young age, nasal breathing plays a crucial role in shaping facial structure, as the Cleveland Clinic explains: “Mouth breathing can affect children’s facial development, causing what is known as a ‘mouth-breathing face'” – it is “often narrow, with a receding face chin or jaw.” Studies show that nasal breathing contributes to a wider palate and a more balanced facial expression.
Neural boost for mental flights of fancy
Shouldn’t all of these connections give us reason enough to make a conscious effort to breathe through our noses as often as possible? Habitual mouth breathers should have possible underlying causes, such as nasal polyps or a deviated nasal septum, checked by a doctor and eliminated. (It is essential to weigh the benefits of such a measure against the risks and unintended side effects associated with any surgical procedure.) Taping your mouth shut before sleeping – the trendy “mouth taping” – is not for everyone, especially during the day . Yoga exercises such as “alternative breathing” can help convert the body to nasal breathing. (This involves alternately holding one nostril and breathing through the other for a few minutes, using the thumb and ring finger of one hand.) “Next time you’re preparing for a mentally demanding task, it might be worth it. Pay attention to your breath,” advises the online information service GreenMedInfo. “Closing your mouth and breathing in through your nose could give you the neural boost you need to perform at your best. In the search for better brain function, the nose seems to know best.”
No rule without exception
Sometimes, mouth breathing is unavoidable, for example, when we do intensive physical activity or when we have certain illnesses. “There are also times when breathing through your mouth can save your life,” explains breathing expert Stuart Sandeman. “If you unexpectedly find yourself in front of an oncoming car, a sharp inhale through your mouth triggers rapid blood flow to your leg muscles, like this that you can get to safety quickly.” Walking around with your mouth taped shut is probably not a good idea.
(Harald Wiesendanger)
Remarks
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3079584/; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811911011992
2 James Nestor: Breath – Atem: Neues Wissen über die vergessene Kunst des Atmens | Über das richtige Atmen und Atemtechniken, Gebundene Ausgabe 2021.
Titelbild: Element Nase: Von LHOON – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=658211; Element Mund: Freepik.com.
Harald Wiesendanger, Mouth breathing, respiratory breathing, Nasal breathing, Alternative breathing, Mouth taping, Working memory, fMRI
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