So, maintaining a low oxygen and high CO2 environment helps keep the microbiome in check. The internal environment of our body impacts how our body functions.
5. . . CO2 improves calcium utilization6 — When CO2 exits the cell, it brings with it free water and calcium,7 lowering cellular bulk water. It is toxic to have persistent intracellular calcium, and you want as little free water as possible inside cells. In fact, some machines use the intracellular water level when looking for cancer.8
“The carbon dioxide can be changed into carbonic acid, by chemically combining with water. Carbonic acid is hydrophilic, and so it quickly leaves the cell, taking with it some of the oppositely charged ions, such as calcium and sodium.”9
6. . CO2 protects the cell and mitochondria structure from damage, acting like an antioxidant and cell stabilizer — Since it improves oxygen delivery, it reduces free radical damage.10,11,12,13,14 It also protects against hypoxia and the negative effects of intracellular calcium and inflammation.15,16,17,18,19,20 Abundant CO2 inside and outside the cell protects lipids and proteins susceptible to oxidation.21,22 In fact, CO2 is part of our antioxidant defense system.23
“The suppression of mitochondrial respiration increases the production of toxic free radicals, and the decreased carbon dioxide makes the proteins more susceptible to attack by free radicals.” ~ Ray Peat, Ph.D.
“The failure to oxidize glucose to CO2 is oxidative stress.” ~ Ray Peat, Ph.D
7. . CO2 prevents accumulation of lactic acid in the cell, which we see in cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions24,25,26,27 — Lactic acid is a byproduct of inefficient carb metabolism that suppresses efficient oxidation of glucose and burdens the liver’s energy supply. Elevated lactic acid levels have a hypoxic effect and signals to the cell that it is under stress.
“The presence of lactic acid, which indicates stress or defective respiration, interferes with energy metabolism in ways that tend to be self-promoting. Harry Rubin’s experiments demonstrated that cells become cancerous before genetic changes appear. The mere presence of lactic acid can make cells more susceptible to the transformation into cancer cells. (Mothersill, et al., 1983.)
Diabetics typically have elevated lactate, which shows that glucose doesn’t have a problem getting into their cells, just getting oxidized.” ~ Ray Peat, Ph.D.
More CO2 improves oxidation and thus prevents accumulation of lactic acid since full oxidative phosphorylation (proper carb metabolism) can occur.
“Lactic acid and carbon dioxide have opposing effects.” ~ Ray Peat, Ph.D.
8. CO2 improves longevity — The higher you live in altitude (and thus the higher CO2 levels), the lower the cancer, heart disease and overall better health.28 Moreover, maximum lifespan of mammals is positively correlated with blood CO2.29
“People who live at very high altitudes live significantly longer; they have a lower incidence of cancer (Weinberg, et al., 1987) and heart disease (Mortimer, et al., 1977), and other degenerative conditions, than people who live near sea level.” ~ Ray Peat, Ph.D.
How Do We Achieve Higher CO2 Levels?
How we eat and breathe impacts how much CO2 we have in our body. You can increase the endogenous production (with proper carb burning), or reduce the outflow (with proper breathing).
CO2 is formed intracellularly during energy metabolism inside the mitochondria. Since carbs are richer in oxygen than fat, they consume less water in their metabolism and release 50% more CO230 (if we use them properly). The more carbs we efficiently burn for energy, the more CO2 we make.
“Higher CO2 has benefits, and a higher ratio of carbohydrates to fat being oxidized for fuel yields greater CO2.”31
The body’s primary source of CO2 is cellular metabolism — so properly burning carbs is the primary source of CO2. In fact, the Keto diet significantly reduces carbon dioxide stores.32 Even Dr. Lustig admits that ketosis reduces the amount of CO2 produced by the body in relation to the amount of oxygen it consumes.33
How we breathe also impacts the CO2 levels inside of our body, as we blow off a ton of CO2 with mouth breathing! Mouth breathing is, in a sense, self-suffocation and hyperventilation when taken to the extreme because we’re driving down CO2 levels to the point that we decrease oxygen availability to the cells.
Overtime this can lead to degeneration, and a lot of mouth breathing is a sign of a stressed and lowered metabolism.
Nose breathing is a MUST, and utilizing mouth tape can help reduce levels of mouth breathing while sleeping. For extra CO2 work, try nose bag breathing with a brown paper bag to increase CO2 levels. This is very powerful to do before bed!
In summary, there are a number of health advantages of having elevated cellular CO2 levels. Proper breathing is very important for blood CO2 levels, but it does not change cellular CO2 levels — what you eat does!
And being a good carb burner is one of the best ways to achieve elevated levels.
References are available upon request.
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