Masters of Health Magazine September 2024 | Page 55

THE AIR WE BREATHE

by Lady Carla Davis, MPH

Specializing in Nutrition

GEP Minister for Environment

Air is the fundamental element essential for life and the normal function of all the cells in our body.  Without air, one cannot survive for more than a few minutes.  And, to be healthy, humans and every other planetary inhabitant need fresh, clean air. 

 

Unfortunately, most newer hotels, schools, and office buildings no longer have windows that let in fresh air.  Worse, the air in most populated areas globally is heavily polluted, forcing people to inhale it while outdoors or live and work in an air-conditioned environment.  Powerful industries continue to pollute our air without recourse because of their government influence and implants.

 

Not only is air vital for all life on the planet, but air/wind runs windmills, sailboats, and other movable machinery.  Airplanes fly because of the presence of air.  Oxygen in the air aids the combustion and burning of fuels to produce heat, electricity, power machinery, etc.  Protecting the quality of the air we breathe should be a priority.  What are you and your government representatives doing about this?

AIR CONTENT

The air we breathe is approximately 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% other gases, including argon, neon, helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, ozone, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane.  Humans inhale air into the lungs, where the oxygen is separated.   Through cell metabolism, the mixture of air returns 16% O2 and 5% CO2.

 

Serotonin release is affected by the amount of oxygen in your blood.  Since serotonin promotes happiness and well-being, the more fresh air you have, the better your mood.  Fresh air increases your energy and sharpens your focus.  Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen you breathe in to function.  Fresh air also strengthens your immune system.  Each cell in the body needs oxygen to perform the metabolic processes necessary to sustain life.  This process helps to eliminate toxins and destroy harmful bacteria, parasites, and viruses by the body’s white blood cells.

ATMOSPHERE

Since the beginning of time, our atmosphere, thickest near the earth’s surface, has

been evolving.  It has shielded us from bombarding meteorites, shaded us against destructive ultraviolet radiation, and blanketed us against the cold.  Once photosynthesis developed, life on Earth danced together in harmony for millions of years.  And then came modern wars and the industrial revolution. 

 

In addition to the air’s natural gases, we now find pollutants such as smoke, dust, acid droplets, pollen, graphene oxide, plastics, radiation, aluminum, and other toxic metals in the atmosphere.  Earth’s air never stands still.  Vast currents of air, directed by the Sun’s heat, move across the globe.  As air travels, it picks up these particles of dust, smoke, radiation, bacteria, and other microscopic organisms mentioned above.  Larger particles like smoke are visible, but smaller mist-like particles called aerosols are not visible.  The air we breathe might have come from halfway around the world a few days previously