Bring Back Brown Bag Breathing
Even though in recent times it has been given a bad name, carbon dioxide production and retention in the body is part of a process which directly protects against stress and disease.
Put another way, stress – or anything that interferes with thyroid function – hinders the ability of the body to produce carbon dioxide (CO2), lowering overall metabolic performance.
Stress and the suppression of thyroid energy metabolism has been shown to promote many kinds of disease, and this can be directly connected to hyperventilation and low CO2 levels in the body. As CO2 decreases, lactate production tends to increase, and excess lactic acid is another factor increasing disease.
A well functioning metabolism uses sugar in the presence of oxygen to efficiently produce energy and carbon dioxide. In fact, the presence of carbon dioxide alone is an indicator of effective mitochondrial energy production.
Whenever the by-products of stress interfere with this process, cells begin to produce energy far less fruitfully, shifting towards a less efficient state converting glucose to lactic acid (rather than carbon dioxide) and an increase in the oxidation of fat, more of which today tends to be polyunsaturated.
Thyroid hormone is necessary for the production of carbon dioxide, and the polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) have been shown to interfere with thyroid function on many physiological levels.
The hypothyroid hyperventilation state, promotes the release of the stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol, which further interfere with mitochondrial respiration, inhibiting thyroid function, shifting towards the oxidation of fat, decreasing CO2 and increasing lactic acid. Lactic acid itself interferes with metabolism and causes stress.
So although the production of lactate (an important factor involved in cancer growth and spread) can become chronically increased due to continuous metabolic interference, it is also something which can end up making a return to more optimal function – with effective glucose oxidation and carbon dioxide production – more difficult. Metabolic suppression, hyperventilation and low CO2 promotes hypoxia, which is central to cancer progression.
Stress – combined with inefficient metabolic function – promotes the absorption of bacterial endotoxin, damaging respiration and increasing the release of many stress related substances (such as serotonin, estrogen and nitric oxide), which can then further promote stress, inflammation and interference with energy metabolism.
Hyperventilation, low Co2, and rising levels of serotonin and nitric oxide have been shown to be factors involved in the worsening of asthma severity, and there is a relationship between asthma and mood disorders like depression or anxiety, also known to be conditions of stress and hypometabolism.
It’s probably no great surprise that it has also been shown that there is an increased risk of cancer amongst patients with severe asthma, not to mention the metabolic stress related connection between cancer, anxiety and depression. Increased CO2 (and decreased lactate) production is likely to be protective.
The stress substances directly interfere with the oxidation of glucose, increasing lactic acid and helping to feed what can become a vicious cycle of degeneration and disease. The production of lactate increases in response to endotoxin, and lactate itself increases the inflammatory anti-metabolic effects of endotoxin.
So from a slightly different view, it can be understood that increasing carbon dioxide levels lowers lactic acid, leading to a reduction in stress hormone release, lower levels of polyunsaturated free fatty acids, less exposure to bacterial endotoxin, and an improvement in thyroid energy production. This then further increases the production of carbon dioxide, lowering stress even more.
Endotoxin exposure increases as a result of the things that promote stress, and when circulation of endotoxin rises, this directly causes inflammation and greater interference with metabolism, potentially resulting in life threatening sepsis.
Hypoventilation leading to increased CO2, has been shown to be an effective method of treatment for panic disorders as well as asthma, and it makes sense that it is a good approach to improving any condition which relates to stress and inflammation, which is basically every condition.
Insufficient intake of sugar and protein (and some other nutrients) interferes with the production of thyroid hormone, reducing CO2, moving things in the direction of stress and inflammation, and away from efficient oxidative energy production.
It seems as though the things that get a bad name today, including sugar, salt, CO2, saturated fats, cholesterol, testosterone and progesterone, are protective, and the things that can be the most harmful, like estrogen, serotonin, nitric oxide, lactic acid, PUFA and iron, get a free pass. I wonder why?
High lactic acid in the blood is a basic sign of stress and chronic inflammation, and an indication that thyroid metabolism has been suppressed. Anything that helps to promote oxidative metabolism and reduce lactate levels, can be seen as being protective against stress and disease, and CO2 is a pro-metabolism, anti-stress, anti-inflammatory substance.
Chronic metabolic stress, thyroid dysfunction and inflammation have all been shown to be related to the development of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, as well as conditions such as asthma, depression and anxiety. Improving metabolism and CO2 production, helps to lower lactic acid, estrogen, serotonin, nitric oxide, free fatty acids, and other inflammatory disease promoting things.
Stress and the release of the polyunsaturated free fatty acids promotes hyperglycemia, and hyperglycemia increases lactic acid production. Lactic acid is an independent predictor of insulin resistance and diabetes. Measuring CO2 exhalation is powerfully diagnostic. Sugar helps to lower free fatty acids and lactate, increasing CO2, and as such is an anti-diabetes substance.
Some of the dietary measures which can be explored in an attempt to achieve a pro-metabolic state, include the provision of sufficient protein and other nutrients (from milk and cheese and gelatinous meats) the limiting of difficult to digest starches and fibers (from grains, beans, nuts and under cooked vegetables) and plenty of carbohydrate from sources such as sweet ripe fruits and juices, honey and white sugar.
Chronic endurance exercise has been shown to interfere with active thyroid hormone (T3) function (as well as reducing Co2 levels) most likely at least partially as a result of excessive intake of oxygen or hyperventilation.
Both salt and sugar can help to suppress the stress hormones and promote the production of carbon dioxide, increasing thyroid energy production in general, and they can be used as part of an approach helping to protect against some of the damaging effects of excessive exercise or training and other forms of stress.
Some other pro-metabolism, pro-CO2 anti-stress things include thiamine (B1), acetazolamide, methylene blue, aspirin, niacinamide, vitamin D, K, biotin and B6, coconut oil, red light, and cyproheptadine.
A couple of teaspoons of sodium bicarb spread over a day, can have many metabolically beneficial effects.
Regular daily bag breathing is a cheap and easy method which can help to increase carbon dioxide levels, lower lactic acid production, improve thyroid energy metabolism, and generally protect against stress, inflammation and disease. Adaptation to a high altitude promotes CO2 and lowers lactic acid, and has been shown to be highly disease protective.
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Altitude and the risk of cardiovascular events in incident US dialysis patients.
Exhaled NO and iNOS expression in sputum cells of healthy, obese and OSA subjects
A lactate-induced response to hypoxia.
Post-hyperventilation hypoxaemia is due to alteration of ventilation and perfusion matching.
Behavioral Hyperventilation and Central Sleep Apnea in Two Children
The effect of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on back squat and bench press exercise to failure.
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Acute exacerbation of asthma complicated by hyperventilation in emergency department.
A prehospital screening tool utilizing end-tidal carbon dioxide predicts sepsis and severe sepsis.
Diagnostic value of end tidal capnography in patients with hyperglycemia in the emergency department
Increased levels of free serotonin in plasma of symptomatic asthmatic patients.
Predictive value of capnography for suspected diabetic ketoacidosis in the emergency department.
Cancer risk in hospitalised asthma patients
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Lactate at the crossroads of metabolism, inflammation, and autoimmunity.
End-tidal carbon dioxide predicts the presence and severity of acidosis in children with diabetes.
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Dyspnoea, hyperventilation and functional cough: a guide to which tests help sort them out
Exercise training reduces resting heart rate via downregulation of the funny channel HCN4
End‐tidal Carbon Dioxide Predicts the Presence and Severity of Acidosis in Children with Diabetes
Effect of hypercapnia on changes in blood pH, plasma lactate and ammonia due to exercise.
Effects of endotoxin on lactate metabolism in humans
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Elevated serum lactate associated with panic attacks induced by hyperventilation.
End-tidal carbon dioxide is associated with mortality and lactate in patients with suspected sepsis
The pathophysiology of hyperventilation syndrome.
Oxidative stress in hypothyroid patients and the role of antioxidant supplementation.
The effects of endurance training and thiamine supplementation on anti-fatigue during exercise
5% CO2 is a potent, fast acting inhalation anticonvulsant
Exhaled nitric oxide and thermally induced asthma.
Prevalence and characteristics of asthma in the aquatic disciplines
Moderate hyperventilation during intravenous anesthesia increases net cerebral lactate efflux.
Elevated lactate during psychogenic hyperventilation.
Lower mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke at higher altitudes in Switzerland.
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Effects of voluntary hyperventilation on glucose, free fatty acids and several glucostatic hormones.
Acclimatization to oxidative stress at high altitude.
Optimization of antitumor treatment conditions for transcutaneous CO2 application: An in vivo study
Hyperventilation and exhaustion syndrome
[Hyperventilation as a fundamental stimulator of pathological processes].
Lactate: panicking doctor or panicking patient?
Heart Disease Death Rates in Low Versus High Land Elevation Counties in the U.S
Effect of hyperventilation and mental stress on coronary blood flow in syndrome X.
The Role of Carbon Dioxide in Free Radical Reactions of the Organism
Hyperventilation and asymptomatic chronic asthma
Targeting tumour hypoxia to improve outcome of stereotactic radiotherapy
Changes in the oxygenation of head and neck tumors during carbogen breathing
Human tumor blood flow is enhanced by nicotinamide and carbogen breathing.
Hypoxia and metabolic adaptation of cancer cells
Hyperventilation in asthma: a validation study of the Nijmegen Questionnaire–NQ.
Carbogen gas and radiotherapy outcomes in prostate cancer
Effects of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on swim performance in youth athletes.
Temporal variation in the response of tumors to hyperoxia with breathing carbogen and oxygen
Hypoventilation Training for Asthma: A Case Illustration
Central neurogenic hyperventilation and lactate production in brainstem glioma
Lactate: A Metabolic Key Player in Cancer
Carbogen breathing significantly enhances the penetration of red light in murine tumours in vivo.
Anxiety, depression and hyperventilation symptoms in treatment-resistant severe asthma
Improvement in human tumour oxygenation with carbogen of varying carbon dioxide concentrations.
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