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The Breath Debate: Mouth vs. Nose

Growing up, I had no idea how my mouth breathing was negatively affecting me. When I began practicing yoga in my twenties and learned to inhale through my nostrils, it gave me a sense of calmness during challenging practices. The breath is an amazing tool to help reduce stress and is a fundamental part of our daily lives. Not all breathing techniques are created equal. The choice between mouth breathing and nose breathing can majorly impact one’s health and longevity. Knowing the difference between the two can help you improve your health and well-being. While both nose and mouth breathing serve essential functions, nose breathing is the optimal choice!

Carolina Total Wellness focuses on promoting nose breathing over mouth breathing. We align with the growing research showing numerous benefits of nose breathing for physical and mental health.

Benefits of Nose Breathing

Nose breathing refers to inhaling and exhaling air through your nostrils. Here are some benefits of nose breathing:

Air Filtration System: The nasal passages are filled with tiny hairs (cilia) which help to filter and trap dust and other particles from entering your respiratory system. This filtration system reduces the risk of respiratory infections and allergies.

Temperature Regulation: Your nasal passages warm or cool the air before it enters your lungs, making sure the air is at a suitable temperature for optimal respiratory function. This is particularly important in extreme weather conditions.

Humidification: When bringing air in through one’s nasal passages, the air gets humidified. This helps prevent dryness in the respiratory tract. This is key for maintaining the health of lung tissues and preventing irritation.

Nitric Oxide Production: Breathing through the nose stimulates the production of nitric oxide, a gas that plays a crucial role in various body processes. Nitric oxide helps improve oxygen absorption in the lungs, enhances blood circulation, and has antimicrobial properties.

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Nose breathing encourages deeper, more efficient breathing patterns and better lung expansion. This promotes better oxygen exchange in the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs.

Improved Sleep Quality: Individuals who breathe through their noses tend to have better sleep quality. Nose breathing may reduce the likelihood of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, leading to a more restful night’s sleep.

Calming Effect: Nose breathing is associated with activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces stress levels. Nose breathing is encouraged and can be beneficial while meditating and practicing mindfulness.

Oral Health Benefits: Saliva plays a crucial role in preventing dry mouth. Nose breathing can reduce the risk of dental issues such as cavities and gum disease.

Drawbacks of Mouth Breathing

Now that you know the benefits, let’s look at the drawbacks of mouth breathing.

Unfiltered Air: The hairs in your nose act like a filtration system, and mouth breathing will bypass the nasal filtration system. This allows pollutants, allergens, and pathogens to enter the lungs unfiltered, increasing the risk of respiratory issues.

Dryness and Irritation: Mouth breathing leads to dry mouth and throat, resulting in discomfort and increased risk of throat infections and oral health problems.

Reduced Oxygen Efficiency: Mouth breathing may lead to shallow breathing and less effective oxygen delivery to the body. This can cause the feeling of fatigue and reduced physical performance.

Facial Development Issues: In children, mouth breathing can affect facial and dental development. Over time, it may alter facial structure and lead to issues with misalignment of teeth.

Sleep Disruptions: Mouth breathing is commonly associated with sleep apnea and snoring. This leads to issues with daytime drowsiness and fragmented sleep. This may have a significant impact on one’s overall health and cognitive function.

Increased Anxiety: Shallow breathing can trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response, which will exacerbate anxiety levels. Habitual mouth breathing is linked to increased feelings of anxiety and stress.

Your Partner In Health,

Barrie Altman-Timmins

Health Coach Carolina Total Wellness

FAQ

When is it best to be nose breathing?

It is especially beneficial to nose breathe during rest, sleep, and low-intensity activities.

How can I practice nose breathing?

Certain breathing practices promote nose breathing, like box breathing, alternate nostril breathing, and diaphragmatic breathing.

How can nasal breathing reduce stress?

In times of stress, nasal breathing can turn on the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest). If your body detects nasal breathing and a slower, deeper, more mindful breathing pattern, it will signal that you are safe and increase the relaxation response.

The GLP-1 Connection: Boosting GLP-1 Naturally through Microbiome Mastery

Your gut microbiome is a pivotal player in your overall metabolic health. One of its significant roles involves influencing the production of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone integral to regulating blood sugar, insulin secretion, appetite, and weight management. In developed countries such as ours, factors including the Western diet, physical inactivity and chronic stress contribute to depletion of the microbes that stimulate GLP-1 production. But all is not lost, keep reading for dietary and lifestyle ways to replenish your microbiome and improve your metabolic health.

Key Microbial Allies

If you are a Carolina Total Wellness patient, your doctor may have asked you to submit a stool test to assess the presence of various specific microbes in your GI tract. Recent research shows that certain gut bacteria are particularly influential in promoting GLP-1 secretion.

Three ways these tiny creatures influence GLP-1 production:

  • Fermenting the fiber you eat to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and stimulate GLP-1 secretion by intestinal cells.
  • Modulating bile acids. Increasing levels to promote GLP-1 secretion.
  • Increasing GLP-1 receptor sensitivity, thereby improving the hormone’s ability to regulate glucose metabolism and appetite.

Several keystone bacteria are known ‘influencers’ when it comes to the above processes. Some you may look for on your stool test results include Akkermansia muciniphila, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Faecali- bacterium prausnitzii and Lactobacillus. Akkermansia is especially known for its role in supporting GLP-1 production. Check out last week’s newsletter from our own Dr. Miraloglu to learn more about Akkermansia.

Functional Strategies to Enhance GLP-1 Naturally

To support natural GLP-1 production through microbiome modulation, consider the following approaches:

  • Increase Prebiotic Fiber Intake: Foods rich in soluble fiber, such as oats, asparagus, garlic, onions, microgreens, flaxseeds, legumes, and sweet potatoes, serve as prebiotics, nourishing beneficial gut bacteria and promoting short chain fatty acid production (SCFA).
  • Incorporate Fermented Foods: Regular consumption of fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut introduces beneficial microbes that can support gut health and GLP-1 secretion.
  • Supplement Wisely: Specific probiotic supplements can ‘seed’ your microbiome with akkermansia and other beneficial bacteria. Compounds like berberine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) have been shown to support metabolic health and may enhance GLP-1 levels. Talk to your provider about which supplements may be the best fit for your unique microbiome.
  • Diversify Plant Intake: Aim for a variety of plant-based foods to promote microbial diversity, which is linked to robust GLP-1 responses. Can you eat at least 20 different plants each week? Think outside the box, some particularly effective ideas include black or green tea, fruits and vegetables rich in polyphenol antioxidants like apples, beans, berries, cloves, dark chocolate, olives, plums, concord grapes, cranberries and rhubarb.
  • Manage Stress: The gut-brain axis is strong. When you experience chronic, unmanaged stress your body diverts resources from the gut to respond to the stress. Regular exercise, a contemplative practice like meditation or yoga and consistent, quality sleep are all beneficial to your microbiome.

The Positive Feedback Loop

Enhancing GLP-1 production not only improves metabolic parameters but also fosters a healthier gut environment. This creates a beneficial cycle where a balanced microbiome supports GLP-1 secretion, and increased GLP-1 further promotes gut health.

By focusing on dietary and lifestyle interventions that support the gut microbiome, we can naturally enhance GLP-1 production, offering a holistic approach to metabolic health. This aligns with the functional medicine principle of addressing root causes rather than merely managing symptoms.

See your functional medicine team at Carolina Total Wellness for tailored recommendations to optimize your microbiome and GLP-1 production.

Your Partner In Health,

Erica Nelson

Health Coach
Carolina Total Wellness

FAQ

WHAT IS GLP- 1 , ANYWAYS?

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. It is a hormone, produced in the intestine and important for regulating blood sugar, insulin secretion, appetite, and weight management.

WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE ON GLP- 1 MEDICATIONS?

In developed countries such as ours, factors including the Western diet, physical inactivity and chronic stress contribute to depletion of the microbes that stimulate GLP-1 production. People with lower GLP-1 production are more susceptible to a wide variety of maladies including (but not limited to) diabetes, obesity, bowel diseases and metabolic disorders.

HOW CAN I HELP MY BODY MAKE MORE OF MY OWN GLP- 1 ?

Increase prebiotic fiber and fermented food intake, eat at least 20 different plants each week, manage stress and consider supplementing with a probiotic known to support GLP-1 production.

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