| The chemistry sounds very straightforward. Human | | | | Still, not everyone is convinced. The chemistry |
| body fat is a combination of three elements - | | | | appears fine on paper, so something is missing in the |
| hydrogen, carbon and oxygen molecules (plus other | | | | implementation. Finding that missing factor could be |
| substances that are stored within the fat cells). | | | | crucial in the battle of the bulge, the quest for weight |
| | | | loss, and conquering obesity. |
| Add extra oxygen to the body fat, and in theory it | | | | |
| should break down into two well known substances: | | | | Books have been written promoting special breathing |
| | | | techniques for weight loss. Although there are |
| | | | sceptics, there are also many people around the |
| | | | world who swear by the success they have |
| Hydrogen & oxygen molecules (H2O - water, which | | | | achieved in losing weight via these breathing |
| enters the blood stream, goes through the kidneys | | | | techniques. |
| and is then excreted via urination); & | | | | |
| | | | The theory behind these breathing techniques is not |
| Carbon & oxygen molecules (CO2 - carbon dioxide, | | | | merely due to the intake of the oxygen, but that |
| which is excreted via respiration). | | | | the human body's metabolic process expels waste |
| | | | matter, including carbon dioxide, when we breath out. |
| Oxygen or Ozone Therapies are used by a number | | | | Our air intake is higher in oxygen than what we |
| of alternative medicine practitioners around the world. | | | | expire, and we breath out more carbon dioxide than |
| It is more popular in Europe than in the USA. | | | | we breath in. |
| Practitioners are also found in Canada and Mexico. | | | | |
| | | | The breathing technique therefore seeks to |
| Despite being banned in some countries and certainly | | | | encourage and maximize the expulsion of carbon |
| debunked by large sections of the "conventional" | | | | dioxide from our bodies - carbon dioxide that is the |
| medical profession, there is plenty of evidence that | | | | waste matter created when the oxygen dissolves |
| oxygen therapy produces health benefits for many | | | | body fat. |
| conditions far cheaper, much faster and without the | | | | |
| side effects of patent drugs. | | | | Personally, I must admit to being impressed though |
| | | | not thoroughly convinced. It is quite reasonable to |
| Oxygen therapy is usually administered in one of two | | | | assume that the people who are disciplined enough |
| ways: | | | | to follow this breathing technique diligently for several |
| | | | weeks or months are probably motivated enough to |
| | | | also be doing other things (dietary, psychologically, |
| | | | etc.) that will be causing the weight loss. |
| A facial mask attached to an oxygen tank, so that | | | | |
| the patient breaths in oxygen for many hours of the | | | | Still, it fits the basic (unproven) theory that adding |
| day; or | | | | oxygen to body fat should result in weight loss. |
| | | | Furthermore, it is harmless, so long as adequate |
| Daily sessions of diluted hydrogen peroxide | | | | dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins and minerals are |
| administered via an intravenous drip. | | | | being consumed. Whether the actual results are from |
| | | | the technique itself or of a more psychosomatic |
| Given the straightforward chemical composition of | | | | nature is immaterial if it works, is free and available to |
| body fat discussed above, does Oxygen Therapy | | | | all, and has no adverse side effects. |
| actually work for weight loss? I decided to contact a | | | | |
| number of practitioners in various parts of the world | | | | By all means, add these deep breathing exercises to |
| and ask them if, when treating patients for other | | | | your overall toolbox of synergistic weight loss |
| ailments using oxygen therapies, weight loss was | | | | treatments. |
| ever seen as a side-effect of their treatment. | | | | |
| | | | Still, there is one more form of oxygen therapy (not |
| All the doctors who replied responded that no such | | | | usually recognized as such) that even the sceptics |
| weight loss factor has ever been observed that they | | | | would have trouble disputing. |
| could credit to the oxygen therapy itself, and not the | | | | |
| condition they were treating. | | | | It is more commonly called exercise. More accurately, |
| | | | aerobic exercise. (Aerobic simply means "air |
| It seems that empirical evidence to support the | | | | breathing".) It is exercise that makes you huff and |
| theory that oxygen therapy could reduce body fat | | | | puff, deepening your breathing. It is and always has |
| into the easily excreted H2O and CO2 is lacking. | | | | been one of the most fundamental parts of any |
| | | | successful weight loss program. |