Antioxidants: It’s one of the biggest health buzzwords today. The fabled powers of these mysterious compounds have been featured on daytime TV, plastered on age-defying beauty products and foods in the grocery store, and sold to us as a major reason to frequent juice bars and smoothie shops. Antioxidants are not just an overblown fad, though. … Continue reading The Antioxidant-Activity Connection
Respiratory Physiology
Stack the Deck against the Flu
Flu season: It’s the time of year when many of us become acutely aware of anyone sniffling and sneezing nearby. We hope to avoid a brush with the virus, which can leave us feeling awful for a few days or a week or two, causing us to miss work and be unable to take care of … Continue reading Stack the Deck against the Flu
Why Do You Gasp for Air on a Cold Winter’s Day?
I live in South Dakota where the winter days can be frigid and very dry. Many people, including me, have difficulty breathing while exercising in the winter because our airways temporarily narrow during exercise. This condition is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), formerly known as exercise-induced asthma, and it’s often triggered by working out in cold, … Continue reading Why Do You Gasp for Air on a Cold Winter’s Day?
How Long Can You Hold Your Breath? The Dangers of Freediving
The appeal of freediving may lie in its freedom. Freedivers, without cumbersome scuba gear and noisy regulators, easily glide through tranquil waters toward coral or rocky reefs with scenes unobstructed by bubble trails. With dives often exceeding five minutes, they get to see up close and personal the colorful marine life that typically flees from … Continue reading How Long Can You Hold Your Breath? The Dangers of Freediving
Bee-ware the Cause of Childhood Asthma
Childhood asthma has reached epidemic proportions across the globe for unknown reasons. Maternal smoking is associated with childhood asthma, but a study published in 2005 suggested that if your grandmother smoked, you were at greater risk of developing asthma than if your mother smoked. How could this happen? Your genes determine the traits you … Continue reading Bee-ware the Cause of Childhood Asthma
Life After A Life-Saving Treatment: Lung Health in Young Adults Who Were Born Prematurely
In 1963, President John Kennedy’s wife, Jackie, gave birth to a little boy three weeks early. The baby survived only 39 hours before dying of hyaline membrane disease, more commonly known as respiratory distress syndrome. The first successful treatments began in 1991, and now nearly 99 percent of babies like the Kennedy baby survive prematurity. … Continue reading Life After A Life-Saving Treatment: Lung Health in Young Adults Who Were Born Prematurely
Getting the Most out of What You Do: Your Body’s Strategy
Life is hectic. To keep you running, your body absorbs oxygen from the air you breathe and nutrients from the food you eat. How does your body make sure it’s getting the most it can to get you through your day? Your body increases the surface that’s exposed to the air and food. In the … Continue reading Getting the Most out of What You Do: Your Body’s Strategy
Reduce Your Risk of a ‘Lung Sunburn’: Stay Inside on Poor Air Quality Days
June 21 officially marked the first day of summer, bringing in long hot days of fun in the sun. Summer is also the time when air quality alerts start popping up, warning us to avoid breathing in bad air and limit activities outside. These alerts can put a damper on our outdoor plans, but why … Continue reading Reduce Your Risk of a ‘Lung Sunburn’: Stay Inside on Poor Air Quality Days
Inhale, Exhale and the Step We’ve All Been Missing
What is breathing? The simple explanation is that animals, including humans, breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. But a recent discovery has blown the lid off this paradigm by showing that respiration is not so simple. In vertebrate animals, oxygen is breathed in through the lungs, bound to red blood cells and then transported through … Continue reading Inhale, Exhale and the Step We’ve All Been Missing