Let us continue enlightening you about the unquestionable benefits of CO2 therapy that many people are completely unaware of.
Depletion of CO2 lowers cellular energy production by reverting the body to nitric oxide (NO), an ’emergency’ vasodilator. NO is a reactive nitrogen species. When it combines with superoxide, it forms an extremely harmful compound, peroxynitrite.
There are three types of nitric oxide synthases within the human body: neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS), and inducible NOS (iNOS). Low CO2 triggers iNOS, which is not good for the body at all.
The endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mostly remains inside the blood vessels, while iNOS spills into the blood. One of its primary functions is to fight pathogens. iNOS is produced for only two reasons: as an emergency vasodilator or to fight infections.
You don’t want to activate iNOS unnecessarily as it’s made available systemically. If CO2 levels are low, NO will be elevated, which can form peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrite damages polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) that have been incorporated into cells, no matter where they are. Human bodies are loaded with PUFAs due to the fact that these fats are omnipresent in the diet of the majority of people today.
NO can also form a covalent bond with Complex IV in the electron transport chain (also known as cytochrome c oxidase), which is the rate-limiting step of oxidative phosphorylation.
Energy production in mitochondria is inhibited by NO when it forms a covalent bond with Complex IV in the electron transport chain (cytochrome c oxidase), limiting the process of oxidative phosphorylation.
Achieving optimal energy production in the mitochondrial electron transport chain is at the heart of health and disease prevention.
There is one more problem associated with elevated NO: it causes pseudohypoxia (low oxygen levels). In the cells, there is enough oxygen, but it cannot be utilized because NO impairs Complex IV in the electron transport chain. Sufficient CO2 prevents this by dissociating the covalent bond between NO and Complex IV. Oxygenation is truly optimized when adequate CO2 is present within the body.
Optimal delivery of oxygen is fundamental for good health. It can be increased not by more and deeper breathing, but by raising CO2 levels in the tissues.
Oxygen from the air binds to hemoglobin after inhalation and enters the bloodstream. The bond between hemoglobin and oxygen is quite strong. To break that bond and deliver the oxygen where it’s needed, we need CO2. This is known as the Bohr effect.
The Bohr Effect describes the process in which CO2 weakens the bond between oxygen and hemoglobin, allowing oxygen to be liberated and enter the tissues. As hemoglobin releases the oxygen, it binds to the CO2 consequently. The CO2 is later expelled through exhalation. Without enough CO2, it is not possible to liberate enough oxygen from hemoglobin.
CO2 also has many other benefits, all of which are lost when hyperventilating. People unconsciously hyperventilate as a consequence of multiple stresses they face today.
- CO2 attaches to and forms an electric cloud over proteins, protecting them from oxidative damage caused by lactic acid metabolites.
- CO2 modulates the expression of proteins and hormones (most of which are proteins).
- By increasing CO2 levels, the efficiency of proteins and hormones in the body can be dramatically improved.
- CO2 can be administered rectally and acts as fuel for anaerobic bacteria called Akkermansia in the large intestine. Akkermansia enhances glucagon-like peptide (GLP), which can be useful in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Most populations today have either no detectable Akkermansia or hardly 1% in their microbiome, but the ideal level is about 10%.
A medical book from over 100 years ago discusses the many health benefits of CO2 that were used medically at the time. It covers the entire body, listing ailments such as dementia, psychiatric disorders, dysentery, fistulas, fibrotic conditions, gynecological issues, whooping cough, and tuberculosis, among others. Many physiological and mental conditions can be remediated by increasing CO2. CO2 therapy can be administered in various ways. We can help if you think you could possibly benefit from it.
