A few weeks ago, I wrote about My Big Why (If you haven’t yet read it, here’s the link) – the reason I became a functional nutritionist and why I am so passionate about educating my clients and other health professionals.
In order to understand why people are so sick and tired today, we must look to the past. In part 1, I talked about how processed foods changed the course of human health. Today, I want to explore how our diet has changed the way we breathe.
Humans are the worst breathers in the animal kingdom. 1 in 13 people in the U.S. have asthma, a chronic disease where inflammation blocks the airways in the lungs causing blockage and breathing difficulties. Sleep apnea, snoring, sinus infections, and other respiratory ailments also afflict modern populations. As our diet changed with agriculture, our physiology changed as well. Foods have become softer, requiring less chewing, which causes stunted bone development of the dental arches and sinus cavity, which leads to chronic nasal congestion.
For all of these reasons, the 21st century mouth can’t accommodate all 32 teeth any longer and why so many people’s teeth come in crooked and crowded, with wisdom teeth impacted and requiring extraction. This was not true of our ancestors but as our diet has become softer, requiring less chewing, our mouths and airways have shrunk.
Breathing is more labored through narrow airways and sinus cavities. When airflow is decreased, bacteria flourish, leading to colds, infections, and more congestion. It’s a vicious cycle that repeats itself in millions of people around the globe. As a result, respiratory and dental issues affect almost every single person alive today.
Mammals have noses to warm and purify the air they take into the lungs. The ability to breathe efficiently allows us to adapt to different environments and climates. This evolution has changed dramatically over the last several thousand years with the change to our food supply. Our ancestors had expansive sinus cavities and broad mouths with straight teeth. This created wider airways that allowed for easy breathing and more oxygen intake.
Contrast that to modern humans who tend to mouth-breathe. Breathing through the mouth decreases body temperature and mental clarity. Seasonal allergies exacerbate mouth breathing and sleeping with an open mouth closes off the airway even more, causing snoring and sleep apnea. Mouth breathing causes oxygen levels to fall, meaning the blood can’t carry enough O2 to support body tissues, which can lead to heart failure, depression, hypertension, memory issues and even death. It’s also extremely dehydrating as mouth breathing causes the body to lose 40% more water. This is happening all around us, and to us, every day.
Fortunately, there are answers. It starts with proper “oral posture”. Most of us are forward-prone (looking down at cell phones doesn’t help) due to our tongues being too large for our small mouths. Proper posture involves holding the lips together with teeth lightly touching and the tongue on the roof of the mouth. The head is held straight and perpendicular to the body, while breathing slowly through the nose into the abdomen.
In severe cases of collapsed airways and dentition, oral devices can be used to expand the mouth. This works best for children between the ages of 5 and 9, who are still developing.
Next, we need to chew more. Chewing triggers bone density and growth. Chewing hard, natural foods, like dried jerky, helps to widen the palate. Why in the world do we start our infants off on pureed foods from a jar? Very little is known about how our hunter-gatherer ancestors fed their tiny offspring but I imagine they were given soft bones to suck and chew on.
Lastly, we need to learn how to breathe correctly. There are breath techniques that date back thousands of years that can help us experience better health on all levels. Proper breathing feeds our cells and removes waste products. It affects heart rate, digestion, mood, and acts as a power switch for the autonomic nervous system. Even though breathing is an autonomic function we have conscious control over it and learning to breathe better offers huge benefits.
Wim Hof, the Dutch man who ran a half-marathon through snow above the Arctic Circle, shirtless and barefoot, has started a movement focused on teaching others to breathe. Other methods, like Tummo or Holotropic Breathwork, are also available to help us learn how to heal through the extraordinary power of conscious breath.
Proper breathing is life-giving and it’s free. To learn more, I highly recommend the New York Times bestseller Breath, by James Nestor. You can also turn to Youtube to learn Wim Hof’s techniques here.
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FAQ
The following frequently asked questions expand on the key concepts discussed in this article and provide additional clinical context for practitioners interested in the relationship between breathing, oral development, and overall health.
Who may benefit from improving breathing mechanics and oral posture?
Anyone experiencing chronic mouth breathing, nasal congestion, snoring, sleep apnea, or recurring respiratory concerns may benefit from evaluating breathing mechanics and oral posture. According to this article, these patterns are common in modern populations and may influence overall health, sleep quality, and airway function.
Why does this article suggest modern humans breathe differently than our ancestors?
The article attributes changes in breathing patterns to long-term dietary changes that resulted in softer foods requiring less chewing. It suggests these changes contributed to narrower dental arches, smaller sinus cavities, and reduced airway size compared to earlier populations.
How can a softer modern diet affect airway development?
According to the article, softer foods require less chewing, which may reduce stimulation for normal bone growth and development. The article proposes that this contributes to smaller mouths, narrower airways, crowded teeth, and chronic nasal congestion.
Why is nasal breathing emphasized over mouth breathing?
The article states that the nose is designed to warm and purify inhaled air before it reaches the lungs. It also explains that nasal breathing supports more efficient airflow, while chronic mouth breathing is associated with reduced airway function and other health concerns discussed throughout the article.
How can reduced airflow contribute to chronic respiratory problems?
The article explains that decreased airflow through narrowed airways and sinus cavities may allow bacteria to flourish. According to the author, this can contribute to recurring congestion, colds, sinus infections, and an ongoing cycle of respiratory issues.
What health concerns does the article associate with chronic mouth breathing?
The article states that chronic mouth breathing may contribute to:
- Snoring
- Sleep apnea
- Decreased oxygen delivery to tissues
- Dehydration
- Reduced mental clarity
The article also discusses broader health associations, including cardiovascular and neurological concerns, as potential downstream effects of inadequate oxygen delivery.
What is proper oral posture according to this article?
The article defines proper oral posture as keeping the lips together, the teeth lightly touching, and the tongue resting against the roof of the mouth. It also recommends maintaining the head in an upright position while breathing slowly through the nose into the abdomen.
Why does the article recommend chewing harder foods?
The article suggests that chewing stimulates bone growth and density. It proposes that regularly chewing harder natural foods may help support palate development and healthier airway structure.
When are oral expansion devices considered most effective?
According to the article, oral expansion devices are most effective in children between the ages of 5 and 9 because craniofacial structures are still developing. The article presents this as an option for severe cases involving collapsed airways or dentition.
How does breathing influence systems beyond the lungs?
The article states that breathing affects much more than respiration. According to the author, proper breathing influences:
- Heart rate
- Digestion
- Mood
- Removal of waste products
- Cellular oxygen delivery
- Regulation of the autonomic nervous system
Can breathing patterns be consciously changed even though breathing is automatic?
Yes. The article explains that although breathing is controlled automatically by the autonomic nervous system, it is also one of the few autonomic functions that can be consciously regulated. This allows individuals to intentionally practice healthier breathing patterns.
What breathing methods are mentioned in the article?
The article highlights several breathing approaches intended to help individuals develop healthier breathing habits. These include the Wim Hof Method, Tummo, and Holotropic Breathwork, while also recommending Breath by James Nestor as an additional educational resource.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anne Fischer Silva’s journey in the field of functional nutrition over the last 23 years began in a functional medicine practice, where she learned the power of objective testing. From there she opened her own business, A New Leaf Nutrition, where she built a wait-list distance practice. Anne has taught nutrition courses in Washington, Hawaii, and California, and hosted a radio show, “Health-Wise”, for 3 years. She helped develop the original curriculum for the Nutritional Therapy Association, was a lead instructor with NTA for 8 years, and she continues to lecture nationally on a variety of health topics. Anne founded the Institute of Restorative Health in 2013 with the sole purpose of training other nutrition professionals how to address complex issues with their clients and achieve the same stellar results she gets in her practice.
The core principles Anne built the Institute of Restorative Health upon are the importance of nutrient-dense foods and balancing biochemistry. From there, she looks for the deeper underlying issues by utilizing a variety of testing techniques and customized healing methods to restore optimal function and health.
Anne received her certification in functional nutrition from Advanced Integrated Medical Institute in Washington, DC in 2000 and she is a Master Restorative Health Practitioner and Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
*In 2022, Anne decided to pursue new and different aspects of holistic wellness and left the Institute of Restorative Health in the hands of her dear friend and business partner, Margaret Floyd Barry.
