8 Reasons Why You Should Breathe Through Your Nose

An in-depth look into the science of breathing and how your life can be enhanced (or hindered) if you breathe correctly

When it comes to breathing, our input is rather limited.

We can speed the breath up, slow it down, or even pause it altogether. We can make it deeper or shallower or more or less intense, but that’s about it.

Of the few decisions we can make, however, one of the most important is whether we breathe in through the nose or mouth as this sets off a chain of events that affects our nervous system, heart, and brain, as well as our hormonal levels and digestion.

Remarkably, it’s estimated that about 30 to 50 percent of adults breathe through their mouth, especially earlier in the day.

This carries potential health risks that vary from bad breath and dry mouth all the way up to chronic fatigue and autoimmune diseases.

Luckily, the nose is there to help. Here are eight reasons why.

1. Nose breathing filters and warms the incoming air

Nose breathing is the body’s first line of defense against sickness, illness, disease, and inflammation and it has two ways of operating:

Firstly, tiny capillaries in the nose begin to warm the incoming cool air before mucus in the throat warms it further. This combination helps to keep the breath at an optimal temperature for the lungs to receive.

Then secondly, little hairs in the nose and throat called cilia (Latin for eyelashes) help to trap any small airborne particles that are present in the atmosphere such as dust and bacteria, and prevent them from entering the lungs.

As a brilliant scientific paper pointed out: “The nose is a vital and much underrated organ.” And “to realize its importance we only need to reflect on when we last suffered from a bad cold. Nasal congestion and a runny nose have a noticeable effect on our ability to breathe, our energy levels, our ability to sleep, and our general ability to function.”

2. Nose breathing boosts nasal nitric oxide

Nose breathing releases an important gas called nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide helps to maintain the health of our blood vessels through a process called vasodilation. Vasodilation is the art of relaxing the inner muscles of the cells which encourages them to open. This helps to improveblood circulation and blood flow, reduce inflammation and tension, improve heart health, lower blood pressure, enhance memory and cognitive function, improve endurance and performance, increase nutrient uptake, reverse ageing, and enhance the flow of oxygen.

Nitric oxide is a bronchodilator too. Bronchodilation is the art of relaxing the inner muscles of the lungs which in turn help the airways (bronchi) widen. This continues to improve blood circulation and blood flow whilst boosting oxygen levels and overall lung health.

It also has antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties which help to kill viruses and bacteria in the nose and throat before they go any further.

Cool fact: No nitric oxide is released through mouth breathing.