Nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule produced in your nasal passages that has profound health effects: it improves oxygen absorption, reduces inflammation, enhances parasympathetic function, and improves cardiovascular and immune health. When you breathe through your nose, you inhale nitric oxide and deliver it to your lungs and bloodstream. Mouth breathing bypasses this critical benefit.
Research shows that nasal breathing with NO inhalation improves oxygen utilization by 15-25% compared to mouth breathing. NO also has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects. Athletes, high-altitude climbers, and people with anxiety all benefit from maximizing NO through nasal breathing.
The simple practice: breathe through your nose, not your mouth. This maximizes NO production and inhalation, improving oxygen absorption, reducing inflammation, and enhancing parasympathetic function. This single change produces measurable improvements in sleep, anxiety, exercise capacity, and immune function.