Some people swear sticking tubes in their nose and inhaling oxygen does wonders. Others say it’s bunk.
There are always new tricks and methods coming to market to help you improve your health. One that has been around for a while is the oxygen bar. You go in, hook yourself up to some tubes connected to your nose and inhale oxygen gas that is about 95% pure.
Does it do you any good?
For starters, oxygen bars are not regulated by the FDA. This is in part because they have not been found to provide users with any specific health benefits that really stand out. The human body normally breathes in air that is 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen, and some say that taking in more oxygen than necessary is akin to ingesting more vitamin C. Your body doesn’t really need it, and so taking in more doesn’t really have any effect.
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In comparison, receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy CAN do you good. It is only for certain patients, however. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy occurs when you encapsulate your entire body in a pressurized room or tube, which holds pure oxygen that you breathe. Your whole body is immersed in this new environment.
This method has been shown to promote healing and fight off infection. It is approved by the FDA, and widely used by doctors. It can be prescribed for patients who suffer from a variety of conditions including crash injuries, burns, severe anemia and radiation injuries: generally, those who find it hard to heal in a normal environment.
So, will simply inhaling extra oxygen through a tube do the trick? Not likely. It may be a fun night out, but it isn’t much more than that.
