The second week in March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), it is estimated that between 250,000 and 350,000 people in the US have been diagnosed with MS, with 200 new cases diagnosed each week. This chronic disease is usually diagnosed in young adults (age 20-40), and those with MS have essentially the same life expectancy as those without MS. Due to the debilitating nature of the disease, “the economic, social, and medical costs associated with the disease are significant” (NIH), costing the US billions of dollars each year.

The cause is still unknown but many believe MS is an autoimmune disease, where the body’s own immune system is attacking the myelin around the nerves. Environment, genetics, viruses are all on the table as possible factors or triggers.

Calabrese et al, note “there is significant evidence that the pathogenesis of…multiple sclerosis… may involve the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS),” and that there is evidence of mitochondria damage in these neurodegenerative disorders.

It may help to explain this with a bit more information. ROS are byproducts of oxygen metabolism and are highly reactive molecules. (Many people are familiar with the term free radicals – which are a type of ROS.) ROS can cause significant cell damage, also called oxidative stress damage. Mitochondria are damaged by ROS and are then unable to perform their functions, including making energy (ATP) for the cells. When the mitochondria become less effective at producing energy, cells may not function properly. [For more specifics on the role of mitochondria, see this blog.]. Eng3’s Activated Air device is specifically designed to improves cell function – it supports the mitochondria to optimize cell energy production and repairs damage caused by oxidative stress.Calabrese, V., et al., 2005, June 15. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular stress response in Friedreich’s ataxia. The Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 233(1), 145-162.

 Eng3’s Activated Air devices are not Oxygen Concentrators and they work in very different ways.

Oxygen concentrators increase the percentage of oxygen that you breathe – up to 100%. But breathing in more oxygen does not necessarily mean your cells can use it.

Eng3’s device modifies the air, so that your cells are able to use the oxygen better; but is not changing the amount of oxygen in the air – you still breathe the natural level of oxygen, about 21%. This improved oxygen utilization can be measured by the energy production of the cells and the amount of oxygen that is exhaled unused. Energy goes up and exhaled oxygen goes down.

The reason this is such an important difference is that the metabolism of oxygen by the cells naturally produces free radicals. This is natural and fine, unless there is an accumulation of free radical damage, which is called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is associated with all chronic disorders and most diseases. When you breathe concentrated oxygen your cells must metabolize more oxygen, creating excessive free radicals and oxidative stress. Since Eng3’s device does not add more oxygen to your body, it does not create oxidative stress. In fact, our device helps reduce and repair oxidative stress damage by actually improving how your cells function.

For more information on how oxygen is essential, yet harmful – please read Eng3’s blogs:

The Oxygen Irony, and Oxygen Paradox and Oxidative Stress

About 20 years ago a Dutch inventor living in Sweden first experimented with singlet oxygen treatments. After many years of evolving the technology, called Valkion, he and others started a company called Natural Energy Solutions (NES) to develop a more modern/commercial version of the original Valkion. Eng3 worked with NES, and a specialized consulting company, to obtain FDA registration for the resulting device. FDA registration was obtained about six years ago and Eng3 branded the technology “Activated Air”. This term is currently used to describe this type of technology, including the Valkion. About three years ago a third device was developed and called ActiveAir. Eng3 contributed to the engineering of this device, which represents another significant upgrade in the technology. ActiveAir is also registered with the FDA and is currently sold by Eng3 throughout North America.

The evolution of technology from Singlet Oxygen Energy (Valkion) to Activated Air Technology (ActiveAir) includes many years of expert involvement in science and research, as well as advances in technology and engineering. Eng3 has become deeply immersed in the science that underlies Activated Air. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in the state-of-the-art knowledge related to this technology.

The Oxygen Irony*

“Oxygen is a relatively small element—number eight on the Periodic Table, for those who remember their high school chemistry. It is also highly reactive and electrically charged. Electrically charged atoms strive to become neutral, to have a particular number of electrons in their outer shells. Each atom of oxygen, with six electrons, needs two more to be complete. That is why it will eagerly combine with any electron-donating atom—hydrogen, for instance—whenever it is given the opportunity.

In the human body, of course, it is given that opportunity on a breath-by-breath basis. Each time a cells burns its oxygen fuel to create energy, it also creates freewheeling oxygen atoms known as oxygen free radicals.

Therein lies the problem. Oxygen is not discriminating about what other molecular structures it might destroy in its quest to become electrically whole. If there are electrons to spare in a protein molecule, or in the fats that make up a cells’ membrane, or even in the DNA that is crucial to the functioning of our cells and our bodies, it will grab them and change them. This constant cellular wear-and-tear due to the ravages of oxygen is so pervasive that it has been given a name: oxidative stress. And like its psychologically based cousin, oxidative stress can wear down a body over time.

Indeed, the biological consequences of this sort of electron scavenging can be found at the root of the normal process of aging. But it also has a part in cancer. Heart disease. Parkinson’s disease. Name the condition, and somewhere down the line, oxygen free radicals are likely to play a role.”

* Excerpt from Lori Oliwenstein’s article “The Oxygen Irony: Oxygen, the life force found in every breath, also is one of the human body’s most destructive invaders.” USC Health Magazine, 2002.

Eng3’s Activated Air device helps repair and prevent damage caused by oxidative stress.

A common misconception about the terms ‘aging’ and ‘anti-aging’ is that they only refer to living longer. Few credible remedies would claim to extend life. In fact any treatment that claims to extend life is immediately suspect. Far more realistic is the goal of positively influencing quality of life as people age. It seems ‘healthy-aging’ is a more fitting goal than ‘anti-aging’.

The average person’s life span has been getting longer – it has increased by decades during the last century. This is largely the result of reducing infant mortality and infectious diseases. Through science, it has also been possible to reduce early death due to heart problems and other conditions. Increasing life span, however, does not insure or even promote quality of life in later years. In fact, there are more older ill people than ever before. This fact suggests that there may be too much emphases on quantity of life and not enough consideration for quality of life. Statistics appear to confirm this, and it is certainly our experience at Eng3 Corporation. People commonly turn to Eng3’s Activated Air because they already suffer from one or more chronic disease. Our goal is to help people enjoy health and vitality for as long as they live and we are thrilled to see the growing number of people using Eng3’s Activated Air to maintain health and improve performance. Whether Activated Air is used for prevention or to recover form health problems, healthy aging is the key. See also The Growing Impact of Chronic Disease.

It is easy to incorporate Activated Air into a training regime . It can be done while you are using exercise equipment, like a treadmill, or during any activity where you can be comfortably connected to the device by the seven foot nasal cannula. During rigorous training, more time on the device is better. Using Activated Air for an hour before and an hour after strenuous workouts has worked well for a number Olympic athletes. It allows them to train harder, stay healthier and optimize their performance. Of course, most athletes or weekend warriors would use the device far less, ideally at least 20 minutes three or four times a week.

Check out the blog: Activated Air, Sports, Fitness, and Oxidative Stress to learn more about how Activated Air supports athletes.

Healthy Aging featured an article in their e-newsletter by Kent Holterof, MD called “A Confounding Condition.” The article looks at the troubles with diagnosis and treatment, stating, “When it comes to treating patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM), doctors are often at a loss.”

Holterof writes “Physicians need to employ a multi-­system approach, instead of resorting to single-drug modalities for each symptom. This comprehensive approach is largely becoming the standard of care and is effective in 80 percent of patients with these conditions.”

His recommendations for a multi-system approach include 1) Stabilizing the patient; 2) Mitochondrial enhancement; 3) Balance the hormones; 4) Treat the infectious components; 5) Address unique etiologies; and 6) Maintenance.

Lets take closer look at component 2 – Mitochondrial enhancement.
Mitochondria within the cells produce energy (ATP).

Holterof states, “When the mitochondria are not working properly, the cells and tissues of the body are starved for energy. This abnormality  may be the common endpoint for all the dysfunctions in CFS and FM.

Not only do the reduced amounts of metabolized glucose produce weight gain, reduced aerobic energy production requires the body to rely on anaerobic metabolism. This causes fatigue, muscle pain, poor concentration, gastrointestinal dysfunction, headaches and postexertional malaise.

….Mitochondria dysfunction has the greatest impact on the most active tissues, including the hypothalamus, pituitary, muscle, nerve and immune cells. These are the major dysfunctions of these conditions and can significantly explain the symptoms of CFS/FM.”

This relates to Eng3 because our technology specifically improves cell function, including mitochondria function to optimize cell energy production. Meaning, breathing Activated Air helps the mitochondria work properly.

You may also be interested to read the blogs Fibromyalgia, Oxidative Stress, and Activated Air and
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Oxidative Stress for more information.

Reference:
Holterof, K. (2009). A Confounding Condition. ADVANCE for Healthy Aging. Retrieved 2/5/09, from http://healthy-aging.advanceweb.com

Many people take supplements in an effort to support their health and nutrition, but putting nutrients into your body by no means ensures that they are absorbed and used. Elaborate supplementation can produce expensive urine but, unless the nutrients are properly absorbed, supplements will do little to enhance  your health, nutrition, or to protect your system.

Proper utilization of nutrients is, of course, a protein function. As a result, Activated Air’s unique ability to support protein function ultimately improves the uptake of nutrients, both in the food we eat and supplements. Antioxidants are a common supplement and important nutrient. Because they help neutralize free radicals, they can help prevent damage caused by oxidative stress. However, antioxidants cannot repair oxidative stress damage. Proteins do this work. By breathing Activated Air, you are improving protein function, which both prevents and repairs free radical/oxidative stress damage.