Oxygen has been used for centuries to promote wound healing and vital health. These days, more and more clinicians, health centers and even hospitals are turning to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to help patients under their care. And new research is pointing to the fact that HBOT may help people heal from cancer as well.
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy [1] utilizes a pod-like chamber to immerse an individual in an environment of 100% pure oxygen with an atmospheric pressure of sometimes three times the normal amount.
Breathing pure oxygen under this amount of pressure can greatly increase the amount of oxygen in the blood stream. This can stimulate healing for the whole body by kick-starting the Immune System, reduce metastatic lesions [2] and reduce fungal infections. [3]
You may be asking: Well, why I can’t I just breathe more of the air around me?
This is a valid question. What you might not be aware of is that atmospheric air is comprised of only 21% oxygen (the majority is nitrogen, at about 78%). Even practicing specific breathing techniques with normal air can not produce the profound healing effects [4] that HBOT can.
HBOT and Cancer
For years, HBOT has been used for Multiple Sclerosis [5], brain injury and other conditions where tissue hypoxia [6] is an issue. Recently, however, researchers have turned their investigative lens to finding out if HBOT can influence cancer tumors. According to the latest research, the answer is a yes.
“Hypoxia is a critical hallmark of solid tumors and involves enhanced cell survival, angiogenesis, glycolytic metabolism, and metastasis,” say researchers [7] at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). “Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment has for centuries been used to improve or cure disorders involving hypoxia and ischemia, by enhancing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the plasma and thereby increasing O2 delivery to the tissue.”
Several studies, including a 2013 Japanese investigation [8], also pinpoint HBOT’s ability to improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy for cancer patients who choose that route. This makes sense, since oxygen can support your mitochondria and create an unpleasant environment for cancer cells.
HBOT and the Ketogenic Diet
Finally, evidence suggests that HBOT may be especially effective for cancer in combination with the ketogenic diet. To date, there have not been that many studies that focus solely on HBOT and cancer, although the number is growing. The HBOT/Keto combo is so effective at turning cancer around because of cancer’s characteristic dependency on glucose for survival. As an extremely low-carb approach, “keto” diets basically starve the cancer cells since they cannot survive on ketones. When combined with the high-oxygen benefits of HBOT, the two produce a “double shot” of effectiveness against tumors. According to a 2013 mouse model study at the University of South Florida [9], the combination led to a 78% increase in survival compared to a control group.
Keep in mind that long-term, a ketogenic diet may not be the healthiest of diets. For a short term reset of the body’s metabolism, a well supervised ketogenic diet may have some benefits. [10]
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Association [11] estimates that 3,000 institutions, including hospitals and private clinics, now offer HBOT. While conventional medicine still does not recognize it as a healing modality for cancer in and of itself, more and more medical professionals are acknowledging its effectiveness as an adjunct therapy. And in private clinics, HBOT has been used for over fifty years.
I had the opportunity to expereince the benefits of HBOT personally last month while at the Hope4Cancer Healing Diva Retreat. Admittedly, I was a little nervous about getting into the HBOT cocoon, but I simply did some deep breathing and some tapping. Once the tube was completely inflated, it felt really comfortable and relaxing. I listened to a meditation and actually fell asleep. After the hour was up, I felt very clear headed and energized.
HBOT can be used in conjunction with other modalities you may already be employing on your healthy breast journey [12] or by itself to maintain your cancer-free, vibrant lifestyle. Either way, HBO therapy can definitely be added to your healthy breast protocol [12].
Dr. Veronique Desaulniers (“Dr V”) is the founder of Breast Cancer Conqueror.com and The 7 Essentials System ™. This step-by-step guide empowers you with knowledge so you Never Have to Fear Breast Cancer Again! To watch a FREE webinar about the 7 steps for beating breast cancer naturally, Click Here [13].