22 Ways To Increase Blood Oxygen Saturation Levels Naturally

The amount of oxygen in your blood is crucial – too little, which is called hypoxaemia, can lead to various problems, including shortness of breath, dizziness, confusion, chest pain, hypertension, lack of coordination, cyanosis, heart failure, loss of consciousness, and even brain damage, depending on how low those oxygen levels are.

This is not too surprising since all of the cells in your body need oxygen in order to function optimally, so if there is insufficient oxygen, carried primarily by the red blood cells, then problems will develop.

In normal situations, your oxygen saturation should be around 95% to 100%.

Hypoxaemia is usually diagnosed, on a sliding scale, at levels below 95%:

• Mild hypoxaemia is where the oxygen saturation is 90% – 94%
• Moderate hypoxaemia is where the level is 75% – 89%.
• Severe hypoxaemia is where the saturation is lower than 75%.

So, your first question is probably, how do you measure your blood oxygen saturation?

Well, there are two main methods in use today:

1. Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) test.
2. Pulse Oximeter.

The former is the more accurate method, but it can be painful and difficult to do at home, because it requires blood to be drawn from an artery (usually the one in your wrist).

The second method is so easy anybody can do it themselves, it’s accurate enough (in most cases), and it’s non-invasive, so that means you don’t need to draw blood.

I bought a pulse oximeter about three months ago because I had a bit of a scare related to chest pains, and while I can’t recall which articles I read, I must have come across this device as a way to help determine whether oxygen levels were a potential cause.

This is what the one I bought looks like, but there are tons to choose from that all look and function in a very similar way:

To use this device, you basically turn it on and clip it to the end of your forefinger, and within a few seconds, you’ll get a reading of your blood oxygen saturation, as well as one or two other pieces of information.

When I first used my oximeter, I was shocked to see that my levels were hovering between 91% and 94%, which I took to be bad news.

However, I have recently discovered that the levels will vary based on your altitude.

The recommended levels of 95% and up apply to those who are at or around sea level.

I happen to live in the mountains at an altitude of over 5,500 feet, so it’s usual for the normal levels to be 95% or lower.

And the further you climb, the lower your saturation level.- at 10,000 feet, it will drop to about 90%.

This makes sense, based on my own experience.

I was on vacation in the USA in the early 1990s (when I still lived in the UK), and during that holiday, I visited Sandia Peak, outside Albuquerque, where the altitude is just over 10,000 feet.

And at the top, I could tell that it was a bit harder to breathe and function, but not badly so – and I was, of course, only up there for a relatively short time.

Later on during that holiday, I went up Pike’s Peak, which is near Colorado Springs, and the altitude up there is over 14,000 feet.

And those extra 4,000 feet made a huge difference – one we were warned about.

Breathing was much harder, and the effort required to do simple things like walking was much greater too.

Now, I’ve been living where I am for almost 15 years now, so it should be fair to say I’ve acclimatized to some degree to being at an altitude of over 5,000 feet, but that doesn’t mean I’m getting all the oxygen I need. It’s likely more a case that my body has learned to cope with the slightly thinner atmosphere.

So, back to the key topic of this article – how can you increase your blood oxygen levels, should they be lower than you’d like?

Here are 22 tips on how to achieve just that.

Antioxidants

Consuming foods high in antioxidants (e.g. artichoke hearts, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, plums, red kidney beans, strawberries) will allow your body to use what oxygen it has more efficiently.

Maximising your glutathione (which is sometimes referred to as the ‘master antioxidant”) is another approach you should take.

Good sources include asparagus, avocado, brazil nuts, okra, peaches, and watermelon.

You can read more about antioxidants and their purpose here.

Avoid Drugs

By drugs, I also include alcohol (which is a Class I carcinogen too) and tobacco!

Drugs can reduce the oxygen levels in your blood, so it makes sense to avoid these substances (which would have other health benefits too, of course).

Chlorophyll

This naturally occurring substance fortifies your blood-producing organs and can help prevent anaemia.

Good sources include dark leafy greens (e.g. kale, spinach), as well as broccoli, chlorella, and spirulina.

Cordyceps

This type of mushroom is associated with improved use of oxygen in your body.

If you’re going to buy this as a powder or supplement, try to make sure it’s organic and high-quality.

Correct Breathing

Shallow breathing, which is something too many people do, can reduce your blood oxygen levels by as much as 20% – which would put you close to the severe hypoxaemia category mentioned above.

It’s therefore crucial that you breathe deeply, and there are exercises you can do to help you improve your breathing technique.

Personally, this is difficult since my nose has been almost completely blocked since 2006 – I have close to zero sense of smell (or taste), and the doctor put this down to a local allergen (likely the cedar trees that are all over the place). I have tried many things to deal with this, but nothing yet has worked, so the result is that I have to breathe both in and out through my mouth, which I know is less than ideal.

You might also consider meditation, which focuses on breathing to a large degree.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

These can increase the amounts of oxygen that the haemoglobin in your bloodstream can carry.

The problem is, your body cannot manufacture some of these EFAs, such as linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.

You should therefore consume foods that are rich in these acids, which include, for example, flaxseeds and walnuts.

Exercise

This one should come as no great surprise, especially if you’ve read some of my other health-related articles.

While you’re exercising, your cells burn oxygen more rapidly than usually, so you need to increase your respiration rate to deliver more oxygen to those cells.

For me, once I started using my exercise bike each day, I did find that my oxygen saturation levels rose slightly, but still to no higher than 95%. And I’m OK with that – higher is better than lower.

Fresh Air

Gases such as carbon monoxide are known to be extremely dangerous at certain levels, which is why it’s recommended many homes have a carbon monoxide detector – because the gas odourless.

And it’s dangerous because this gas reduces the availability of oxygen in your body.

So, one way to boost your oxygen levels is to get air that is as fresh as possible.

I know this may be tricky if you live in a big city, but getting out into nature as much as you can is good for you in all sorts of ways – and air that is relatively free of toxic gases is just one way in which this can benefit you.

Intermittent Fasting

Many health issues can be traced to problems with your mitochondria – the energy centre of your cells – and intermittent fasting has been shown to improve mitochondrial health.

There are many more benefits to this style of eating, and you can read them here.

Iron-Rich Foods

There is a variety of iron-rich foods you should include in your diet, because iron is required for oxygen transport. Examples include:

• Chia Seeds
• Fish
• Leafy Green Vegetables
• Legumes
• Meats
• Parsley
• Poultry
• Pumpkin Seeds

Laughing

I know you must have heard the saying that laughter is the best medicine, but it turns out that there is scientific evidence that this is, at least in part, true.

Laughing can increase the oxygen in your body, at both the cellular and organ level – and it helps reduce stress.

Massage

One of the many benefits of massage therapy is improved blood circulation, and that in turn can help deliver more oxygen to the cells throughout your body.

Nitric Oxide

This molecule plays a crucial role in oxygenation – it relaxes your blood vessels’ inner muscles, widening them and allowing more blood to easily flow through.

And, as you might expect, there are some foods that can help boost your nitric oxide levels, including:

• Beetroot Juice
• Dark Chocolate
• Raw Cacao

Oxygen-Rich Foods

There are a number of foods that can help increase your blood oxygen levels, including:

• Agar Agar
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• Apricots
• Asparagus
• Avocadoes
• Berries
• Broccoli
• Cantaloupe
• Capsicum
• Carrots
• Celery
• Chicory
• Currants
• Dates
• Fruit Juices
• Garlic
• Grains
• Kiwis
• Leafy Greens
• Legumes
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mangoes
• Melons
• Papaya
• Parsley
• Passion Fruit
• Pineapple
• Raisins
• Ripe Bananas
• Seaweed
• Sweet Pears
• Sweet Apples
• Sweet Grapes
• Vegetable Juices
• Watercress
• Watermelon

Plants

You probably remember from your schooldays that plants consume carbon dioxide and emit oxygen – which makes having plants in the house a great way to boost the oxygen levels all around.

They can also be stress-relieving, as you can read about here.

Posture

If you slouch, when you’re sitting or walking, then it can inhibit your ability to breathe properly.

You can read more about the importance of good posture here.

Reducing Salt

A diet that is relatively high in sodium (especially common table salt or the added to so many foods these days) can decrease oxygenation via the blood and kidneys, so reducing the amount of salt you consume (both directly and indirectly) makes sense.

(If you do use salt, you should try to use natural sea salt or Himalayan salt.)

Shaking

Getting your blood flowing more easily is another great way to increase oxygen to your cells, and there are two easy ways to do this.

One uses a rebounder (i.e. one of those mini-trampolines that became popular a few years ago).

The other, which requires no equipment and can be done anywhere, is called Qigong Shaking, and rather than explain it, here’s a video to show you how easy it is to do:

Sleep With The Window Open

If this is practical and safe for you, then sleeping with a bedroom window open, even if it’s only a little bit, can ensure a more plentiful supply of fresh air while you sleep.

It will also help keep your bedroom slightly cooler too, which can often lead to a better night’s sleep (as you can read about in this article.)

Trip To The Seaside

As I mentioned above, your altitude plays a large part in your oxygen saturation levels, so if you live well above sea level, as I do, then a trip to the seaside, whether it’s a day trip or a full vacation, is going to have many benefits, including higher oxygen levels.

Ubiquinone

Also usually known as CoQ10, this is used by every cell in your body and has many functions.

The problem here is that, after the age of 25 or so, your body can no longer produce enough of it, so supplementation is advised. (This is the one I use.)

Water

When you drink more water, you increase your ability to take in oxygen.

There are, of course, plenty of other reasons why you should remain adequately hydrated.

COVID-19 And Masks

Since I am writing this article during the continuing coronavirus scare, I need to talk briefly about the use of masks.

As you have no doubt gathered, official advice about who should wear what type of masks, and where, has been, and still is, changing all the time.

It is not difficult to find credible studies showing masks work and are safe, and ones showing the exact opposite – so you’re left wondering what to believe.

To me, it seems common sense that wearing a mask will restrict oxygen flow in and carbon dioxide flow out to some degree (depending on other factors such as your overall health, what you’re doing, and the weather / temperature), but I accept that the results of some scientific studies are not always intuitive.

I am not, of course, going to tell you what to do when it comes to masks – I have no medical training, and it’s really up to you. (I know there are so-called mask mandates in many areas of the world, but in the USA at least, many of these mandates are not actually enforceable laws.)

Conclusion

As you can see, and as I have found, it’s not difficult to increase your blood oxygen levels – there are things detailed above that almost everybody could do.

And in terms of the coronavirus, I’ve already touched on the subject of masks, but there is another aspect worth mentioning.

There are practising doctors who noticed that many of the patients they saw appeared to have issues more closely related to altitude sickness (i.e. where you cannot get enough oxygen, as I talked about above) than an inability for the lungs to work correctly.

While you may not hear about this on the news, because it goes against the official narrative, it seems unwise to ignore what doctors on the front line are observing.

Either way, it seems sensible to make adequate oxygen saturation one component of your overall fitness regime, regardless of whether you’re healthy or sick.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Chlorella / Spirulina
2. CoQ10
3. Cordyceps Powder
4. Pulse Oximeter
5. Rebounder