Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
You take approximately 25,000 breaths every day, and there's a good chance you've been doing it wrong your entire life.
In this New York Times bestseller, science journalist James Nestor embarks on a global quest to uncover why humans have become the worst breathers in the animal kingdom. His investigation takes him from ancient burial sites and secret Soviet facilities to a Stanford University lab where he plugged his nose for ten days to experience the devastating effects of mouth breathing firsthand.
Modern research reveals that slight adjustments to how we inhale and exhale can boost athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, and halt conditions like snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Nestor shows how processed foods have shrunk our airways and why our ancestors had perfectly straight teeth and wide jaws.
The answers to better health aren't found in expensive treatments or complicated regimens. They're found in the simple act of breathing through your nose, slowing down, and breathing less. This book combines personal experimentation, ancient wisdom, and modern science into a compelling narrative that will transform how you think about your most basic biological function.
You will never breathe the same again.
Interesting Facts
Ten Years Of Research: James Nestor spent a full decade researching breathing before writing this book. His journey began after recovering from pneumonia twice in two years. A doctor recommended a breathing class that transformed his health in just one hour.
Massive International Success: The book has sold over three million copies worldwide and been translated into 44 languages. It debuted at number seven on The New York Times bestseller list. It won Best General Nonfiction Book of 2020 from the American Society of Journalists and Authors.
The Stanford Nose Plug Experiment: Nestor paid over $5,000 to have his nostrils plugged with silicone for 10 days straight. He and Swedish breathing therapist Anders Olsson breathed only through their mouths. His snoring increased by nearly 5,000 percent. He developed 25 episodes of sleep apnea per night. His blood pressure spiked to stage 2 hypertension at 142.
Nasal Breathing Reversed Everything: When Nestor switched to breathing only through his nose, his health problems vanished. His blood pressure dropped 10 points. His heart rate variability improved by over 150 percent. Sleep apnea events disappeared completely.
Lung Size Predicts Lifespan: The Framingham Study tracked 5,200 subjects over 70 years. Researchers discovered the greatest indicator of life span wasn't genetics, diet, or daily exercise. It was lung capacity.
We Breathe 670 Million Times: Over an average lifetime, humans take approximately 670 million breaths. We breathe about 25,000 times each day. With each breath, we inhale 25 sextillion molecules of air.
Ancient Prayers Share a Secret: Buddhist mantras, Hindu chants, the Catholic rosary, and Native American prayers all independently landed on the same breathing rhythm. Researchers found they all produce roughly 5.5 breaths per minute. Different cultures, thousands of miles apart, somehow discovered the same calming breath pattern.
Humming Is Surprisingly Powerful: Humming increases nitric oxide levels 15-fold compared with quiet exhalation. This molecule opens blood vessels, boosts circulation, and supports immune function. A simple hum does what no supplement can.
Mouth Breathing Beats Sugar for Cavities: Dr. Mark Burhenne found that mouthbreathing was the number one cause of cavities. He considers it even more damaging than sugar consumption, bad diet, or poor hygiene. He now recommends patients tape their mouths shut at night.
Crooked Teeth Are a Modern Plague: Almost every skull from before the 1500s had straight teeth, huge jaws, and wide sinuses. Today about 90 percent of us have some degree of crooked teeth. Our soft modern diet means we chew far less than our ancestors did.
The Book Includes 500 Scientific References: Nestor published about 500 peer-reviewed scientific references for free on his website. He knew readers would be skeptical of his claims. The extensive bibliography backs up the book's most surprising assertions.
Quotes
"The perfect breath is this: Breathe in for about 5.5 seconds, then exhale for 5.5 seconds. That's 5.5 breaths a minute for a total of about 5.5 liters of air." - James Nestor
"Breathe normally through the nose and hum, any song or sound. Practice for at least five minutes a day, more if possible." - James Nestor
"In a single breath, more molecules of air will pass through your nose than all the grains of sand on all the world’s beaches – trillions and trillions of them." - James Nestor
"No matter what we eat, how much we exercise, how resilient our genes are, how skinny or young or wise we are—none of it will matter unless we’re breathing correctly." - James Nestor
"Smell is life’s oldest sense. Standing here alone, nostrils flaring, it occurs to me that breathing is so much more than just getting air into our bodies. It’s the most intimate connection to our surroundings." - James Nestor
"Shut your mouth." - James Nestor
"Nature is simple but subtle." - James Nestor
"Few of these scientists set out to study breathing. But, somehow, in some way, breathing kept finding them." - James Nestor
"Prayer heals, especially when it’s practiced at 5.5 breaths a minute." - James Nestor
"Expression is the opposite of depression! Go for it!" - James Nestor
"The fix is easy: breathe less. But that’s harder than it sounds. We’ve become conditioned to breathe too much, just as we’ve been conditioned to eat too much." - James Nestor
"This is what I learned at the end of this long and very strange trip through the body: that breathing is a missing pillar of health." - James Nestor
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