Oxygen for health

blue®m products contain active oxygen as their active ingredient. So what does oxygen do, and why do we use it in our products?

Oxygen’s key role

To understand how oxygen works, we need to go back to basics. The human body is 65% oxygen, and this percentage drops as we get older. Oxygen plays a key role in almost all bodily processes: it is needed for cell metabolism and to maintain cells and tissue. Consequently, oxygen deficiency can be fatal.
Research has shown that nearly all processes in illness can be linked to oxygen deficiency. If we look at the oxygen saturation (pO2 values) of infected or damaged tissue, we find that these values are much lower than they would be in a situation of health. Long-term insufficiency of oxygen saturation will put tissue in what is known as a chronic phase, and no healing is possible thereafter.
The importance of oxygen to the body has long been known, and so oxygen therapy is often practised nowadays. Examples include hyperbaric oxygen tanks, because oxygen supports the immune system and has an infection-inhibiting effect. Another basic example that everyone will be familiar with is that wounds heal more slowly under a plaster than they do when they are allowed to ‘air-dry’. Oxygen is so powerful that a cancer cell cannot even divide when surrounded by the substance.

Supports the body’s natural healing processes

A wound in the chronic phase is called a chronic wound. Because the pO2 value is lessened in this situation, the body is not capable of repairing the tissue; for that, it will need oxygen. By applying oxygen, you support the body’s own healing processes. Oxygen stimulates cell division and helps form new blood vessels (neovascularisation), allowing the wound to emerge from the chronic phase.

Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria

Bacteria can be divided into two types: those which can only survive with oxygen (aerobic) and those that can do without it (anaerobic). Anaerobic (‘bad’) bacteria are often found in infections. If we take the oral cavity as an example, practically all problems occurring — such as caries, gum infections, and halitosis — are caused by anaerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria, on the other hand, have helpful properties and ensure that bacterial flora are kept in balance.

However, antibacterial substances used to treat patients will not differentiate between ‘good’ and ‘bad’; they will kill all the bacteria in the environment in short order, giving rise to an imbalance in bacterial flora. By applying a low dose of oxygen over a longer period, you can ensure that only the anaerobic bacteria are killed. The aerobic bacteria will survive, avoiding the creation of an imbalance. In addition to having this antibacterial property, oxygen is also an antifungal and antihistamine substance.

Gradual release of oxygen

The oxygen in blue®m products is given off by what is known as the glucose-oxidase process. The sugars in cold-pressed honey are converted into hydrogen peroxide at the moment when the honey comes into contact with saliva or the fluid in wounds. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) will split into water (H2O) and oxygen (O2). The body will evaluate for itself what the 2 damaged cells require, and will apply the hydrogen or oxygen to the place where they are needed. This will assist both ‘drowned’ and ‘dried-out’ cells.

This gradual, long-lasting release of oxygen is kind on the body’s cells and tissues; if dosage is too high (radical), tissue can be burnt. Research has even found that a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide kills infectious bacteria much more effectively than a single high-concentration dose does. Moreover, this way, the cells are not damaged and the body’s balance is maintained.

Five pillars theory

The man behind blue®m, Peter Blijdorp, was a pioneer of oxygen usage in dentistry. He was one of the first to grasp the healthful qualities of oxygen in this domain and sought to use it as widely as possible. The five key qualities of oxygen were identified by Peter, who called them the ‘five pillars’, and these remain the foundation of blue®m to this day.

I Increases cell metabolism and energy production
II Increases collagen synthesis and tensile strength
III Increases anti-bacterial activities
IV Increases angiogenesis and promotes re-vascularisation
V Promotes growth factor signalling transduction

Research has shown that nearly all processes in illness can be linked to oxygen deficiency.