Reactive Oxygen Species Are Not the 'Villain'! – Launching a Research Project on Internal Body Environments During Sleep

Toratani Co., Ltd. (Kahoku City, Ishikawa Prefecture) has launched the 'Night Oxygen Flow Project – Phase 2' to reveal the reality of respiratory infrastructure during sleep. As the second part of this initiative, the company is releasing the latest analysis on shallow breathing during sleep, which lies at the 'topstream' of reactive oxygen runaway.

This analysis organizes the fact that reactive oxygen is not a 'villain' but a defensive system designed to protect the body, and that the cause of its runaway state is 'shallow breathing,' viewed from the perspectives of physiology, autonomic nerves, and hypoxic environments.

While often misunderstood as a 'cause of aging' or a 'villain that rusts the body,' reactive oxygen is actually a 'defense system' born to protect the body. The issue is not the 'quantity,' but whether the mechanism to stop the runaway works. The topstream factor determining this is 'breathing depth.'

● Reactive oxygen is a defensive reaction, not a 'poison'
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are substances the body creates to protect itself:
- Attacks bacteria and viruses
- Used to treat inflammation
- Acts as a cellular switch
In short, reactive oxygen exists 'because it is necessary.'

● The problem is 'runaway,' not 'quantity'
Reactive oxygen becomes an issue when it is produced more than necessary and processing cannot keep up. The mechanisms stopping this runaway are:
- Antioxidant enzymes
- Parasympathetic nerves
- Stability of the internal body environment
In other words, these act as the body's 'brakes.'

● 'Shallow breathing' is the topstream of runaway
The runaway of reactive oxygen occurs in this flow:
Shallow breathing → Cells cannot 'use oxygen effectively' → Reactive oxygen increases as a byproduct.
Furthermore, during sleep, '90-degree gravity respiratory physics' makes it easy for anyone to have shallow breathing due to:
- Changes in airway angle
- Subsidence of the thoracic cage
- Diaphragm restriction

● Reactive oxygen can be controlled by 'breathing quality'
When deep breathing is achieved:
- Oxygen utilization efficiency increases
- Autonomic nerves stabilize
- Antioxidant enzymes function
- Reactive oxygen is kept to the 'necessary amount'
In short, the quality of breathing determines the 'quantity' of reactive oxygen.

[Closing]
People with shallower breathing are more prone to poor health because the body's 'flow' stops. Constant, unconscious 'moderate breathing' is the foundation for life, including sleep, metabolism, and immunity. Its quality determines the direction of one's physical condition—and thus, the direction of one's lifespan.

The '90-degree physics of gravity' applied to the body during sleep distorts the airway angle, disrupts the topstream of breathing, and consequently causes a domino effect of poor health throughout the body.

We have systematized this 'physics of breathing' based on our knowledge of 3D structures cultivated through 3D apparel design, applying it to improvements in sleep, posture, and metabolism.
This educational series is based on the expertise accumulated over many years by our CEO, Toratani, in 3D apparel design and his own health improvement experience. We will continue to share information on the relationship between airway structure, sleeping posture, and breathing.