Oxygen cocktail
Encyclopedia
The oxygen cocktail is a foamy substance containing a beverage drink (juice, milk, etc.) enriched in gaseous oxygen
. The drink is used as part of oxygen therapy
by a number of Russian medical institutions; their research suggest that the drink, by supplying oxygen, reduces chronic fatigue syndrome
and hypoxia
and activates metabolism
.
, strawflower
, motherwort
and rose hip
, which themselves are used in the clinical practices. An essential element of the oxygen cocktail is the foaming agent, such as gelatin
egg white
or liquorice. Initially, oxygen cocktails were made with egg white. However clinical trial
s proved that this ingredient resulted in allergenicity and unpleasant taste and could promote infectious diseases; thus it was replaced by liquorice, which is a foaming agent, tonic and sedative.
, where it stimulates metabolism, blood circulation, redox
and the immune system
. The activated metabolism also stimulates the digesting of other cocktail’s ingredients, thereby enhancing their medical action.
, Gynecology
and Perinatology
". It was demonstrated that using the oxygen cocktails as a part of the complex therapy of adults, children and teenagers suffering from inflammations of uterine appendages, optimized metabolism and activated antioxidant
s in the blood plasma
, thereby improving the general condition of the patients. This result was confirmed in other Russian clinics.
In 2005 the Research Center of Children’s Health (Russian Academy of Medical Sciences) studied the efficiency of the oxygen cocktails as a part of the complex therapy of children and teenagers suffering from chronic diseases of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Patients took 200 mL of the oxygen cocktail per day. It was concluded that the oxygen cocktail activates metabolism, reduces fatigue and stimulates efficiency and the immune system without visible side effects. Improvement was observed for all patients suffering from respiratory diseases and 85% of the children having digestive tract problems.
The efficiency of the oxygen cocktail in prevention and therapy of placental deficiency and fetal hypoxia was proved during the 2006 study at the obstetrics and genecology department of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
.
As a result of these studies, it was suggested that the oxygen cocktail
The contraindications of the oxygen cocktail are:
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
. The drink is used as part of oxygen therapy
Oxygen therapy
Oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen as a medical intervention, which can be for a variety of purposes in both chronic and acute patient care...
by a number of Russian medical institutions; their research suggest that the drink, by supplying oxygen, reduces chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
and hypoxia
Hypoxia (medical)
Hypoxia, or hypoxiation, is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. Variations in arterial oxygen concentrations can be part of the normal physiology, for example, during strenuous physical exercise...
and activates metabolism
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
.
History
The oxygen cocktail was developed in the 1960s by the Russian academician N. N. Sirotinin. While researching the respiratory function of the stomach and the possibility of filling the body with oxygen through the digestive tract, Soviet doctors put probes into the patients’ stomachs, through which the body could be filled with up to 2 liters of oxygen. Although the condition of the patients improved considerably, this method had to be abandoned because of discomfort caused by the probes. In an alternative treatment, a foam-forming liquid was filled with oxygen and transferred to the patient’s mouth via a tube. Later, researches suggested adding the oxygen foam into food or drink. Such oxygen-enriched drinks received the name “oxygen cocktail” and were produced in sanatoriums and clinics. Since 1970s, the method of making such drinks has undergone almost no changes, but the foam-forming ingredients and the ways of filling the cocktails with oxygen have been improved.Ingredients
Juices (grape, cherry, raspberry, etc.), syrups, water, milk and fruit-drinks are often used as the base of the cocktail. Oily and sparkling liquids result in poor homogeneity of the foam. The base liquid might contain extracts of plants and herbs such as hawthornCrataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
, strawflower
Strawflower
The genus Helichrysum consists of an estimated 600 species, in the sunflower family . The type species is Helichrysum orientale. The name is derived from the Greek words helisso and chrysos ....
, motherwort
Motherwort
Motherwort is a herbaceous perennial plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Other common names include Throw-wort, Lion's Ear, and Lion's Tail. The latter two are also common names for Leonotis leonurus. Originally from Central Asia it is now found worldwide, spread largely due to its use as a...
and rose hip
Rose hip
The rose hip, or rose haw, is the fruit of the rose plant, that typically is red-to-orange, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form in spring, and ripen in late summer through autumn.-Usage:...
, which themselves are used in the clinical practices. An essential element of the oxygen cocktail is the foaming agent, such as gelatin
Gelatin
Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, brittle , flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar...
egg white
Egg white
Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around either fertilized or unfertilized egg yolks...
or liquorice. Initially, oxygen cocktails were made with egg white. However clinical trial
Clinical trial
Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
s proved that this ingredient resulted in allergenicity and unpleasant taste and could promote infectious diseases; thus it was replaced by liquorice, which is a foaming agent, tonic and sedative.
Mechanism of action
After entering the intestines, the oxygen from the cocktail absorbs into the bloodBlood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
, where it stimulates metabolism, blood circulation, redox
Redox
Redox reactions describe all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation state changed....
and the immune system
Immunity (medical)
Immunity is a biological term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. Immunity involves both specific and non-specific components. The non-specific components act either as barriers or as eliminators of wide...
. The activated metabolism also stimulates the digesting of other cocktail’s ingredients, thereby enhancing their medical action.
Clinical research in Russia
The use of oxygen cocktail for medical rehabilitation was studied at the gynecological department of medical rehabilitation of the "Research Center of ObstetricsObstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
, Gynecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
and Perinatology
Maternal-fetal medicine
Maternal-Fetal medicine is the branch of obstetrics that focuses on the medical and surgical management of high-risk pregnancies. Management includes monitoring and treatment including comprehensive ultrasound, chorionic villus sampling, genetic amniocentesis, and fetal surgery or treatment....
". It was demonstrated that using the oxygen cocktails as a part of the complex therapy of adults, children and teenagers suffering from inflammations of uterine appendages, optimized metabolism and activated antioxidant
Antioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
s in the blood plasma
Blood plasma
Blood plasma is the straw-colored liquid component of blood in which the blood cells in whole blood are normally suspended. It makes up about 55% of the total blood volume. It is the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid...
, thereby improving the general condition of the patients. This result was confirmed in other Russian clinics.
In 2005 the Research Center of Children’s Health (Russian Academy of Medical Sciences) studied the efficiency of the oxygen cocktails as a part of the complex therapy of children and teenagers suffering from chronic diseases of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Patients took 200 mL of the oxygen cocktail per day. It was concluded that the oxygen cocktail activates metabolism, reduces fatigue and stimulates efficiency and the immune system without visible side effects. Improvement was observed for all patients suffering from respiratory diseases and 85% of the children having digestive tract problems.
The efficiency of the oxygen cocktail in prevention and therapy of placental deficiency and fetal hypoxia was proved during the 2006 study at the obstetrics and genecology department of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia is an educational and research institution located in the South of Moscow and is ranked by the Ministry of Education of Russia as the country's third-best university after Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University...
.
As a result of these studies, it was suggested that the oxygen cocktail
- Reduces fatigue, helps eliminating chronic fatigue syndrome
- Improves the sleep
- Activates metabolism
- Optimizes the respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems.
- Stimulates cardial and cerebral circulation
- Optimizes the blood sugarBlood sugarThe blood sugar concentration or blood glucose level is the amount of glucose present in the blood of a human or animal. Normally in mammals, the body maintains the blood glucose level at a reference range between about 3.6 and 5.8 mM , or 64.8 and 104.4 mg/dL...
concentration, increases the hemoglobinHemoglobinHemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of all vertebrates, with the exception of the fish family Channichthyidae, as well as the tissues of some invertebrates...
content. - Stimulates the immune system
- Facilitates optimal fetal development during pregnancyPregnancyPregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
Indications and contraindication
In Russia, oxygen cocktails are prescribed for expecting mothers, sportsmen, children and teenagers, people living in poor ecological conditions or suffering from hypoxia, cardiovascular system and digestive tract diseases, having problems with the immune system, insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome and excessive body weight.The contraindications of the oxygen cocktail are:
- Acute bronchial asthmaAsthmaAsthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
- GallstoneGallstoneA gallstone is a crystalline concretion formed within the gallbladder by accretion of bile components. These calculi are formed in the gallbladder, but may pass distally into other parts of the biliary tract such as the cystic duct, common bile duct, pancreatic duct, or the ampulla of...
s - Status asthmaticus
- Hyperthymic temperamentHyperthymic temperamentHyperthymic temperament or hyperthymia is characterized by a personality style or set of personality traits that include* increased energy and productivity* short sleep patterns...
- Respiratory failureRespiratory failureThe term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...
- IntoxicationIntoxicationSubstance intoxication is a type of substance-induced disorder which is potentially maladaptive and impairing, but reversible, and associated with recent use.If the symptoms are severe, the term "substance intoxication delirium" may be used.-Classification:...
of the body - UrolithiasisUrolithiasisA bladder stone is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation found in the urinary bladder...
- Peptic ulcerPeptic ulcerA peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
- AllergyAllergyAn Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
on some ingredients of this cocktail.