Mouth Breathing is a Modern Adaptation

Greetings, Primals!

Hey friends — this week we’re covering a trend that’s gaining a lot of attention but is rooted in something deeply primal: mouth taping. Why? Because how you breathe shapes how you feel, how you sleep, and how you recover.

If you’ve been following The Primal Journey, you know that I’m always looking for simple, natural ways to align with how our bodies are designed. And our bodies were designed to breathe through the nose and NOT the mouth.

In today’s issue:

First time reading? Sign up here.

WEEKLY DEEP DIVE

You were designed to breathe through your nose — not your mouth. When we breathe through the nose, air is filtered, humidified, slowed down, and, most importantly, enriched with nitric oxide before it enters the lungs. This molecule is a game changer!

What is nitric oxide?
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gas produced naturally in the body, and most of its production happens in your paranasal sinuses. When you breathe through your nose, nitric oxide is drawn into your lungs and then into your bloodstream.

Why is Nitric Oxide (NO) important?

Nitric oxide (NO) is a powerful molecule produced in the sinuses and vascular endothelium that promotes profound health benefits. NO dilates blood vessels to lower blood pressure, enhances circulation and oxygen delivery, bolsters immune defense, and supports parasympathetic activation for rest and recovery. As a potent vasodilator (a substance that widens blood vessels), NO relaxes vessel walls which reduces vascular resistance and improving perfusion (the passage of blood) —contributing to lower blood pressure and more efficient oxygen transport.

Studies have even found that mouth taping can help reduce mild snoring and improve oxygen flow during sleep—especially in people who otherwise mouth-breathe. If you breathe through your mouth, you bypass this nitric oxide production entirely. You get none of these benefits.

That’s where mouth taping comes in.

At night, many people unknowingly breathe through their mouths — drying out their airways, disrupting sleep, increasing snoring, and missing out on nitric oxide’s benefits. A simple strip of tape gently encourages nasal breathing all night long.

I personally use mouth tape every night because I can feel the difference: better sleep, calmer mornings, improved mood, and even better workouts the next day.

The Primal Takeaway

Have you ever wondered why so many people mouth-breathe today, even though our primal ancestors didn’t? It turns out that modern life has stacked the deck against healthy nasal breathing.

For starters, diet plays a big role. Our ancestors ate tough, whole foods that required lots of chewing, which naturally promoted broad jaws and open airways. In contrast, today’s soft, processed diets reduce this demand, leading to smaller jaws, crowded teeth, and narrower airways—making nasal breathing more difficult.

Add to this the rise in allergies and chronic nasal congestion driven by pollution, inflammatory foods, and indoor living, and you have even more obstacles to clear, easy nasal breathing.

Posture is another factor: primal humans moved throughout the day with upright, aligned bodies, supporting open airways. Modern life, with its screens, desks, and slouched postures, compresses the airway and encourages mouth breathing. Even our sleep environments have changed; while our ancestors slept in cool, dark, allergen-free settings that promoted nasal breathing, we often sleep in dry, heated, allergen-filled bedrooms that can block nasal passages.

And finally, habits formed early in life—like bottle feeding, pacifier use, or thumb-sucking—can alter jaw and tongue development, setting the stage for mouth breathing from childhood.

In short, mouth breathing is not how we were designed to breathe—it’s a modern adaptation to modern conditions. Reclaiming nasal breathing is about restoring a natural, primal function that our ancestors did effortlessly.

With Gratitude,

Will Winston, PHC

“Our results always match our choices. Therefore choose to Keep It Primal!”