Health of Your Lungs: Also Depends Upon What You Eat

Date: 14 December 2021

Author: Dr. Anchal Garg

Increasing in air pollution is responsible for deteriorating lung and heart health. Hence, it is very important to know about the foods which are good and bad for human health.

Foods good for your lung health

Turmeric: The anti-inflammatory property of Curcumin (compound found in turmeric) helps in relieving the inflammation of air sacs in lungs and in improving lung function and respiratory diseases such as asthma, lung injury, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), etc.

Flax Seeds: The presence of omega-3 fatty acids and lignans present as a dietary content in flax seeds help in reducing lung inflammation and oxidative stress.

Tomatoes: Lycopene (a carotenoid antioxidant) is one of the richest dietary sources presents in tomatoes, help in improving lung health by reducing airway inflammation in patients of asthma and COPD.

Spinach: Green leafy vegetables such as spinach are having anti-inflammatory properties and support in improving lung function. The presence of chlorophyll in spinach helps in proper blood flow to the lungs.

Broccoli: Broccoli helps in lung protection as the compound named as Sulforaphane present in broccoli increase the activity of a gene found in lung cells that protects the organ from damage caused by toxic substances.

Jaggery: Jaggery is highly recommended for people living in polluted areas. It is one of the best cleansing agents and cleans the respiratory tract.

Berries: Berries are rich in Anthocyanin (a flavonoid) which is a strong antioxidant and improving lung function. In research, it has been found that those who ate blueberries are comparatively having better lung function.

Citrus Fruits: With the presence of antioxidants and Vitamin C, Citrus fruits are helpful in boosting our lung health and improving the immune system.

 

Foods bad for your lung health

Fast food: Intake of much fast-food results in obesity and increasing risk of asthma attacks, decline in lung function, and shortness of breath.

Alcohol: Drinking more alcohol is not good for liver and lung health. The presence of Sulfites in alcohol can worsen the symptoms of asthma and ethanol reduce lung functioning.

Excessive salt: Salt intake limit is generally 1500-2300 mg per day. The intake of extra salt deteriorates your lung health. High sodium intake through salt may worsen the symptoms of asthma.

Sugar and aerated drinks: From some research studies, it has been observed that the adults drinking more sugar and aerated drinks are having risk of bronchitis and asthma.

Processed Meat: Processed meat may cause inflammation and oxidative stress to the lungs.

Deep fried items: Fried foods are having unhealthy fats and results in increasing cholesterol level and risks of heart diseases. Weight gain due to intake of fried foods may increase pressure on lungs and causes shortness of breath.