There is currently so much pollution in the world that respiratory diseases and illnesses are drastically increasing. As a result, it is more important than ever to take care of your respiratory health. The easiest way to achieve this is to stick to a good diet that protects the lungs. Below are some of the best foods to eat to ensure good respiratory health.
1. Water
Water is one of the crucial factors of any health-based diet. It plays a vital role in cleansing the body of toxins and impurities in general. Water not only cleanses the body, but helps to maintain good blood flow, which is essential for carrying oxygen to and from the lungs. Keeping your lungs hydrated also ensures that mucus maintains optimal consistency, which is very important for the cilia to cycle mucus out of the lungs. The cilia also remove toxins, pollutants, and microbes via the mucus as well.
2. Ginger
Ginger is great for keeping your lungs healthy thanks to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It helps with the proper elimination of pollutants and irritants from the lungs by making it so that blood can flow uninhibited through the lungs. Ginger is also somewhat of a decongestant and has the ability to unclog air passages which boosts the overall health of your lungs and improves your breathing. You can include ginger in your diet by adding it to your food as a spice or simply turning it into a tea. A simple ginger tea can be made easily by steeping a few slices of ginger in boiling water and combining it with honey.
3. Turmeric
Turmeric is a close cousin of the ginger root. It’s active ingredient, curcumin, has many of the same benefits as ginger, and many more. Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-fungal compound. Turmeric makes for a great curative when you’re sick with the cold or flu. It will thin out the mucus built up inside the lungs, and make breathing easier by decreasing inflammation inside the alveoli, tiny sacs inside the lung that fill up with air. Turmeric also contains quite a few antioxidants which kill free radicals and prevent the development of lung cancer.
You can include turmeric in your diet through a variety of methods. The easiest is to make turmeric tea by steeping some slices of turmeric inside boiling water. But you can also make turmeric milk by combining ground turmeric with almond milk and honey.
4. Chili peppers
Life is no good without a little bit of spice; the same is true for our food. Just about every savory dish is improved with the addition of chilis. They don’t just make things taste better, however, they also keep your lungs healthy and strong. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers stimulates mucus membranes, improves blood flow, and resists infections.
5. Grapefruit
Grapefruit contains a flavonoid known as naringin. It prevents the activation of an enzyme known to cause the development of certain cancers, like lung cancer. There are two types of grapefruits, white grapefruit and pink grapefruit. White grapefruit tends to have higher amounts of naringin. Pink grapefruit tends to have less naringin but also contains lycopene, another antioxidant that is helpful for cleansing the lung. On top of everything, grapefruit is about 90% water, which grants it the added benefit of flushing toxins and pollutants out of the lungs.
6. Bell peppers
Bell peppers are fantastic sources of vitamin C. They have three times the amount of vitamin C as oranges. Vitamin C is a wonderful antioxidant that has been shown to boost the immune system so that it can better resist and fight off the cold and flu. It is also great for reducing inflammation and fighting infections. Studies have shown that vitamin C plays an essential role in reducing exercised induced asthma. It has been known to reduce by up to 52%.
7. Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate juice is a great tonic for the lungs as it has the ability to slow down the growth of lung tumors. It contains various antioxidants, including ellagic acid, which has been shown to have cancer fighting benefits.
