Feb 25, 20203 min read

This 8 Foods Should be in Your Plate To Improve Your Breathing & Make Your Lungs Healthier

The lungs are the essential organs for human life. They work almost tirelessly, pulling in air and dumping out what can’t be used repeatedly. Oxygen is supplied to the body through breathing, while the carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism, is expelled out.

Our lungs make up a significant part of our immune system. How? Pollutants and other infection-causing microbes are trapped in mucus in the lungs, which are shuttled upwards by tiny cilia for us to swallow or cough out. Sneezing is another way the lungs help us to get rid of infections and pollution before the germs pass through the sinuses.

To keep our lungs healthy, we must need to be sure that we are putting the right things in our bodies. This also includes the diet we follow. Here are some of those foods that promote healthy lungs and improve your breathing.

Water

Water is the most crucial element required for the proper functioning of our body as it plays a significant role in health and is the base of any cleansing action. Pure, clean water is essential for maintaining the proper flow of blood to and from the lungs.

It helps in keeping our lungs hydrated and discharge of mucus. Dry lungs are highly susceptible to irritation and fail to work up to their optimum level without water. Besides, with one part of oxygen, what’s better to deliver more of the lifesaving atom to your body other than a cold glass of water?

Apples

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Yes, it’s true, indeed. Apples are long known for being healthy for several functions of our body, even your teeth.

Apples contain several essential vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates such as flavonoids, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C that are required for the proper functioning of our lungs. Besides fiber and water, Vitamin C has been linked to limiting one’s risk of lung cancer.

Berries

For maintaining healthy lungs, you need to protect and ward off harmful toxins. Berries are perfect for it. Several studies found that edible berries such as acai, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and cranberries have a variety of phytochemicals like antioxidants. These are linked to protecting us from cancer, including lung cancer.

Pomegranates

A superfruit and for a good reason! The juice-filled seeds contain antioxidants, including ellagic acid that are responsible for the slow growth of tumors throughout the body, including lungs. A study conducted in 2007 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison showed that consumption of pomegranates, especially the juice, helps in reducing the growth and spread of cancer cells in the lungs.

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Carrots

These are high sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and lycopene. All these vitamins and antioxidants improve lung health and lower the chances of developing lung diseases.

Beans

Beans such as chickpeas, black beans, red lentils, and moong beans are great options for your heart. And lungs? Yes, of course, they are a great option that would help you in breathing easily. Beans are a great source of fiber, and a cup of beans provides more than 50% of the daily recommended intake of fiber.

According to research published in the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, a fiber-rich diet plays a significant role in improving lung health.

Grapefruit

Naringin, a flavonoid present in grapefruit, inhibits the activation of cancer-causing enzymes. White grapefruit has more of naringin, while the pink variety has some of the flavonoids along with an antioxidant, lycopene. Grapefruit is especially good for cleansing lungs after you have quit smoking.

Chilli Peppers

Love spicy food? Well, your lungs are thanks to them. Yes, you are the feeling that your sinuses are being cleared, and perhaps all the juices in your body start flowing. Peppers are rich in capsaicin, the actual spicy substance that makes them taste spicy.

Capsaicin improves blood flow by stimulating the mucous membranes, thereby helping in fighting infections that are residing in your lungs. Furthermore, capsaicin also slows down the growth of lung cancer and tumor in our bodies.

Want to breathe easily? You know what to eat and keep your lungs healthy.

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