Lungs are one of the most vital organ in Human Body. Knowing Healthy Foods for Lungs are as important as knowing foods and Meals to avoid for Healthy Lungs.
Healthy Foods for Lungs
Apples
Apple is loaded with beneficial ingredients that keep your lungs in the best working condition. It has good amounts of quercetin that exhibits powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and histamine-blocking, properties that aids in preventing environmental triggers. Consuming an apple a day prevents you from getting sick and relieves you from the severity of breathing troubles.
Cranberries
Cranberries are advised for the treatment of chronic respiratory ailments in the body. It is a rich source of vitamin C that promotes weight reduction in the body. The presence of quercetin and resveratrol in the superfood prevents lung cancer by destroying lung cancer in the body. It has high amounts of antioxidants like vitamin C that lowers wheezing, wards off inflammation in the lungs, and reduce risks related to lung cancer.
Cocoa
Cocoa is another important ingredient that provides a good amount of quercetin to the body that helps dilates air passages in the body. This action helps a person to breathe easily without making any effort. Cocoa is known to be a very known important food among Healthy Foods for Lungs.
Mushrooms
In addition to adding a nice flavor to your food, mushrooms also help in keeping your lungs in the best state. These delectable fungi help enhance the functioning of your lungs function with every single bite. It has been seen that the deficiency of vitamin D can lead to asthma in a person. Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D that meets your daily needs of this nutrient and relieves you from all types of respiratory issues.
Spinach
Spinach is another lung friendly food. It is packed with healthy amounts of vitamin C content. It is a potent antioxidant that boosts the performance of your lungs. This leafy green is also a good natural source of quercetin that fights inflammation and reduces the possibilities of lung-related cancer too. Spinach is known to be very important among Healthy Foods for Lungs. (1)
Walnuts
Nuts, especially walnuts, are highly beneficial in promoting healthy and strong lungs. In addition to its weight reduction benefits, high protein, and fat content in this ingredient provides the necessary nutrition to lungs to keep it in the best functional state. Walnuts are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that show remarkable anti-inflammatory effects that help reduce respiratory infections in the body.
Oregano
Oregano is a popular herb that has a distinctive flavor. It is widely used in the preparation of dishes. The addition of a little oregano to your meals can prove to be beneficial for your respiratory organ. It has plenty of rosmarinic acids that provides a lot of inflammation-fighting properties. Regular addition of this herb in the food helps clear the lungs from all types of accumulated toxins in it.
Salmon
Salmon is a food rich in healthy fats as Omega-3 fatty acids that have the ability to lower high cholesterol in the body. Eating foods that are rich in good fats relieves you from the discomforting signs of asthma. It also helps prevent cardiac ailment in the body. Other than salmon, there are a few other types of fishes that are packed with healthy fats. These include steelhead trout, anchovies, and sardines. Include them as well in your diet.
Broccoli
Broccoli is known to be very important among Healthy Foods for Lungs. Broccoli is a high antioxidant food that is very effective in the treatment of diseases that are caused due to inflamed lungs. It contains plenty of vitamin C that lowers breathlessness or shortage of breath in children. (2)
Ginger
Ginger is a widely known spice that is known for its strong flavor. It not just makes the dish more delectable but also cures any disorders in the lungs. It is an effective and natural cure for asthma. Add it to your dishes, or consume it in the form of ginger tea, this spice has the ability to calm and soothe muscles in the pathways of the lungs. This makes it convenient for a person to breathe.
Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are recommended for lung patients to consume them as a part of their daily diet. Being a dense source of protein, it keeps your stomach full for a couple of hours. Another important benefit of pinto beans is that it helps expel unwanted toxins from the lungs and clean them effectively.
Pinto beans also have good amounts of quercetin and other potent anti-inflammatory antioxidants that help lower the chances of developing lung cancer in the body. Due to these remarkable abilities, the inclusion of kidney beans is a healthy decision in the diet. Thus Kidney beans are known to be very important among Healthy Foods for Lungs.
Turmeric
Turmeric is known to be very important among Healthy Foods for Lungs. Turmeric, also called Curcumin, is an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant that helps fight inflammation in the lungs. Include this natural herb in your foods, or consume turmeric milk to reap its health benefits.
Garlic
Garlic is touted to be an anti-inflammatory spice that has the ability to reduce inflammation in the body. According to a research finding, regular consumption of the raw form of garlic helps lower the risk of lung cancer by up to 40%. It also possesses remarkable antiseptic attributes that help ward-off infections from the body.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that have lignans that provide a broad range of advantages. In one study, it was found that people who consumed flax seeds regularly showed less signs of lung damage in the body. Not just lungs flaxseeds are also beneficial for overall health. Per serving of these seeds provides 3 grams of dietary fiber to your body.
Onions
Onions are widely consumed vegetable that not just lifts the flavor of the dish but also boosts lung health. Eat it in the form of salad or as a seasoning at the time of cooking; onions help lower inflammation and bad cholesterol levels in the body. It also aids in keeping the cardiopulmonary system in the best health. Onion is known to be very important among Healthy Foods for Lungs.(3)
Cayenne Pepper
Our lungs contain a large number of mucus membrane tissues. These are the areas in the body where the exchange of carbon dioxide/oxygen takes place in the body. Cayenne pepper is a kind of spice that adds flavor to the food. It boosts the healthy production of enzymes in the body that safeguards these mucus membranes.
This spice has good amounts of a strong antioxidant called beta-carotene that shows relief from asthma symptoms. It has ample amounts of chemical compound capsaicin that helps fight against infections, improves the health of the mucus membrane, and improves blood circulation in the body. The proper flow of blood to the lungs keeps them well-nourished.
Chili Peppers
Chili peppers are another popular spice that is widely added in several types of Mexican dishes. This spice contains capsaicin that helps reduce the rate of propagation of cancer in the lungs. Having a small amount of Chili Peppers is known to be very important among Healthy Foods for Lungs.
Oranges
Oranges are loaded with plenty of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and Iron. This nutritional composition helps produce red blood cells in the body that aids in the transportation of oxygen to all parts of the body. This citrus fruit also has the ability to reduce the strain on the lungs by reducing blood pressure to win the body.
Avocado
Avocados are another fabulous fruit that promotes the health of lungs as well as the other parts of the body. It has high amounts of antioxidants, and healthy fats, that safeguards your lungs from damages due to air pollution and smoking. This fruit is loaded with Vitamin E that is in itself a powerful antioxidant that prevents oxidative damage caused by free radicals in the body. In this way, it keeps your lungs healthy.
Grapefruit
Grapefruits have high amounts of Vitamin C that are effective in the spread of lung cancer in the body. This vitamin helps in the treatment of chronic infections in the upper respiratory tract of the body. Grapes are known to be very important among Healthy Foods for Lungs.(4)
Dark Leafy Greens
When it comes to lung health, dark-colored leafy greens prove to be immensely beneficial. Vegetables like spinach and kale possess chlorophyll; vegetables like spinach and kale possess chlorophyll, antioxidants, and other lungs, boosting compounds that stimulate blood flow to the respiratory system. They are effective against warding off free radicals from the body.
Berries
Berries taste incredibly delicious. There are several forms of berries such as blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and cranberries that provide plenty of antioxidants to your body. This makes them beneficial for your lungs and overall health too. Whether you eat this superfood as a salad or in the form of a delicious smoothie, they are a perfect inclusion in your daily diet.
Carrots
Carrots are nutrient-dense food and extremely healthy for your overall health. It contains a large amount of lycopene, carotenoids, and vitamin C, which helps lower reduce the possibilities of lung cancer in people. Looking at its impressive nutritional composition, carrots are ideal for smokers who are at a high risk of lung cancer. The high amounts of Vitamin A in carrots help repair lung tissues in the body.
Coffee
Coffee works as a vasodilator that encourages blood circulation throughout the respiratory system of the body. This action supplies an adequate amount of nutrition to and tissues and cells of the lungs and keeps them in the best functional state. Coffee has antioxidants and shows anti-inflammatory effects that help in fighting off infections from the body.
Water
It is very important to drink 10 to 12 glasses of water daily to keep the lungs in the best order. When your body is properly hydrated, it keeps the mucus membranes in the lungs moist and healthy. Also, an ample supply of water helps mucus membranes to expel foreign particles from entering into the body. (5)
Meals and Foods to Avoid for Healthy Lungs
In addition to consuming lungs beneficial foods, it is also required to avoid foods that are unhealthy for your lungs. There are some foods that cause inflammation in the lungs and result in asthma, lung cancer, COPD, or other types of respiratory conditions.
Dairy Products (Allergic)
Dairy products and gluten are the two main types of foods that can cause allergy in your body. Full fat milk is observed to create mucus in the intestine that can contribute to lung disease. As bread and cereal contain gluten, they are not advisable for your lungs. By avoiding these foods, you can easily improve your respiration and the overall health of the lungs.
Excessive Salt
Also, excessive consumption of salt is not beneficial for your lungs. It can lead to water retention. So, you need to hydrate your body properly to keep your organs in the best functional state. The presence of a high amount of water in the body interferes with the transportation of nutrients and balancing the right electrolyte levels in the body. So, it is best to avoid processed foods that have high sodium content.
Cured Meats
Cold cuts and cured meats that include ham, hotdogs, bacon, etc. are not conducive to the health of your lungs. They have additives in them called nitrates that are added to increase its shelf life. The addition of nitrates makes you more prone to COPD diseases.
Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables have high amounts of fiber in them. Eating them can pose breathing difficulties in people. It is advised to control your intake of fiber-rich vegetables such as radishes, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. In addition to disturbing your respiration, eating them can also cause digestion issues such as gas, bloating, and flatulence.
Fried and Processed Foods
Avoid fried and processed foods as they exert pressure on the respiratory system. These foods have unhealthy fats that increase bad cholesterol levels in the body. It can make you obese and can lead to heart disease too.
Commonly asked questions about Healthy foods for lungs
Here are the commonly asked questions on healthy foods for lungs.
How do you improve lung health?
For healthy lung, you need to perform the following tips:
1. Stop smoking and secondhand smoke,
2. Avoid environmental irritants,
3. Eat foods that have plenty of antioxidants in it,
4. Get yourself vaccinated such as the pneumonia vaccine, and flu vaccine
5. Regularly exercise as it will keep your lungs in the best functional state
6. Improve the quality of indoor air.
What vitamins help repair lungs?
According to the findings of the research, the following vitamins are helpful for the efficient treatment of a lung disease called obstructive pulmonary disease. They are beneficial in the cure of shortness of breath, reduction in mucus, and improving the functioning of lungs in the body. These are Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin A.
Is banana good for the lungs?
In research, it was found that adults who suffered from severe obstructive pulmonary disease showed better lung performance when they ate fruits like cheese, fish, bananas, and grapefruit. Consumption of bananas promote better lung function and also reduces symptoms of the disease to a considerable extent.
Is turmeric good for lungs?
Turmeric is one of the widely used and very potent herbs to treat a wide range of health ailments, including lung ailment. It is a therapeutic herb that shows active anti-inflammatory action that helps fight inflammation and relax muscles in the air passages of the lungs that facilitates breathing.
Is pineapple good for the lungs?
When it comes to lung health, pineapple is another very effective ingredient that lowers phlegm and eases breathing in the body. Drinking pineapple juice regularly reduces swelling that helps lessen coughing in the body. In addition to it, pineapple also contains a valuable enzyme named “bromelin” that assists in the detoxification of the lungs naturally.
