Top 10 Foods to Promote Lung Health
It’s essential to keep your lungs in optimal condition to ensure you stay on top of your health. A healthy lung promotes enhanced breathing, improves circulation, reduces tiredness, promotes brain function, and has several other benefits. It’s vital to consume foods that enhance its functionality and avoid foods that trigger lung diseases to ensure your lungs keep functioning at their best.
Complex carbs
While carbohydrates produce the maximum amount of carbon dioxide that triggers lung diseases, healthy carbs like sprouted whole-grain bread and steel-cut oatmeal are packed with fiber and are anti-inflammatory that soothe the airways and promote enhanced breathing.
Leafy greens
Green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach have anti-inflammatory properties to protect your lungs from infection and inflammation. These foods contain loads of chlorophyll that enhance blood flow to your lungs. Carotenoids present in green leafy vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants that remove free radicals, causing lung damage. Combine these vegetables with eggs to prepare a wholesome dish.
Garlic and onions
These powerful foods are excellent for your lungs and heart, and they reduce inflammation while lowering cholesterol. The anti-inflammatory properties of garlic and onion also fight infections and keep lung diseases at bay.
Red cabbage
The rich amount of anthocyanins found in red cabbage pigments attacks lung and immune inflammation and promotes easy breathing. It’s packed with rich doses of fiber that improve digestion and enhance lung function.
Eggs
Eggs are potent sources of proteins and omega-3 fatty acids that play a significant role in maintaining healthy and strong respiratory muscles. Vitamin A present in eggs is a rich antioxidant that helps repair damaged cells and promotes healthy cell growth.
Red bell pepper and cayenne pepper
Combining rich amounts of vitamin C, carotenoids lutein, and zeaxanthin, these wonder peppers significantly reduce the risk of developing lung diseases, including lung cancer. Cayenne pepper has ample amounts of capsaicin that helps stimulate healthy secretions to protect mucous membranes in the lungs. It also has beta-carotene that fights symptoms of asthma.
Beans, seeds, and nuts
These superfoods contain high doses of magnesium that improve and maintain lung function. They have essential fatty acids that aid in regulating cardiovascular health and promote smooth and deep breathing. Try flax seeds containing vitamin E that boost the immune system. Walnuts are rich sources of omega-2 fatty acids that have an anti-inflammatory effect on the lungs and effectively treat respiratory conditions.
Green tea
Green tea is a rich source of antioxidants, and it also has ample amounts of Epigallocatechin gallate that is a powerful source of anti-inflammatory properties. It soothes the airways, and safely and effectively reduces inflammation, and protects the lungs from irritation.
Poultry
Incorporate fresh poultry like chicken, turkey, and other poultry birds in your diet. These foods are very high in vitamin A, and they benefit your lungs in many ways. It’s essential because our bodies absorb animal-based vitamin A way better than plant-based vitamin A.
Grapefruit
Flavonoids in grapefruit attack cancer-causing enzymes in the body. They have an antioxidant called lycopene that cleanses the lungs from environmental factors and smoking.