Food for your lungs

• April 26, 2024

In recent years, the relationship between nutrition and health has become increasingly clear in the explanation of many diseases. However, the role that diet plays in Lung diseases It is not well known yet.

According to the European Society of Respiratory Diseases (ERS), several lung diseases are associated with a process called oxidative aggression , which occurs when the level of oxidative aggressions (such as smoke from a cigarette , the atmospheric pollution and the infections ) is larger than the defense system antioxidant of our body can treat.

For experts, there are protective and other harmful foods that we must know to keep our lungs as healthy as possible.

Say yes to antioxidants

The antioxidant vitamins are beneficial to the lung health . The food sources where we can find them are:

1. Vitamin C: Citrus and citrus juices, kiwi, broccoli, green pepper 2. Vitamin E: Wheat germ, cereals, vegetable oil, margarine, almond, peanut 3. Beta-carotene: Apricot, melon, mango, carrot, pepper, spinach 4. Selenium: Fish, seafood, red meat, grains, eggs, chicken, liver.

Other nutrients that have been shown to be beneficial for lung health include magnesium and fatty acids Omega 3 . The first is in nuts, legumes, cereals, grains; whole seeds, carrots, spinach and seafood.

While fatty acids Omega 3 They are in the oils of fish, fish and shellfish, soybeans, flaxseed oil and vegetables.

Avoid excess salt and fat

There is a range of foods that can be harmful to the respiratory health , among which are:

1. Salt . The subsistence allowance rich in sodium, can increase the risk of asthma or the aggravation of adults with asthma. Although the evidence on its effect on lung function is not concrete, controlling salt intake is a sensible step.

2. Fatty acids . During the past 15 years, the consumption of certain dietary fatty acids, such as omega 6 (corn and sunflower) and trans fatty acids (fried foods and margarine), has increased while the consumption of saturated fats (butter and lard) and omega 3 fatty acids (salmon and sardines) has decreased.

This change in the consumption of fatty acids may have a role in the development of allergies in children and an increased risk of asthma .

Food additives such as tartarzine, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and sulphites may aggravate seizures asthma .

The ERS specialists point out that obesity can increase the frequency of asthma and airway hyperreactivity. Also, in a obese person , lung function decreases. Weight reduction may improve symptoms, hyperreactivity of the airways and the pulmonary function .