The Secret To Healthy Lungs Is In Your Veggies

If you breathe, you need your lungs. That may seem obvious. But many of us don't think to much about these two hardworking air sacs that keep us breathing. Lungs don't only serve us the oxygen we need . . . they work hand in hand with the heart. They are part of our immune system. And they help us get rid of waste. For all these reasons, we should take good care of our lungs. Starting with eating your veggies . . . Get Healthy Lungs From Broccoli And Its Cousins You’ve heard it from your mom and now I’m saying it, too . . . Eat your broccoli . . . as well as your kale, cauliflower, cabbage and kohlrabi . . . Clinical research shows that eating these vegetables raw can reduce your risk for lung cancer by as much as 55% if you’re a smoker.[2] These vegetables – all in the cruciferous family – contain special sulfur-based compounds that have been shown to be potent cancer-fighters. These compounds - sulforaphane and erucin - seem to help detoxify carcinogens as well as activate tumor-suppressing genes.[3] But here’s the thing . . . you won’t get this protection as much if you go for a supplement instead of the real thing. Supplements don’t give you myrosinase, the enzyme your body uses to break these special compounds down and make these compounds bioavailable. Give Your Lungs A Boost With Vitamin-A-Rich Greens You may have heard from your doctor that you shouldn’t take vitamin A or beta-carotene supplements if you’re a smoker. Several studies have shown these supplements can increase smokers’ risk for lung cancer. But what many conventional doctors and researchers overlook is that the results are just the opposite when you get vitamin A and its natural precursor, beta-carotene, from food. Study after study has shown that people who eat the most beta-carotene-rich vegetables and have the highest blood levels of beta-carotene have the lowest risk for lung cancer.[4] What kinds of veggies give you this golden, protective nutrient? Leafy greens like kale, spinach and collards as well as orange vegetables like carrots and squash. The superfood, chlorella offers your body a rich supply of beta-carotene and vitamin A. And since chlorella is a whole food, you know you’re getting the healthy form of these nutrients. Chlorella also does two other things to help your lungs: - Chlorella helps your body speed toxins out of it. When we breathe in, we bring in all kinds of pollutants into our body. Smoking, in particular, exposes the body to the toxic heavy metal, cadmium. Studies have shown chlorella can help speed cadmium out of the body at 7 times the normal rate.[5] - The fiber in chlorella and other veggies and fruits may help calm your immune system. According to preliminary studies, lung health may be heavily impacted by the health of your gut bacteria. These bacteria support proper immune functioning, helping to prevent allergic reactions that can contribute to problems like asthma. Fiber-rich foods – prebiotics - nourish these bacteria like nothing else. It may be that eating to support these bacteria can do enormous good for your lungs as well.[6] Eat Greens And Breathe Easy With Strong Lungs By eating strategically, you can nourish your whole body. But specifically, you can help your lungs stay strong. And when your lungs are working well, every breath fills your body with energizing oxygen. So your body can perform at its best. Sources: [1] Steelsmith L. Natural Choices For Women’s Health: How The Secrets Of Natural And Chinese Medicine Can Create A Lifetime Of Wellness. Harmony (May 25, 2005). P. 48-49 [2] American Association for Cancer Research. "Broccoli May Lower Lung Cancer Risk In Smokers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 November 2008.. [3] John D. Clarke, Ken Riedl, Deborah Bella, Steven J. Schwartz, Jan F. Stevens, Emily Ho. Comparison of Isothiocyanate Metabolite Levels and Histone Deacetylase Activity in Human Subjects Consuming Broccoli Sprouts or Broccoli Supplement. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2011; [4] Albanes D. Beta-carotene and lung cancer: a case study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Jun;69(6):1345S-1350S. [5] Steenblock D. Chlorella, Natural Medicinal Algae, p. 20 referencing ‘Effect of chlorella on fecal and urinary excretion in “Itai-Itai”,’ Japan Jrnl of Hyg., 1975, 30(1): pp. 77. [6] Trompette A et al. Gut microbiota metabolism of dietary fiber influences allergic airway disease and hematopoiesis. Nature Medicine, 2014. Want to learn more about how to take care of your lungs? For additional recommendations go to https://www.sunchlorellausa.com/blog/5-things-you-can-do-have-super-healthy-lungs.