Improving and protecting lung function and even accelerating healing processes – we can do something good for our sensitive respiratory organs not only with plenty of clean air, but also by choosing the right food.
Diet can have beneficial effects on the health of certain organs. FITBOOK presents five foods that can be good for the lungs.
Food for the lungs – overview
Parsley kills lung cancer cells
Parsley is more than a green decorative element for the plate, it is a true medicinal herb and good for the lungs. Not only diuretic, which ensures a healthy flushing of the kidneys, but one of the foods with the highest apigenin content. Years ago, scientists discovered that the flavonoid compound was a real cancer deterrent. Interestingly, she specifically targets lung cancer cells. Chinese researchers also discovered in 2017 that apigenin leaves healthy cells completely alone.1 A generous spoonful of parsley over soup is therefore the best way to prevent lung cancer. And yet another – admittedly cruel animal experiment – brought astonishing results to light. To do this, researchers injected pregnant rats with pure nicotine. The lungs of the babies whose mothers were also given parsley extract developed significantly better than those who had to do without the herb.2
Also interesting: 5 kitchen herbs and their effect on our body
Raw garlic contains ‘mysterious’ lung-protecting molecule
Biting into a clove of raw garlic every day is considered the secret of many 100-year-olds, and the tiny bulb is one of the key ingredients in the Mediterranean diet touted by nutritionists. Again, in this food it is a «magic» antibiotic-like ingredient that produces healing order for the lungs. The name: allicin. The property, according to British researchers: kill bacteria that cause lung diseases and respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis. Eating raw garlic just twice a week is said to reduce the risk of lung cancer by over 40 percent. Incidentally, allicin and its effects are so new to medical science that the study report even speaks of a “mysterious molecule” that will bring great joy to research.3
Water keeps all functions on their toes
The lungs are 80 percent water, so the logical consequence is that they can only function optimally if the body is sufficiently hydrated. Even slightly dry lungs are more susceptible to diseases. The German lung information service also expressly points out: “Dehydration of the body can result in asthma attacks.” Nevertheless, three liters a day should not be exceeded, because “too much fluid can also strain the lungs because the pressure in the blood vessels increases elevated.»
Also interesting: Why you should drink warm water
Broccoli activates «healing genes»
Quitting smoking is difficult and many people suffer from not being able to break their addiction overnight. Broccoli has been proven to be a wonderful vegetable to accompany soon-to-be ex-smokers on their road to abstinence. We all have a specific gene called NRF2 whose «job» is to protect cells from pollutants and other toxins. The problem: The activity of this gene is greatly reduced in smokers, which, among other things, means that the damaged alveoli of the lungs recover less well. Scientists from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have found that the phytochemical found in broccoli, sulforaphane, is able to get the healing gene working again.4 And not only that, daily consumption of a drink made from broccoli sprouts is said to even make the inhaled air in smog areas virtually harmless.5
Also interesting: This preparation could make broccoli EVEN healthier
Apples and tomatoes regenerate smoker’s lungs faster
More good news for (soon-to-be) ex-smokers: The researchers at Johns Hopkins University seem to be particularly concerned about lung health, because after they found out about broccoli, they discovered a similar effect with apples and tomatoes in 2017. They found that lung function recovered significantly better in those who ate an average of at least two tomatoes and one apple a day. In addition, the liberal consumption of the two foods contributes to the fact that the age-related decline in lung function – even without a smoking history – measurably slows down.6 So it seems to have something to do with the combination of the two fruits, which is still being researched must. If you still find it difficult to reach for an apple more often, we recommend this study: As Italian researchers found out in 2014, the daily reach for Boskoop and Co. is said to ensure more intense orgasms in women.7
Sources:
1. Yan X, Qi M, Li P, Zhan Y, Shao H. Apigenin in cancer therapy: anti-cancer effects and mechanisms of action. Cell Biosci. 2017;7:50 (2017).
2. El-fiky, S., Nooh, HZ, El-Akabawy, G., & Issa, NM Parsley against nicotine toxicity. European journal of anatomy, 23, 405-413 (2019).
3. Wallock-Richards D, Doherty CJ, Doherty L, Clarke DJ, Place M, Govan JR, Campopiano DJ. Garlic revisited: antimicrobial activity of allicin-containing garlic extracts against Burkholderia cepacia complex. PLoS One (2014).
4. Robert Brown, Johns Hopkins University. The Effects of Broccoli Sprout Extract on Obstructive Lung Disease. ClinicalTrials.gov (2017)
5. Patricia A Egner, Jian-Guo Chen, Adam T Zarth, Derek K Ng, Jin-Bing Wang, Kevin H Kensler, Lisa P Jacobson, Alvaro Muñoz, Jamie L Johnson, John D Groopman, Jed W Fahey, Paul Talalay, Jian Zhu, Tao-Yang Chen, Geng-Sun Qian, Steven G Carmella, Stephen S Hecht and Thomas W Kensler. Rapid and Sustainable Detoxication of Airborne Pollutants by Broccoli Sprout Beverage: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial in China. Cancer Prevention Research (2014)
6. Vanessa Garcia-Larsen, James F Potts, Ernst Omenaas, Joachim Heinrich, Cecilie Svanes, Judith Garcia-Aymerich, Peter G Burney, Deborah L Jarvis. Dietary antioxidants and ten-year lung function decline in adults from the ECRHS survey. European Respiratory Journal (2017)
7. Cai T, Gacci M, Mattivi F, Mondaini N, Migno S, Boddi V, Gacci P, Detti B, Gontero P, Chiodini S, Mereu L, Tateo S, Mazzoli S, Malossini G, Bartoletti R. Apple consumption is related to better sexual quality of life in young women. Arch Gynecol Obstet. (2014)