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Best Foods for Your Lungs

AHA Publisher — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 07:00:02 +0000

Rachael Link, MS, RD via Dr. Axe – There are several factors that can affect lung health, including physical activity levels, genetics and environmental conditions. Diet also plays a key role in respiratory health, and incorporating a few of the best foods for your lungs into your diet is a simple strategy that can decrease inflammation, improve pulmonary function and help heal your respiratory tract. In addition to supplying a wealth of important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, these foods have also been researched for their ability to enhance lung health and protect against a number of respiratory conditions. In this article, we’ll cover a few of the top ingredients to help support lung health, along with some other factors to consider as well. Best Foods for Your Lungs Filling your plate with a few of the best foods for your lungs can help decrease inflammation, improve airway function and protect against certain types of pulmonary disease. Here are a few of the best foods for your lungs and airways. 1. Apples Not only can an apple a day keep the doctor away, but apples may also help promote better lung health as well. One study published in The European Respiratory Journal reported that apples could help slow declining lung function over a 10-year period, especially for former smokers. The phytochemicals found in apples has also been shown to decrease oxidative stress and inflammation, which could potentially enhance pulmonary function. 2. Green Tea Green tea is brimming with antioxidants and polyphenols that can be beneficial for lung function, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which has been shown to help suppress lung cancer cell growth in in vitro studies. Green tea also contains theophylline, a powerful compound that acts as a bronchodilator to improve airway function and ease breathing difficulties. What’s more, other research shows that regular consumption of green tea could be linked to a lower risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a group of progressive lung diseases that can cause shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. 3. Leafy Greens Leafy greens like kale, spinach and arugula are jam-packed with essential nutrients that can support lung health, including antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals. In fact, studies show that eating more leafy green vegetables may be linked to a lower risk of lung cancer, COPD and adult asthma. 4. Garlic Garlic possesses powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help protect against oxidative stress within the lungs and throughout the body. What’s more, one study out of China even found that consuming raw garlic at least two times per week was associated with a lower risk of developing lung cancer over time. 5. Ginger Ginger is a potent spice that has been extensively studied for its medicinal properties, especially when it comes to lung health. In one animal model, administering ginger to rats was effective at decreasing lung damage and protecting against inflammation and excess oxygen levels. Another animal model showed that ginger extract prevented DNA and tissue damage in the lungs caused by alcohol. 6. Salmon As one of the top lung cleansing foods, salmon is a great source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Some research suggests that these heart-healthy fats could help promote pulmonary blood flow and may be beneficial for certain respiratory conditions. One study conducted by the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona even found that consuming higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with lower markers of inflammation in those with COPD. 7. Turmeric Turmeric is one of the best foods for your lungs thanks to its content of curcumin, the chemical that provides turmeric with its vibrant color and impressive health benefits. Preliminary research suggests that the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric could aid in the treatment of several respiratory conditions, including asthma, COPD, acute respiratory distress syndrome, lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis. 8. Bananas Rich in potassium, fiber and vitamin C, bananas are a powerhouse of nutrition and can be especially beneficial when it comes to lung health. So why exactly is banana good for lungs? Studies show that the potassium found in bananas helps the lungs contract and expand, which can prevent breathing problems. Other research has found that bananas could preserve lung function and may even be associated with a lower risk of wheezing caused by childhood asthma. Risks and Side Effects In addition to incorporating a few servings of foods good for lungs and breathing into your daily diet, there are also some ingredients you may want to avoid in order to optimize lung function. Processed ingredients, trans fats and fried foods are often classified as bad foods for lungs as they can promote inflammation and increase the formation of harmful free radicals. Other foods like processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined vegetable oils and added sugars should also be limited as part of a healthy, well-rounded diet. Additionally, keep in mind that diet is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to lung health. Exercising, not smoking and avoiding indoor and outdoor pollution are other important strategies that can help keep your lungs healthy and strong. If you have any respiratory conditions or experience any side effects like coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing, be sure to talk to a trusted healthcare professional to find the best course of treatment for you. Final Thoughts Incorporating a few of the top foods for helping to heal lungs in your diet can be incredibly beneficial for a number of respiratory conditions. In particular, apples, green tea, leafy greens, garlic, ginger, salmon, turmeric and bananas have been shown to help support lung health. Other nutrient-dense whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and healthy fats may also be beneficial. In addition to modifying your diet, limiting your intake of processed foods, getting regular physical activity, limiting exposure to pollution and not smoking can also help promote better lung health. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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Fatty Fish Protect Against Type II Diabetes

AHA Publisher — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 08:00:26 +0000

Sarah Moore via News-Medical Net – A new study has revealed that the environmental pollutants that contaminate the fish we consume stop them from protecting us from type 2 diabetes. A team of researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden published a paper last summer in the Journal of Nutrition that outlines how pollutants eliminate the protective properties that fatty fish have would otherwise act as a prevention to developing type 2 diabetes. In the paper, the team describes how they used innovative techniques to come to this conclusion, which is likely to have an impact on future health studies, as well as on environmental priorities and food standards. Studies On the Benefits of Eating Fatty Fish Produce Conflicting Results Recent years have seen the publication of several studies that have investigated the effect of consuming fatty fish on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, it has been difficult to conclude these studies as the results have been contradictory. Some evidence has shown that regularly eating fatty fish can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, others have reported no effect, and others have even reported the reverse effect. Given that around 10% of Americans have diabetes, and roughly 90% to 95% have type 2 diabetes, any potential preventative method should be thoroughly explored to help reduce the rates of the illness that puts people at increased risk of serious health complications. The Sweden-based team aimed to resolve the puzzle presented by the conflicting evidence produced by previous research. Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics A new method was implemented in the study to determine what the participants had eaten, as a way of improving the accuracy of the dietary habit questionnaires that were also administered. A limitation of previous studies looking into the relationship of fatty fish consumption and diabetes is that they relied only on self-report questionnaires that are prone to error. Researchers were able to minimize this error by using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to identify and measure biomarkers related with fish consumption in the blood samples of participants. This gave them a more objective measurement of the amount of fish each participant was consuming. The new methodology was considered to provide a more accurate and reliable measure of the dietary factors that were a target of this study. While previous studies could have been impacted by a subjective error in self-reports, the method of using metabolic markers is immune to this error, and can, therefore, be trusted to produce more reliable results. The Link Between Pollutants and Diabetes Risk Previous research had flagged specific pollutants, such as dioxins, DDT and PCB, as being associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the team at Chalmers University also measured the levels of these pollutants in the samples collected. It was hypothesized that the conflicting results offered by previous studies may have been related to fluctuating levels of these pollutants. Food is known to be the main source of exposure to these pollutants, which are soluble in fat and most commonly found in foods produced from fatty animals, such as dairy, fish, and meat. Studies have shown that fatty fish such as herring and wild salmon that are farmed from heavily polluted areas contain high levels of these pollutants. In Sweden, fish from areas such as the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia and Vänern and Vättern lakes are considered to be particularly contaminated. Stricter Regulations for Pollutants in Fish? The team analyzed their data and revealed that consumption of fatty fish overall did not affect the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, what was interesting is that they were able to filter out the effect of the environmental pollutants present in the fish via a new data analysis technique based on machine learning, and found that without pollutants, the fish would provide a significant level of protection against developing the illness. These findings have significant implications for how fish should be farmed, not only in Sweden but around the world, to ensure that the health benefits of fish can be protected, enabling people to access a simple way to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Israeli Startup Helps You Take Only the Vitamins You Need

AHA Publisher — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 08:00:01 +0000

Naama Barak via Israel21c – Nutricco takes away the guesswork with a smart high-tech solution that suggests and supplies supplements based on what you actually ate – or not. Eating healthfully is a tricky business nowadays. We know better than ever what’s good for us, but all this information makes the optimum diet seem like a distant and elusive goal. Have we had enough omega-3 fatty acids this week? And what about our calcium intake? And who can keep track? Israeli startup Nutricco wants to put an end to the confusion by providing a smart, comprehensive solution that monitors nutrient intake and fills in the gaps with dietary supplements. Users will get an app that tracks dietary needs and a supplement dispenser stocked with the vitamins they need. Not that Nutricco plans on pushing pills down people’s throats, founder and CEO Leonid Pirogovsky insists. “We provide the nutrients people need in the amounts that people need at the time they need to take them,” he notes. “Not for a single moment am I telling people that they have to take dietary supplements. On the contrary, we’re telling people to eat healthily,” he emphasizes. “The customers I’m approaching are people who are already consuming supplements because they think something is missing from their diet, and I’m telling them to stop wasting their money, to take a look at their diet, to improve it and to supplement it if there’s anything missing.” Informed Decisions Pirogovsky came up with the solution after becoming disillusioned with the traditional pharmaceutical industry of which he was a part. He perceived a serious misalignment between customers’ wishes and the way dietary supplements are thrust at them. “People consume without understanding what they’re consuming, but base their consumption on advertisements, on what they hear from friends,” he says. “It’s an uninformed decision.” “I worked for the other side and understood how this mechanism works. From there came the motivation to resolve the problem and give people a simple tool to make decisions and provide them with what they’re lacking to maintain their nutritional balance.” Nutricco plans to charge a monthly subscription fee covering the app, supplements and service for the dispenser. “If you eat healthy, you’ll need to consume fewer dietary supplements and that leaves me with a greater profit,” he says. That’s because Nutricco won’t have to purchase as many supplements from vendors. How Nutricco Works The Nutricco app will offer three different levels of engagement. The most basic level involves getting notifications and reminders to take supplements determined by answers to a dietary questionnaire and real-time updates. For example, a user who usually needs to take omega-3 fatty acids a couple of times a week can notify the system if they eat fish and can forgo a second round of omega-3. The second level of engagement will let users keep track of food intake for a period of one week to three months. The system will analyze that data to create dietary recommendations and a supplement portfolio to get delivered to the home dispenser. The third level will be for highly engaged users who keep regular track of what they eat. They will receive a monthly supply of supplements accordingly. The dietary recommendations and supplement portfolio are built using USDA guidelines, scientific information from Nutricco’s team and a smart algorithm. This algorithm will recommend foods to eat for optimal nutrition. If these aren’t consumed, it will recommend specific supplements. The algorithm also will calculate what users are likely to eat in the upcoming month and provide supplements accordingly. “We only look at people’s diets and their behavior,” Pirogovsky stresses. “We don’t treat and we don’t diagnose. We target healthy people who are focused on their diet.” A $40 Billion Market And it seems there are plenty such people. “Today in the American market, 80 percent of people say that they consume dietary supplements, and 50 percent consume at least one supplement,” Pirogovsky says, noting that the stateside market is estimated at $40 billion. Pirogovsky says a pilot carried out at a gym in Israel got rave reviews, even though the Israeli diet tends to be more balanced than the American diet and its dietary supplement market is smaller. Nutricco will launch this year in the burgeoning US market. Pirogovsky hopes to receive FDA approval next year so that the company can offer a smart solution to people on prescription drugs. “It will enable to show why the patient isn’t feeling well – whether he’s taking medication properly or whether the meds need to be changed,” Pirogovsky explains. “This is only the beginning,” he notes. “There are plenty more applications that could be carried out on this technological platform.” The Best Place for a Startup Despite its distance from its target American audience, Nutricco’s location in Israel is ideal, says Pirogovsky. “I think that we’re situated perhaps in the best place for a beginning startup. We might be far away from the huge market abroad, but Israel by design encourages thinking outside the box. And there’s a spirit here in Israel that encourages this desire to fix something in the world. This is a culture in which there’s no impossible problem that can’t be resolved,” he says. Nutricco is part of Google’s startup community and gets support from the Economy Ministry. The company receives exposure through the Israel Export Institute and the Foreign Ministry’s economic missions around the world. “At CES 2020 we showcased our company as part of the Israel Export Institute booth. We met many interested partners and got coverage around the globe,” Pirogovsky says. “This is just one example of the support Israel gives to small startups with big ideas and aspirations.” This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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