Best foods that promote lung health and foods to avoid explain why food choices matter for healthy lungs. A healthy, well-balanced diet goes a long way toward keeping your body strong, including your lungs. In general, more plants and less processed foods are better to keep your lungs in good shape. The best foods to support lung health include high-fiber foods, berries, coffee, whole grains, leafy vegetables, dairy products, and tomatoes.
High-Fiber Foods
Foods like raspberries, peas, lentils, and black beans are all high in fiber, which is great for your lungs. Studies suggest that eating more fibre helps your lungs work better than if you don’t eat much fiber. Other fiber-rich foods include whole-wheat spaghetti, baked beans, chia seeds, quinoa, pears, and broccoli.
Berries
Red and blue fruits like blueberries and strawberries are rich in a flavonoid called anthocyanin, which gives them their color and is also a strong antioxidant. Studies suggest this pigment can slow down your lungs’ natural decline as you age. In one study, older men who ate at least two servings of blueberries a week had visibly less decline in lung function than those who ate fewer or no blueberries.
Coffee
If you’re a coffee lover, this is good news as your morning cup could be doing your lungs a favor. Research points to a connection between regular coffee and healthier lungs. This could be due to the caffeine, which is anti-inflammatory, and polyphenols, which are antioxidant and also anti-inflammatory.
Whole Grains
They include brown rice, whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, oats, quinoa, and barley. Whole grains are great for your lungs. Not only are whole-grain foods high in fiber, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, but they’re full of vitamin E, selenium, and essential fatty acids, which are good for lung health. Refined grains, like white flour and white rice, lose many of their nutrients in the milling process.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Eating plenty of spinach, Swiss chard, and other leafy greens could lower your chance of getting lung cancer. One study found that Chinese greens are particularly good for this purpose because they are high in carotenoids, which are antioxidants.
Dairy Products
Unless you’re allergic to dairy products, drinking milk and eating cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products can lower your chances of dying from lung cancer, according to a study; dairy is linked to anti-inflammatory properties. On the other hand, if you have asthma or another lung problem, going dairy-free may help cut down on your mucus production.
Tomatoes
Being the richest source of lycopene, which is linked to lung health, eating tomatoes and tomato products like tomato juice can improve airway inflammation if you have asthma. It may lower your chance of death if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lycopene is also tied to a lower decline in lung function for young adults. These benefits are even more pronounced for people who used to smoke.
Good And Bad Seafood Dishes For Your Health
Bad Foods to Avoid
Bad foods to avoid or limit, along with smoking, are processed meat, alcohol, sugary drinks, and too much salt.
Processed Meats
Studies show a link between processed, or cured, meats and worse lung function. This is because the nitrites used in processing and preserving cured meats may cause inflammation and stress to the lungs. For example, bacon, ham, deli meat, and sausage all fall into the category of processed meats.
Too Much Alcohol
Overindulgence in alcohol is bad for your liver and for your lungs. Sulfites in alcohol can worsen asthma symptoms, and ethanol affects your lung cells. So if you drink heavily, you’re more likely to get pneumonia and other lung problems. But drinking alcohol in moderation is OK. Two drinks or less per day, especially if it’s wine, may be good for your lung health. Health experts don’t recommend anyone start drinking, though. But if you do drink, keep it moderate.
Sugary Drinks
Drinking water instead of sugary drinks will help your lungs stay in good condition. A study found adults who drank more than five sweetened soft drinks a week were more likely to have ongoing bronchitis, and kids were more likely to have asthma. It’s not clear that the sodas were the reason why, but the pattern stood out. Additionally, if you smoke, even unsweetened soft drinks can be bad for your lungs.
Too Much Salt
A little salt adds flavor, but a lot adds to your risk for lung problems. If you eat a lot of salt, you’re more likely to have long-term bronchitis. And a high-sodium diet can worsen asthma symptoms. However, you may be able to help your lungs work better if you go light on salt for a couple of weeks. Cook from scratch, and avoid restaurants and packaged foods. Read labels, and ask your doctor how much is too much. Limits are usually 1,500 to 2,300 mg (equals about 2/3 teaspoon to 1 full teaspoon ) per day.
