16/03/2022
How Food Affects Your Lungs
What we eat may not directly affect the lungs, but our food indirectly touches them through the cardiovascular system and by providing antioxidant protection.
It’s no secret that a well-balanced diet keeps the body and mind strong. But, eating the right nutrients may support better breathing and even reduce asthma symptoms. When the body processes or metabolizes food to fuel, oxygen, and food are taken in and energy is produced. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of this process that we exhale.
Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates metabolize differently and produce different amounts of carbon dioxide. According to the American Lung Association, for some people with COPD, eating a diet low in carbohydrates and more healthy fats help them to breathe better.
A high-fat diet has also been linked to a higher risk of developing lung cancer. People who eat a lot of saturated fat like the kind found in processed meat are more likely to develop lung cancer.
On the other hand, eating fruits has been shown to lower these risks. Eating well goes hand in hand with exercise in keeping your lungs clear, healthy, and not overburdened. Fresh, raw foods are the best way to get the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will keep you breathing easy.
