5 Foods You Never Knew Could Help Improve Lung Function

Whether breathing is difficult for you due to living in an area with high levels of smog, recovering from tobacco use, or you are asthmatic, it is imperative that you treat your lungs with care. Exercise can help you to improve the use of your lungs, but did you also know that your diet can play a role in making breathing easier?

Respiratory health experts with a bachelor in respiratory therapy degree know that there are certain foods that will help you breathe better, and over time make your respiratory system function stronger. Here are the five top foods that you should start eating if you want to take deeper breaths, get winded less often, and exercise easier.

1. Garlic

If you didn’t already know it, garlic is great for strengthening the immune system. People that consume a lot of garlic, both cooked and raw, are less likely to get the common cold or the flu. Garlic can help to make your lungs healthier by preventing inflammation and aiding in self-repair. Try out some of the various ways that you can start consuming garlic regularly, especially if you have recently quit smoking or suffer from asthma.

2. Coffee

Having a hot cup of coffee in the morning will certainly help you to feel more awake, but it is because of more than just its high amount of caffeine. Researchers have learned that coffee helps to open the airways and improve circulation, which will make breathing easier. If you are taking an online respiratory therapy program, try drinking more coffee to see if it makes a big difference when you take in deep breaths and exhale just before starting a study session.

3. Pumpkin Seeds

Surprisingly, pumpkin seeds are also good for improved respiratory health. That’s mostly because of the fact that pumpkin seeds are extremely rich in magnesium. If you eat enough, you will never have trouble breathing and can help to avoid having asthma attacks. You can eat pumpkin seeds raw as a snack, make a kind of ‘milk’ with them by soaking them in water, or add them to salads and cooked dishes for variety.

4. Salmon

Although eating salmon doesn’t directly affect your ability to breath better it does support good respiratory system health. People who have diets that are rich in omega-3 typically have better lung health. Eaten grilled, smoked, or broiled, adding salmon to your diet will aid you in building stronger lungs.

5. Apples

This is another food can impact respiratory system health. Apples have a lot of vitamins that are great for your entire body, but they also have anti-inflammatory qualities. Gulping down apple juice has also been shown to be very effective in helping children who have asthma lead healthier lives.

Now that you know which foods are best for supporting a strong respiratory system, you can begin to figure out how you can vary your diet to include them more. Since you should already be familiar with many of the foods listed above, there’s no reason that you can’t start putting them on your weekly shopping list. Drink more coffee, add garlic to your favorite dishes, start indulging in apples more often, cook up some lean salmon, and sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds on your meals for healthier lungs.