Your lungs are under a near-constant assaults from free radicals -- renegade molecules that destroy your vulnerable lung cells. Free radical activity significantly increases if you smoke or inhale pollutants. If free radical activity continues unabated, it can induce the DNA damage that leads to lung cancer. Antioxidants are your lung's only defense against free radical damage. Consider taking these antioxidants for your lungs to limit free radical damage.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant vitamin. University of Nottingham's JR Britton reports in research published in the May 2005 issue of the "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine" that getting enough vitamin C is important for overall lung functioning. Britton and his colleagues compared vitamin C intake with lung function in a group of 2,600 adults. Those that ate high levels of vitamin C had 25 percent greater lung function than those that didn't eat enough. Adult men require 90 mg of vitamin C per day while adult women need 75 mg per day, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports. Dietary sources of vitamin C include oranges, broccoli, apples, bananas and blueberries.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another vitamin antioxidant. This vitamin not only combats free radicals directly, but "recharges" the antioxidants around it so they can fight another day. In that same study, Britton found that people who ate adequate vitamin E also had better lung function. The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends 15 mg of daily vitamin E per day for adults men and women. Sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, mangoes and tomatoes.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is the potent antioxidant found in red wine that may be responsible for it's ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to Louise E. Donnelly of the Imperial College London, resveratrol can partially reverse the lung damage and inflammation caused by smoking. In research published in the May 2004 issue of "Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology", Donnelly found that resveratrol significantly reduced inflammation and promoted healing when applied to lung cells in test tubes. However, human studies investigating resveratrol consumption and lung health has not been done.
EGCG
EGCG is the primary antioxidant found in green tea. According to the BBC, green tea consumption may protect smoker's lungs from cellular damage. Even among people who don't smoke, those that drink at least one glass of green tea per day have a lower risk of lung cancer, the BBC adds.
References
- "Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology": Anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol in lung epithelial cells: molecular mechanisms
- "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine": Dietary antioxidant vitamin intake and lung function in the general population
- ODS: Vitamin C
- ODS: Vitamin E
- BBC: Green tea 'may block lung cancer'
