Lungs (general health)
Foods rich in anti-oxidants help to keep the lungs healthy and strong by reducing the damage caused by free radicals. Foods rich in anti-oxidants include blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, plums, grapes, apples, broccoli and other cabbage like plants, dark green leaves, tomatoes, sweet peppers, green tea and any other foods containing the main anti-oxidant vitamins A, C and E. Garlic, onions, shallots, chives and other members of the Allium family all contain powerful antibiotic like substances which help to keep the lungs infection free and also thin mucous, making it easier to be coughed up and expelled from the lungs. Limit your intake of foods which lower vitality and lead to excess mucous production. These include sugary foods and drinks and refined carbohydrates, milk and dairy products and many overly processed foods. Stay properly hydrated with clean, pure water. Eat plenty of plant based fibre to keep the bowels clean and regular. Waste products that are reabsorbed and re-circulate in the blood due to constipation place an added burden on the other excretory organs such as the lungs, kidneys and skin. Include spices such as ginger, chili, black pepper, horseradish and other blood moving herbs and spices in your cooking to help promote lung health. Turmeric is an excellent spice to add to meals or to take a pinch of powder in a glass of milk or herb tea. It contains many active substances which assist the immune system, cleanse and detox the eliminatory organs and helps protect the lungs from free radical damage, pollution and cancer. Many herbs are expectorants (cause the lungs to expel mucous) and these are useful when we have an infection in the chest and lung area. They encourage the natural escalator like, upward movement of the cilia and enhance their ability to bring up infected mucous or other irritants. The expectorant herbs include elecampagne root (also a strengthening lung tonic/pectoral herb), wild cherry bark, mullein leaf, balm of gilead buds, white horehound, lobelia, hyssop, coltsfoot and thyme to name but a few. Herbs like liqourice root, marshmallow root or leaf, slipppery elm, red clover, comfrey leaf, irish moss and iceland moss will help to both lubricate the lungs and expectorate, which can be useful in dry or tickly cough or when the lungs are considered dry and irritated (as in a chronic smoker or coal worker for example). Use in tea form or syrup form for maximum lubricating action. Plants such as thyme, eucalyptus, pine needles, aniseed, juniper berries, peppermint, basil, oregano/marjoram and rosemary have a disinfectant action on the lungs. Add one or two to a formula based on the herbs from the two categories above. Lobelia (Lobelia inflata) has the ability to dilate or constrict air passages, depending entirely on the dose taken. It can be invaluable in cases of bronco-constriction such as in asthma. Lobelia must be prescribed by a qualified herbalist or can be easily grown in the back garden and made into a tea or tincture. Chilli/cayenne also has a profound effect on the good health of the lungs by greatly improving blood flow (and therefore improving nutrition/oxygen supply to and waste removal from the lungs). Some herbs are considered tonics to the overall health and will also benefit the health of the lungs. These include comfrey leaves. Comfrey leaf should be used dried and only for short periods (a week or so at a time) although many elderly country folk swear by eating just the tip of a fresh comfrey leaf daily to keep strong and healthy long into old age. Echinacea can help with any sort of infection in the respiratory system. Nettle tea, taken daily, will provide valuable nutrients to help the entire respiratory system whilst plantain leaves help to give strength to the lungs themselves. Schisandra berries have a tonic action on the lungs increasing the depth of breaths.General characteristics
General characteristics
Diet and lifestyle
Diet and lifestyle
Useful herbs
Useful herbs
Natural healing
Natural healing
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