3 Vitamins That Are Awesome for Your Lungs

What you eat on a daily basis impacts every system in your body, including your lungs. Citrus fruits, leafy greens, fatty fish, walnuts and other whole foods provide the nutrients needed for optimal lung health. Some may lower your risk of respiratory infections. Others improve your breathing and keep your airways clean. A balanced diet should include vitamins for the lungs, especially during the cold winter months.

Read more: 10 Foods for Healthy Lungs

Vitamin C is best known for its ability to boost immune function and promote collagen formation in the skin. According to a 2014 review in the journal Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, this nutrient may also improve lung function and cut the incidence of respiratory symptoms by half during and after exercise. These health benefits are due to its antioxidant power.

Strenuous exercise, such as running on the treadmill at high speed, increases the levels of free radicals in your body. Vitamin C, which is a potent antioxidant, scavenges oxidative stress and keeps your lungs functioning optimally. Eat citrus fruits, chili peppers, guava, kiwi, broccoli, kale and berries to get more of this nutrient in your diet.

Another powerful antioxidant is vitamin E. According to a 2017 study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, this fat-soluble nutrient reduces inflammation.

Read more: What Vitamins Reduce Inflammation in the Lungs?

To reap its benefits, consume more nuts and seeds, wheat germ oil, olive oil, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mango, butternut squash and spinach.

You've probably heard that vitamin D keeps your teeth and bones strong by regulating calcium levels. What you may not know is that this nutrient also protects against respiratory infection and may lower the risk of COPD flare-ups, according to a 2014 study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

According to the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study, which involved over 5,000 subjects, low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of wheezing, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory problems. High levels of this nutrient were associated with improved lung function.

The human body produces this fat-soluble vitamin on its own when exposed to sunlight. Some foods, such as tuna, mackerel, salmon, sardines, herring, oysters and egg yolks are naturally high in vitamin D.

Lung function is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of health. Most people struggle to lose weight, to bring their cholesterol levels down or to keep their skin young, but they still smoke cigarettes or skip exercise.

Smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and air pollution can weaken your lungs in the long run. This may lead to respiratory diseases and even lung cancer, according to a 2014 article in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

Read more: Vitamins That Help the Lungs After Quitting Smoking

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for example, is often due to cigarette smoking and exposure to outdoor air pollutants. As Mayo Clinic notes, this inflammatory disorder occurs in 20 to 30 percent of chronic smokers. Its primary symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, persistent cough, low energy and recurring respiratory infections.

The good news is that you can improve lung function naturally through lifestyle changes. Regular exercise, diaphragmatic breathing, proper hydration and good nutrition can all lead to better lung health.