Every day your body carries out thousands of autonomic functions that keep you alive—all without any conscious effort of your part. It’s one of the reasons why it’s so easy to take good health for granted.

So maybe it’s a good thing that we have so many health observances like “Respiratory Health Week” dotting the calendar. Like greeting card holidays, health observances encourage you to stop, take notice and appreciate everything your body does for you. Moreover, these “health holidays” can motivate you to take good care of your body so you can enjoy a full and active life.

So, during Respiratory Healthy Week, what can we do to help preserve healthy lung function? The first step is rather obvious but not always easy to accomplish--avoiding air pollutants. And while air pollution is all around us, indoor air can be far more dangerous because we spend most of our time inside buildings.

But, hopefully these tips for lowering your exposure to toxic substances or other irritants can help you breathe easier:

Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Green Your Indoor Air: Freshen Your Home Without Harming Your Health

Allergy-Proof Your Home: 25 Tips to Help You Breathe Easier

Nutritional Support

Good nutrition is also essential for healthy lung function. Studies show that a healthy diet that includes plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and getting regular exercise supports healthy respiration.

Antioxidants are particularly important as they help combat free-radicals caused by smoke, pollution, and other substances that can damage your lungs.

In addition to diet, concentrated plant extracts and essential fatty acids in supplement form can also provide enhanced support for lung function.

For example, these CNCA supplements may be helpful:

BCQ – a powerful combination of herbal extracts: Boswellia, Bromelain, Curcuma, and Quercetin that supports inflammatory balance and a healthy immune response. Curcumin and Quercetin are also potent plant-based antioxidants that protect your body from free-radical damage.

Quercetin – the most common bioflavonoid consumed in the human diet that delivers antioxidant protection from free radicals. In studies, Quercetin has been shown to support inflammatory balance and a healthy immune response.

Astragalus Root Extract – has a long tradition in Chinese Medicine for promoting a strong immune system. The antioxidant properties of Astragalus also help protect your body from free radical damage.

EPAmax – a high-potency, ultra-pure fish oil capsule containing the Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA which support inflammatory balance and your immune system.

Other CNCA supplements that support your respiratory system include: Echinacea Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Green Tea Extract, N-actelyecysteine (NAC), Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Zinc.

Sources:

University of Maryland Medical Center

Memorial Sloan Kettering

Linus Pauling Institute

University of Maryland Medical Center

Linus Pauling Institute

University of Maryland Medical Center