Breathe Easy – Foods to Support Respiratory Health
Autumn
and winter can be a great and exciting time of the year, but it also marks the time
when respiratory illnesses become far more common. These illnesses can include
the common cold, flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma and of course Covid 19. So
whilst Christmas shopping may be the main thing on everyone’s mind at the
moment, your respiratory health should be a top priority too. So how can food
actually help support your respiratory health and help you breathe a little
easier this winter?
There
are many foods that have been shown by science to help support our respiratory
system, which comprises of our mouth, nose, throat (Pharynx), voice box
(larynx), windpipe, small and large airways (Bronchi & bronchioles) and
lungs. Different respiratory illnesses affect these structures in different
ways, just as certain foods have been shown to benefit respiratory health in
different ways too. So let’s see what foods should be on your breathe easy menu
this winter and why they have the beneficial effect they do on our respiratory
health.
Thyme
Thyme
is a medicinal herb that has been used throughout history for its medicinal
effects, especially in relation to respiratory health. Fresh thyme is high in
antioxidants and contains about 29 active compounds, the main two being Thymol
and Carvacrol, which have shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic,
anti-viral and antitussive (helps prevent
or alleviate a cough) properties, which shows why it can be potentially
helpful for supporting respiratory health and can be contained in cough sweets.
Thyme
has also shown to be a natural expectorant, which means it is something that
can help loosen and expel mucus from the airways that may be difficult to cough
up without help. Some research has also shown that Thyme may offer benefit for
helping bronchitis too, with one study concluding that thyme can be ‘considered as a potential antimicrobial agent for
the treatment of some respiratory tract infections’ and may also help reduce the severity and duration of an
infection.
You can add fresh thyme to any of your meals, make a tea
using the fresh thyme leaves and leaving to steep in hot water for a time, and
you can also buy Thymol oil that you can use in water to drink or gargle with
(do make sure it is food grade though, suitable to consume, and not cosmetic
grade).
Quercetin
You
may not have directly heard of Quercetin, but you will have heard of onions,
cherries, citrus fruits, apples, parsley and green leafy vegetables, all of
which contain the compound Quercetin, which is a flavonoid (a plant pigment) shown to be a powerful antioxidant and
anti-viral and anti-inflammatory agent. Onions are by far the highest food
source of quercetin, but you can also buy Quercetin as a supplement too.
Quercetin has had renewed interest since the Covid 19 pandemic due to its
strong anti-viral properties, and many research studies have reviewed its
potential benefit in managing Coronavirus symptoms. Although more research is
needed in this area, there have been some positive research results published
so far, including in the International Journal of General Medicine where
Quercetin intake was shown to reduce frequency and length of hospitalisation
and death in outpatients.
In
addition to the above, quercetin has also shown to be helpful in people suffering
with asthma, as studies have shown quercetin can help reduce mucus production
and airway inflammation. In fact a number of studies conclude that quercetin
has the potential to treat and support chronic airway disease and respiratory
viral infections, especially as it is a flavonoid with an extremely high safety
profile. Hopefully, given time and more research, this little natural
phytonutrient will gain even more recognition in the health and medical world.
In the meantime ensuring plenty of onions are on your menu will be helpful in
supporting your respiratory health.
Liquorice root
Now, just to be clear,
we are not talking liquorice allsorts here I’m afraid, but liquorice
root, which has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties and has been
shown to be beneficial for respiratory health given its proven abilities as an
anti-viral, anti-bacterial, antitussive (relieves coughing) and
anti-inflammatory agent. It can also easily be combined with Vitamin C to help
further support and boost general immune health.
The main bioactive component of Liquorice is called
glycyrrhizic acid, which has shown to be an effective expectorant, helping to
loosen mucus from the airways and nasal passages. Liquorice is also classed as
a demulcent (something that provides a soothing effect by
covering mucus membranes in a protective film), so can be helpful
for sore throats, tonsillitis, laryngitis and general irritation of the airways.
It also has a reputation for being helpful in cases of bronchitis, asthma and
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease), as some studies show it can help reduce airway constriction.
Due to the benefits shown above for respiratory health, Glycyrrhizic acid has
also garnered interest from researchers for supporting therapy for Coronavirus
symptoms, but more research is needed here before conclusions can be made. Please note though that liquorice should not
be taken if you suffer with high blood
pressure as it is a hypertensive and could
cause blood pressure to increase further.
Beetroot & Beet greens
Red
beetroot has been shown in many research studies to have biological activity
and that’s activity that can specifically benefit our physical health, which
includes our respiratory health. Beetroot contains high amounts of
biologically active substances including betalains, carotenoids, phenols, B-vitamins
(B1 , B2 , B3, B6 and B12) and inorganic nitrate. The nitrates in particular
have shown in many studies to be very beneficial for our lungs and blood
vessels, as these nitrates have a relaxing and dilating effect on our blood
vessels, which results in increased blood flow through the body.
Increased blood flow means optimized oxygen intake and increased oxygen to our
muscles and tissues too.
Most
people know that at times of stress, especially chronic stress that is
prolonged for some time, causes our immune systems to become less effective and
we can become more susceptible to illness, which is not what we want at the
height of respiratory illness season! Consuming beetroot juice during times of
psychological stress has actually shown to protect against cold symptoms, with
evidence suggesting this can be particularly helpful in people who suffer with
asthma.
The
beet greens themselves (the leaves at the
top of the beetroot) are also packed full of nutrients such as magnesium,
vitamins C and potassium, all of which are vital for respiratory health and
immune function. Magnesium in particular, which is the fourth most abundant
mineral in the body, has a direct impact on muscle relaxation, and that
includes the smooth muscles that are found in our bronchial tubes. When the
muscles lining the bronchial tubes relax, the tube dilates meaning more air can
get into the lungs and less coughing occurs. When these bronchial muscles are
contracted, breathing is more laboured as the bronchials are narrowed meaning
less oxygen can get into the lungs and more coughing occurs. Magnesium is therefore
a vital mineral for respiratory health and management of any respiratory
illness where the lower airways are affected.
Prebiotics & Probiotics
When it comes to improving and maintaining a good healthy functioning immune system to guard against infections, including respiratory infections, then both prebiotics and probiotics are important. Probiotics are ‘good bacteria’ that help the healthy functioning of your digestive system and maintain the ‘gut flora’ and prebiotics are the ‘food’ for probiotics, so both are essential in the diet. Studies have shown that respiratory tract infections and their associated symptoms and respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) can benefit from a good intake of probiotics and prebiotics. Remember that prevention is always better than cure, so improving our immunity to help guard against infections in the first place should always be a primary focus.
Cultured yogurt containing
‘live bacteria’ is a good source of probiotics. Onions are a good source of a
natural prebiotic called Fructan. Consuming these will have a positive effect on the good bacteria in
your gut and help promote better digestive health, which is directly linked to
immune health.
Fermented foods such as yogurt,
Sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, sourdough and tempeh are also rich sources of
probiotics. Fermented foods have undergone a process of fermentation that
results in these foods being naturally high in probiotics and one specific
probiotic called Lactobacilli is found in most of these fermented foods.
Studies have shown that certain Lactobacilli strains help improve the body’s
resistance to infection and also exhibit a certain anti-viral effect. Studies
have also shown that people that eat yogurt appear to have more Lactobacilli in
their intestines than non-yogurt eaters, so if yogurt isn’t currently part of
your daily diet it is definitely something to add. Due to its soft, cold texture, it’s also a great
choice of food if you have a sore throat!!
So we might not always be able to escape the bugs, germs and respiratory viruses that are common at this time of year, but we can certainly give our respiratory system a fighting chance by eating a healthy balanced diet, which includes the foods mentioned above.
References:
- The medicinal importance of Thyme plant (Thymus vulgaris), 2021. Biomedicine
- Organization WHO. WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants: World Health Organization, 1999
- Thyme extract increases mucociliary-beating frequency in primary cell lines from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, 2018. Biomed Pharmacother.
- Pharmacological Properties and Molecular Mechanisms of Thymol: Prospects for Its Therapeutic Potential and Pharmaceutical Development, 2017. Frontiers in Pharmacology
- Quercetin, Inflammation and Immunity, 2016. Nutrients
- Effectiveness of supplementation with quercetin-type flavonols for treatment of viral lower respiratory tract infections: Systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies, 2021. Phytotherapy Research.
- Possible Therapeutic Effects of Adjuvant Quercetin Supplementation Against Early-Stage COVID-19 Infection: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, and Open-Label Study. 2021. International Journal of General Medicine
- Quercetin: a flavonoid with the potential to treat asthma. 2010. Braxillian Journal of Pharmaceutical Science
- Preclinical Evidence for the Pharmacological Actions of Glycyrrhizic Acid: A Comprehensive Review, 2020. Current Drug Metabolism
- Glycyrrhizic Acid: A Natural Plant Ingredient as a Drug Candidate to Treat COVID-19, 2020. Frontiers in Pharmacology
- Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits: Antioxidant, antitumor, physical function, and chronic metabolomics activity, 2021. Food Science & Nutrition
- Beetroot juice supplementation for the prevention of cold symptoms associated with stress: A proof-of-concept study, 2019. Physiology & Behaviour
- Vascular effects of dietary nitrate (as found in green leafy vegetables and beetroot) via the nitrate‐nitrite‐nitric oxide pathway, 2013. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
- Can an anti-inflammatory diet be effective in preventing or treating viral respiratory diseases? A systematic narrative review, 2021. Clinical Nutrition ESPN.
- Effect of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics for chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 2020. Medicine