4 Vitamins That Will Help You Heal Your Lungs After Smoking
Former smokers do not have to adopt a specific diet, however, it is convenient that they maintain a healthy lifestyle, in which they emphasize a balanced diet.
If you have recently stopped smoking or are in it, you should know that as you adopt a healthier lifestyle, you should try to improve your diet and incorporate foods rich in certain nutrients to help heal your lungs or, better said, improve your condition.
We tend to think that quitting smoking is enough to make everything “perfect” again. However, this is not so. It is necessary to add measures that provide benefits to the body and, of course, learn to maintain them in a consistent way over time. Only then can we appreciate true results.
While it is true that there is no diet as such for ex-smokers, there are healthy eating plans that can be a good guide for them. Two examples are the Mediterranean diet and the Harvard plate.
Below we will tell you what foods you should include in your diet regularly when you stop smoking. Take note so you know what options you should take advantage of!
1. Foods rich in vitamin C
Smoking could reduce the amount of vitamin C or ascorbic acid in the body by up to 25%. For this reason, there are experts who consider that it would be advisable to consume foods rich in this vitamin.
According to Dr. Jens Lykkesfeldt, some ex-smokers may take vitamin C supplements in moderation. However, this does not mean that everyone should do it. You have to evaluate the case well.
You can consume fruits rich in vitamin C, such as: kiwi, lemon, tangerine, grapefruit and orange.
2. Vitamin A
Deficiency of vitamin A or beta-carotene can cause alterations in the immune system. Thus, it can increase the incidence of infectious diseases in the respiratory system.
You can find this nutrient in: beef liver and other organs, fortified cereals, dairy products, salmon, plums, pumpkins, zucchini, melon, mangoes, peaches, grapefruits, chard, watermelon, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, among others.
3. Vitamin E
Vitamin E or Tocopherol is a fat-soluble vitamin that works as an antioxidant, while helping to protect essential fatty acids. It also helps boost the immune system.
To obtain the benefits and heal your lungs after smoking, try to include vitamin E naturally through the consumption of healthy fat sources, such as:
- Coconut.
- Broccoli.
- Seeds.
- Spinach.
- Nuts.
- Yolk.
- Brussels sprouts.
4. Vitamin B9
Vitamin B9 or folic acid contributes to the formation of blood cells and therefore influences the prevention of anemia and, in addition, it helps to maintain healthy skin.
In addition to healing your lungs after smoking, vitamin B9 is necessary for the proper functioning of the central nervous system. This is because this vitamin acts in the synthesis of transmitters.
If the above seems not enough, you should know that this vitamin is used to help active smokers to quit this habit. To obtain vitamin B9 you can find it in:
- Soy.
- Raisins.
- Strawberries.
- Walnuts.
- Lemon.
- Onion.
- Pumpkin.
- Avocado.
- Carrots
Other ways to heal your lungs
- Avoid the consumption of junk food, fried foods and industrial beverages and groceries.
- The products with which you should be especially careful are soft drinks, because they alter the nervous system and the functioning of the intestines, thus accentuating the harmful effects of cigarettes.
- When planning your menus, include foods rich in tryptophan, such as soy . This is the amino acid responsible for producing serotonin. This is useful in those people who are quitting smoking as high levels of serotonin reduce anxiety.
- The damage caused by nicotine accelerates the loss of bone mass that occurs with age. Thus, the additional consumption of calcium in your diet counteracts this effect and helps maintain healthy bones to prevent breakage and other damage.
Exercise helps improve the cardiopulmonary system . Thus, by performing a daily routine of physical activity, you contribute to exercising your heart. This improves blood circulation and also helps prevent the formation of thrombi inside the arteries that, in the long term, cause myocardial infarctions.
Likewise, regular exercise reduces the incidence of high blood pressure and improves the lung level, which will help you maintain a stable respiratory rate (14 to 22 breaths per minute).
Quit tobacco and start healing your lungs
Finally, it is important to remember that tobacco is one of the most important risk factors in the development of serious diseases. Therefore, it is more than advisable to abandon this habit as soon as possible.
Finally, it is also recommended that, if you want to quit smoking, you refrain from consuming supplements of any kind as part of your diet without first consulting your doctor.
