Eat more foods that nourish and protect the lungs on hazy days.

"The lungs are delicate organs" and are extremely sensitive to external climatic changes. So, how to nourish and protect the lungs in the winter, which is cold and often plagued by smog? On smoggy days, eat more lung-nourishing and lung-protecting foods.

Four Principles of a Lung-Healthy Diet

1. Eat a light diet, avoid spicy food

Long-term consumption of spicy and irritating foods can further damage the mucous membranes, irritate the respiratory tract, and thereby reduce the body's immunity against smog. Therefore, on smoggy days, you should watch what you eat, eat more light foods, avoid excessive frying, and eat less of strongly irritating foods like garlic, chili, and coffee.

2. Supplement with Vitamin A

A deficiency or lack of vitamin A in the human body can lead to a decrease in the resistance of the respiratory mucous membrane. Therefore, you can eat more vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, mango, papaya, spinach, amaranth, bok choy, and kale. They are rich in carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in the body, helping to enhance the resistance and repair ability of the digestive tract, respiratory tract, skin, etc.

Homemade Stir-fried Bok Choy

3. Eat foods with strong antioxidant capabilities

Various polyphenols, carotenoids, and other substances in fruits and vegetables have antioxidant effects, which can reduce the body's oxidative stress. Dark-colored fruits and vegetables often have stronger antioxidant properties. You can eat more purple sweet potatoes, grapes, strawberries, mulberries, and other fruits and vegetables, as they contain more antioxidant nutrients and are more helpful in enhancing human immunity.

4. Eat more moistening lung foods

Traditional Chinese medicine teaches: "White enters the lungs." Smog has a significant impact on the respiratory system, making lung infections easy. You can appropriately eat some white foods to moisten the lungs, such as snow pears, oranges, lilies, lotus root, and water chestnuts. According to research, Pao Gao Shou honey-fried Chuanbei loquat paste and Zhike Chuanbei loquat syrup have a significant effect in alleviating respiratory tract inflammation caused by PM2.5. You might as well give them a try.