3 Types of Foods to Eat on Hazy Days

Recently, as winter temperatures continue to drop, many major cities in China have experienced varying degrees of smog. Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, and other cities have even activated red alerts for smog. Faced with smog, many people hope to use "dietary detoxification" to remove dust and toxins from their bodies. Is this approach advisable? And how exactly should it be done?

First, we should clarify that there is currently no sufficient and effective evidence to prove that health hazards from smog can be eliminated through dietary detoxification. A popular claim online is that animal blood, such as pig's or duck's blood, can help remove dust and harmful metal particles that have entered the intestines. Even if this were true, its effect would be limited to the intestines. For ultrafine particles (especially those that enter the lungs), it is not feasible to remove them through diet.

Snow Lotus Seed and Tremella Almond Soup

In fact, the human body has its own complete detoxification system. From a dietary perspective, it is important to have comprehensive and balanced nutrition to keep the body in a good nutritional state and enhance its own resistance. This is the best way to minimize the damage caused by smog.

We must first understand what effects smog has on the human body. Studies have shown that after fine particulate matter like PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers) enters the human body, it can cause inflammatory responses and increased oxidative stress levels. It can easily lead to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and also increase the risk of cancer. In addition, smog can also damage the skin. Therefore, in daily diet, one should eat more foods that can enhance the body's antioxidant capacity, tissue repair ability, and reduce inflammatory responses.

Based on current research, the following categories of foods can help mitigate the harm of smog:

1. Foods rich in vitamins

Preliminary studies suggest that nutrients such as vitamins C and E, and B vitamins like B6, B12, and folic acid, can help reduce health damage under conditions of air pollution. These vitamins are widely found in both animal and plant foods. Among them, vitamin B12 is mainly found in meat, animal liver, fish, poultry, shellfish, and eggs, with lower content in dairy and dairy products, and it is basically absent in plant-based foods.

Stir-Fried Cabbage with Blood Tofu

2. Foods rich in antioxidants

In addition to vitamins C and E, and B vitamins being excellent antioxidants, there are also polyphenols, vitamin A, and carotenoids.

Vitamin A is only found in animal foods, such as animal liver, eggs, dairy and their products, and fish. Orange-red fruits and vegetables like pumpkin, carrots, tomatoes, and strawberries, as well as dark green vegetables like spinach, rape (a type of green leafy vegetable), broccoli, and kiwis, are rich in carotenoids. When consumed, these can be converted into vitamin A in the body, thereby improving the resistance and repair ability of mucous membranes in the respiratory and digestive tracts. Additionally, the darker the color of a food, the stronger its antioxidant capacity is often, such as purple-black foods like purple cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, blueberries, and mulberries.

Clearing the Lungs Stir-Fry

3. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids have the effect of reducing inflammatory responses. There are many types, and the most important are EPA and DHA. Therefore, in daily life, it is advisable to moderately increase the intake of fish products. Fish oil and algae oil can also provide these. Flaxseed oil and perilla oil are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which can be converted into EPA and DHA in the body.

Lotus Root and Pear Lung-Nourishing Paste