Want To Help Protect Yourself From Air Pollution? Eat This

Try as you might, it’s hard to avoid polluted air - and the whole slew of health consequences that result in exposure to it. But does that mean we should just sit back and accept our fate? No way! Indeed, new research is showing that eating foods rich in vitamin C can help our bodies deal with the inevitable consequences of air pollution.

A study by researchers at Imperial College London looked at 200 patients suffering from chronic lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admitted to London-area hospitals. They also looked at pollution levels on the days they were admitted; unsurprisingly, admission rates spiked on days with the poorest air quality.

Researchers also found another trend: on days with higher-than-average pollution levels, patients with low levels of Vitamin C in their systems were more likely to be hospitalized. This was true even when smokers and the elderly were excluded.

This is just the latest study that has connected a diet rich in antioxidants to improved lung performance. Research has suggested that antioxidants block harmful molecules from damaging cells. As if you needed another reason to eat your fruits and veggies!