Holistic Solutions to Support Lungs and Respiratory Health

The lungs are unquestionably important for physical health and sustaining life. But what many don’t consider is that having robust lungs can have even more profound impacts on a person’s quality of life. Being able to breathe deeply calms the central nervous system to help the body and brain react better to stress. And healthy stress responses will positively affect all areas of a person’s health.

How can we improve lung health and immunity? Follow these three tips to keep the lungs in tip-top shape!

Aerobic exercise has a wide variety of benefits for the body. Not only does it help to keep the heart healthy and maintain a healthy weight, it is one of the best ways to strengthen the lungs.¹

During aerobic exercise, the muscles have to work harder, and the body uses more oxygen and produces more carbon dioxide, causing the lungs to work harder—and building their capacity over time. Healthy lungs are able to keep a large “breathing reserve” to use during exercise. The more a person exercises, the less oxygen their muscles need to move. The muscles will also produce less carbon dioxide. This can reduce the amount the lungs need to breathe during aerobic exercise and results in a larger breathing reserve.¹

To stay healthy and allow the lungs to get the most benefit from aerobic workouts, it’s important to exercise for at least 30 minutes, five times a week. Aerobic exercise encompasses a wide variety of activities. It can be a sport like soccer, running, swimming, or tennis. Walking and cycling are other options. Any daily activity that gets the heart pumping and the lungs breathing, even gardening or cleaning, can also be aerobic exercise.¹

When breathing throughout the day, most people aren’t using their full lung capacity. It’s common to take shallow breaths from the chest, which only uses a small part of the lungs. On the other hand, breathing deeply helps to clear out the lungs, increase oxygen levels, and create a larger breathing reserve.³

A study published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology tested the lung function of 12 volunteers before and after deep breathing exercises for two, five, and 10 minutes. Researchers measured the volunteers’ vital capacity, the amount of air they could exhale from their lungs. They found that there was a significant increase in vital capacity after two and five minutes of deep breathing exercises. The researchers’ conclusion was that even a few minutes of deep breathing can be beneficial for lung health.³

To get the lung health benefits of deep breathing, try this breathing exercise. Focus on breathing into the belly rather than through the chest. Your belly will expand and contract as you practice this breathing exercise.

Sit somewhere quiet and set a timer for two minutes. Sit tall, with your ribcage positioned over your hips, and roll your shoulders up and back. Close your lips and slowly breathe in through your nose, counting 1-2-3-4 in your head. Pause at the top of the breath, and then breathe out slowly through your nose, counting 1-2-3-4 in your head. Pause at the bottom of the breath. Repeat this breathing exercise until the timer goes off.

Try to practice this simple breathing time daily. Start with two minutes at a time and slowly increase the amount of time spent deep breathing until you build up to five minutes.

With over 70 published studies, clinically researched PectaSol Modified Citrus Pectin is a key supplement to support healthy lung function and immunity.*

PectaSol is shown via independent research to block the impacts of master alarm protein galectin-3, and as a result, deliver essential support and defense for key organs and systems—including the lungs. Extensive data shows that managing galectin-3 with PectaSol can deliver total-body benefits for healthy cells, organs and tissues.*³

PectaSol also works as a natural immune-modulating agent to balance and optimize immune responses. This helps the immune system work smarter, not harder, and can rein in immune over-reactions so that vital organs and tissues stay healthy.*

With a multitude of researched benefits, PectaSol is an essential strategy for maintaining healthy immune responses in the lungs and throughout the entire body.*

By following these tips, we can support lung function and immunity, so that they can power our journey to optimal long-term health.

Sources:

1. Your lungs and exercise. Breathe (Sheff). 2016;12(1):97-100. doi:10.1183/20734735.ELF121
2. Sivakumar G, Prabhu K, Baliga R, Pai MK, Manjunatha S. Acute effects of deep breathing for a short duration (2-10 minutes) on pulmonary functions in healthy young volunteers. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2011 Apr-Jun;55(2):154-9.
3. Eliaz I, Raz A. Pleiotropic Effects of Modified Citrus Pectin. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2619. Published 2019 Nov 1. doi:10.3390/nu11112619