How the Lungs Function
The lungs perform a vital task within the body: Respiration. They acquire the air that we breathe, which includes a number of gases, such as oxygen that the cells need to function. They then transport the fresh oxygen to the blood, which in turn carries it to the bodys cells. Next, carbon dioxide, a waste gas from the metabolism of food, leaves the blood and is diffused to the alveoli to be exhaled via the lungs.
How the Lungs Protect Themselves
The typical person breathes in 20,000 liters of air every day and this inevitably means the ingestion of harmful toxins, particles and gases. The lungs have a natural defense mechanism that filters toxins entering the body, and counter those that sneak past.
There are three indispensable methods that the lungs rely on to perform these protection functions:
Epithelial barriers, enzyme systems and immune responses.
Epithelial Barriers- Refers to the cellular tissue that lines the insides of the lungs. This tissue assists with removing dust particles and unfamiliar bodies which have entered the air passages.
Enzyme Systems- While there are a lot of structures of enzymes, within one particular system, the enzymes (substances that lend a helping hand to chemical reactions within the body) act in response to inhaled particles creating substances to shield the air sacs of the lungs.
Immune Responses- Immunoglobulin (antibodies that shield the body from infection)are vital to the monitoring of the respiratory tract. They are essentially the security guards that protect the tract from microbes and tumor cells.
Detoxing and Maintaining Healthy Lungs
The lungs are a key part of the detoxing process with their elimination of toxins such as carbon dioxide, asbestos, pesticides and many more. Yet such as anything, when there are too many pollutants, the body becomes overwhelmed and may no longer efficiently complete its duty. The lungs are no exception.
On a daily basis the typical person breathes in a wealth of pollutants from car exhaust, household cleaners, minute particles of metal, and perhaps most universally, cigarette smoke.
When one of the lungs three defense systems stops functioning efficiently as an effect of toxin excess that means that the body has no path of expelling the detrimental waste. Thus, this toxic waste, begins to build.
Overtime, failure to remove these toxins results in several associated diseases. These consist of Bronchitis, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Pneumonia, Lung Cancer, Emphysema, Tuberculosis etc
The Symptoms of Lung Toxicity
Before your systems completely crash, your body will provide you with warning signs that your lungs are suffering.
Here are a couple of the ways your lungs tell you they are sick:
Chronic cough
Coughing up blood or mucus
Difficulty breathing
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Wheezing
How to Safely Detox Your Lungs
If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms or have become aware of the fact that your lungs are not performing at their finest level, there are ways of clearing the vital organ of toxins and get them healing and functioning well once again.
Stay away from pollutants. Offenders consist of cigarettes, pesticides, chemical household cleaners, and car exhaust.
Get moving. Exercise is a great way to flush out the lungs. The cardio loosens the toxins throughout the lung and will have you coughing up a lot of the harmful toxins formerly lodged within your respiratory tract.
Consume a, balanced diet. The foods we consume unconsciously involve the lungs as toxins join the blood, a lot of them are diffused to the alveoli and expelled via the lungs. Cutting down on toxic foods means less toxins in our blood.