Are You Neglecting Your Lungs?

With all the emphasis on your heart, diabetes and keeping the weight off, your lungs may not be getting the attention they deserve. For example, air-filtering systems seem like they'd be the best things for your lungs since snorkels. Air filters are supposed to take allergens out of the air, but, unfortunately, many of them don't work that well. The primary reason isn't mechanical malfunction; it's owner malfunction. People don't change the filters often enough, so they're not all that effective.

Another it-depends-on-you practice that can help or hurt your lungs is taking vitamins. For example, vitamin A and beta carotene are good for your lungs. But supplementing your diet with individual doses of these two antioxidants can lead to megadosing -- that is, taking in more than 2,500 international units (IU) of vitamin A or the vitamin A equivalent in beta carotene -- from supplements. When you add that amount to what you are likely already getting from food, the nutrient doesn't serve its purpose as a disease-fighting antioxidant. In fact, it does the opposite and oxidizes tissue, which can cause DNA damage. One study from Finland found that people who took vitamin A had a higher risk of lung cancer, atherosclerosis, and, for smokers,stroke. So if you take vitamin A or beta carotene, choose one that contains under 1,500 to 2,500 IU a day, because you'll get some in food.

Reference
YOU: The Owner's Manual. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins 2005.