Breathing is one of those things you don’t notice until it goes wrong. To understand what goes wrong with your lungs, it’s important to understand what goes right. Here are some fundamentals of healthy lung function.

The most important function of your lungs is to take oxygen from the environment and transfer it to the bloodstream. You do this by taking six million breaths per year.

Your lungs have functions other than breathing, including:

• Maintaining a pH balance as too much carbon dioxide can lower pH levels
• Filtering small blood clots
• Supporting infection prevention via membranes, which secrete immunoglobulin A
• Clearing out unwanted particles. The mucus lining the lungs has the important function of trapping dust particles and bacteria. Tiny hairs called cilia then move these particles upwards within the mucus so you can cough them out
• Interacting with the heart as a blood reservoir to help it function more efficiently
• Creating airflow so you can talk.

What happens when breathing is not simple anymore?

There are many different types of chronic lung disease which can affect your airways, lung tissues, or the circulation of blood in and out of your lungs. You can also be faced with short-term lung challenges through infection and disease.

The big question is, what can we do to improve lung function?

The number one thing to do to improve lung function is to quit smoking to allow healthy cells to multiply.

Exercise is also really important. Just like weight-lifting helps you build big arm muscles, breathing hard helps you build heart and lung strength. This doesn’t mean you have to run marathons – any kind of exercise works and breathing exercises can be really effective.

Finally, diet can improve lung function. You know you need to eat more plants and less processed food – these are a given for general health. There are also superfoods for supporting your lungs.

Anthocyanins, found naturally in plants, are great for lung health and immunity. Eat as many purple fruits and vegetables as you can. Try boysenberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, grapes, elderberries, aubergines, red cabbage, beetroot, purple kumara, and black rice!

It’s also a great idea to complement your diet with a good quality lung health supplement like Zestt Wellness EXhale. EXhale is rich in New Zealand-grown anthocyanins from boysenberries and blackcurrants, quercetin, zinc, and BlisK12 probiotics for boosting your immunity.

Anna Campbell is a scientist, with a PhD in Plant Biotechnology and a lifelong love of plant bioactives. She is the co-founder of Zestt Wellness, a company with the purpose of “changing lives with scientifically proven, natural products.”