The start of the industrial revolution brought about the rise of airborne pollution. These last few hundred years have dramatically increased the number of toxic substances in the air you breathe inside and outside your home. (Feb 3, 2022)

Since your lungs can only filter out so much, it’s good to clear them up every once in a while to maximize your oxygen intake. It goes without saying that you should also avoid smoking and highly polluted areas to keep your lungs healthy.

How To Cleanse Your Lungs

Follow these 7 steps daily for 3 full days to get the best results. If you live in the city, you may want to repeat the cleanse every month. Small-town dwellers probably don’t need to do it more than once every 3 months. You can also implement some of these habits in your daily or weekly routine to maintain optimal lung health.

1. Avoid Milk Products

Most cows in the United States are treated with hormones to increase milk production. One of the most common hormones in milk is IGF-1 which is a factor in the development of breast, prostate, colon, lung, and other cancers (1).

Certain breeds of cows produce milk containing a protein called beta-CM-7. This protein can stimulate mucus glands in both your digestive- and respiratory tracts. Milk containing the beta-CM-7 protein could therefore very well stimulate phlegm — particularly in people who suffer from chronic lung conditions. (source)

Milk allergy is also one of the most common and undiagnosed food sensitivities. Continued exposure in sensitive individuals trigger inflammatory response and can weaken the immune system (2).

“In all respiratory conditions, mucous-forming dairy foods, such as milk and cheese, can exacerbate clogging of the lungs and should be avoided,” writes Professor Gary Null in his “Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing.”

Very simply, when more mucus accumulates in the lungs than can be expelled, asthma attacks develop. (source)

2. Try Herbal Tea

Enjoying a good cup of tea can help break up mucus, expel chest congestion and soothe inflamed airways (3). For regular lung support, grab a cup of eucalyptus, lungwort, oregano, plantain leaf, elecampane, lobelia, chaparral, peppermint or osha root.

They can prevent oxidative damage in the lungs and breathing in the steam of your herbal tea as you drink it can help relieve tired lungs (4). Drink a cup two hours before bed to clear the toxins you’ve breathed in throughout the day and help you relax before bed.

3. Drink Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruit contains two powerful antioxidants: Lycopene and Naringin. In particular, lycopene may play a role in the prevention of lung cancer and can also help in the management of asthma symptoms (6,7).

Naringin, on the other hand, attenuates the development of carrageenan-induced acute lung inflammation, prevents lung lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced injury and protects against paraquat-induced acute lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis (8,9,10).

4. Make Fresh Carrot Juice

For clear lungs, drink a glass of fresh carrot juice between breakfast and lunch. You can also add a bit of ginger and beets to make it even more delicious and nutritious.

Low concentrations of vitamins A, C, and E have been associated with development of lung cancer (11). Carrots are one of the vegetables with the highest levels of vitamin A and contain substantial levels of these other vitamins, making it a great lung-protecting elixir (12).

5. Take Cranberry Juice

Cranberries helps fight bacteria in the lungs that can cause infections. It’s also been shown to inhibit the growth and spread of several types of human tumor cells in vitro, including those of lung, cervix, leukemia and prostate cancer (13).

Cranberry juice also helps clear the kidneys and urinary tract and prevent bacterial infection to help them effectively expel toxins via urine (14).

6. Use Natural Cures

Don’t rely on toxic drugs and cough medicine, these drugs can impact the liver’s ability to detoxify your body and lead to toxic build-up in the lungs. Instead, try mother nature’s safe alternatives.

If your chest is feeling tight but not painful, take a little pine needle syrup and enjoy alongside a cup of hot water to quickly ease inflammation in your lungs.

7. Enjoy Steam Baths

Steam baths can help restore moisture in the nasal passages and reduce inflammation in respiratory tract.