Antioxidants Help Adults Breathe Easier

There are a lot of people throughout the world who are suffering from the lung problems such as asthma, COPD etc. and there have been a severe decline in the normal respiratory capacity when these individuals are exposed to an allergenic environment. There have been a lot of researches that have been conducted and there have been a lot of new medicines that have been brought out in the market that have helped millions of people throughout the world. There have been researches that have been still carried out to find as to what are the different ways that the people who are suffering from lung problems can benefit from those researches.

According to a latest research, the scientists have found that the beta-carotene that is present in the different foods can really help the individuals who are suffering from the lung function capacity either through the different lung problems or either through the declining lung capacity because of the age factor. In the study that was being carried out for well over ten years it was found by analyzing and comparing the breath tests of the different subjects that the individuals who have levels of beta carotene in their blood, which is an antioxidant have about 20% more lung function capacity than the individuals who had very low levels of the beta-carotene in their blood. It was also stated that increase in the levels of the beta-carotene counteracts the effect of one year of aging, which is a remarkable discovery in terms of benefiting millions of people throughout the world.

Another factor that really impairs the lung function capacity is the habit of smoking that is being done by millions and millions of people throughout the world. Smoking not only impairs the lung function capacity of the individuals, but also is a leading cause of cancer in these individuals. Thus in this study it was found that if the beta-carotene is combined with vitamin E, which is also an antioxidant, it was found that it prevented the decline of the lung function capacity due to smoking. There are a lot of smokers throughout the world and the smoking habits of these individuals vary, like there are people who smoke one pack per day, there are some who smoke two packs per day and there are some who smoke half a pack a day or even less. So, the effect of smoking in each of these individuals is different. Obviously the individuals who are smoking more are the ones who are at greater risk of smoking hazards in terms of decreased lung function capacity as well as developing cancer. According to the study it was found that the smokers who are smoking greater than a pack a day and they do not have good levels of beta-carotene as well as vitamin E levels in their blood are the ones who develop and show twice the decline in the lung function capacity. There are also physicians who stated that the smokers who want their lung function capacity to improve, must quit smoking because the right vitamins to improve the lung function cannot help them much.

The research that was conducted on finding that the antioxidants help improve the lung function capacity was conducted on about 1,194 individuals who were all adults and they were of the ages from about 22 to 44, were enrolled in the study. Out of these individuals there were about 40% of the individuals who were lifelong smokers. The data had been documented for all of the individuals throughout the study so that a proper comparison can be made and the conclusions can be derived from them so that it can be seen clearly as to what are the effects of these vitamins on the lung function capacity. When the lung function of these individuals was measured, it was done by doing a forced expiratory volume test, which is also denoted as FEV1, whereas 1 represents the forced expiratory volume in one minute time. The results that were derived from these tests showed that the beta-carotene truly protected the lung function capacity of the individuals over the span of eight years in the general population and it was also found that the individuals who were getting beta-carotene and vitamin E protected a lot of the lung function capacity of the individuals, which in general terms is pretty worse if seen in the general population who are heavy smokers and do not have enough beta-carotene and vitamin E in their blood.

A fact that is known regarding the lung function capacity is that the forced expiratory volume in one minute, (FEV1) decline gradually every year to about 29.8 milliliters. It is also a fact that is being brought into documentation, which shows that the individuals who have low beta-carotene and vitamin E in their blood levels are the ones who get a decline of about 36.5 milliliters after a year. It was also brought into light that the individuals who are obese are the ones who suffer the most in terms of rapid lung function capacity every year and that the beta-carotene can really help these individuals to overcome the hazards of decreased lung function capacity so that these individuals live their life at the fullest and prevent themselves from gradually deteriorating health.

This research was conducted on the theoretical basis in which the researchers believed that the oxidative stress might contribute to the obstruction of the airway over time and that is why they started looking at the blood levels to see as to how much of the level of the antioxidants is present in the blood of the individuals and what is the current lung function capacity of these individuals so that they can see whether their theory is correct. They mentioned that the beta-carotene and the vitamin E were the only antioxidants that have showed the benefit of preventing the decline of the lung capacity. It was also added that vitamin E was helpful only in the heavy smokers.

Along with the antioxidants that help the lungs, the researchers said that the importance of a healthy diet has its own ground, as these supplements alone cannot help to keep the lungs strong and healthy to perform their function at the same status over the long run. So the importance of a healthy diet has its own place and that the people who are suffering from the lung problems must take a healthy diet along with the antioxidants in a combination so that the best results can be achieved.

An important note that needs to be made here is that the individuals who want to start taking beta-carotene must consult their physicians first because the individuals who are high smokers and are taking high amounts of beta-carotene are the ones who are at twice the risk of developing the tobacco related cancers. The women who are non-smoking and take high doses of beta-carotene show a reduced risk of cancer.

This research is going to help millions of people throughout the world and they will be able to live a much better life than what they had been living for quite some time.


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