The lungs are one of the most vital organs in our bodies. They are the sole organs responsible for the intake of much-needed oxygen from the atmosphere and transporting it to the heart from where the body organs can get it.

Lungs are also one of the most vulnerable of organ systems; this is because they are very sensitive and prone to diseases and decay. Still, human beings face challenges that can be disastrous to their lungs on a daily basis. Two of the most common of these challenges are cigarette smoke and pollution.

What one needs to understand here is, a lung transplant is not only one of the riskiest of procedures but also one of the most expensive ones ever. And one should not even let things go THAT downhill in the first place.

Taking care of your lungs is of utmost importance. Assuming that you do not smoke, you still need to protect your lungs from second-hand smoke and pollution; here is the tricky part: you can’t really ask random strangers to stop smoking, unless they are sitting close to you. Neither can you ban fossil fuels.

What you can do, is use these 11 things to cleanse your lungs of all the pollution and smoke they inhale on a daily basis.

1. CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

Or what normal people call them: kohlrabi, cabbages and cauliflowers. The Journal of Nutrition made it clear that the risks of lung cancer in non-smokers were significantly decreased with an increased intake of more green, rich-in-roughage veggies. The idea behind this is that roughage helps keep your blood clean which in turn increases heart function and oxygen intake.

2. TOMATOES AND CARROTS

The lycopene and vitamin A in tomatoes and carrots respectively, helps reduce the risk of lung cancer. This is because of the antioxidant quality of both substances.

So you might want to go harder at the salads next times, and not the meaty ones, but the veggie ones.

3. OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

These are healthy fatty acids found in seeds, nuts and eggs. These are supposed to increase protection against lung cancer too as the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found out in a study. It is also contained in seafood and fish like salmon, mackerel and cod.

4. FLAVONOIDS

Found in fruits and vegetables mostly, these substances significantly help reduce the risks of lung and prostate cancer.

5. GARLIC

One of the most ancient anti-inflammatory substances known to man, garlic is a known blood cleanser.

6. GREEN HERBAL TEA

Yes, it tastes like absolute crap, but it is one of the richest sources of anti-oxidants and body cleansing agents ever used by man. Green tea consumers also remain in better shapes because their metabolic rates are a lot higher than non-consumers.

7. ORANGES AND LEMONS

Vitamin C is a strong anti-cancer agent too and also anti-inflammatory. This makes it a good contender too.

8. GINGER

Reduces the build-up of mucus and makes your nasal and pulmonary passages clear. This improves oxygen intake a lot.

9. TURMERIC

Kills harmful infections and microbes that invade the body.

10. MAGNESIUM-RICH FOODS

Because a deficiency of magnesium can cause complications in lung health.

11. WATER

Research has found that dehydration can cause breathing trouble and increases the risks of bronchitis and asthma.