Air does a body good. Every cell in your body needs it to survive and thrive, and every breath you take affects your health for better or worse.
How Lungs Work
The lungs are part of a group of organs and tissues—the respiratory system—that all work together to help you breathe. This involves your sinuses, nose, mouth, throat, bronchial tubes and windpipe, along with key blood vessels connected to them. The main job of the respiratory system is to move fresh air in and get waste gases out—a process called gas exchange.
At the cellular level, oxygen molecules are exchanged for carbon dioxide. The bloodstream then carries this waste product back to the lungs where it is removed from the bloodstream and eliminated via exhalation.
In addition to gas exchange, the respiratory system performs other important functions, including bringing inhaled air to the proper body temperature, moisturizing the air to the right humidity, and protecting the body from harmful substances by eliminating them through coughing, sneezing, and filtering. The respiratory system also facilitates the sense of smell.
Your Lungs Under Attack
With every breath, your respiratory system is working to maintain proper pH balance by moderating the level of carbon dioxide in your body. Your lungs filter out small blood clots and air bubbles as they can. They also aid heart function.
Lung also play a role in immune function, protecting you from particles you inhale, along with infectious microbes. Sometimes you cough stuff out. The rest of the time your digestive system takes over and destroys particles and microbes.
With all that being said, the contemporary world has placed your lungs and the rest of your respiratory system under constant bombardment from pollution.
People afflicted with asthma is on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in 12 people in the U.S. has asthma, or about 25 million people. And the rate appears to be on the rise. From 2001 to 2011, the CDC says the number of Americans with asthma grew by 28%.
And new research presented at this year's American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) annual meeting shows that scientists are seeing a corresponding rise in allergy rates as well.
"From 1976 to 1994, positive allergy skin tests in people with asthma increased significantly," said Leonard Bielory, M.D., an ACAAI fellow. "Not only have we found the number of asthma sufferers allergic to cats has more than doubled, but those with asthma are also 32 percent more likely to be allergic to cats than those without asthma."
The rise in allergies and asthma may also be due to an increase in airborne pollens, climate changes that trigger a rise in pollen levels, the energy-proofing of indoor home and work spaces, urban air pollution, or the overuse of antibiotics.
On top of all that, the prevalence of nonsmokers with COPD has been increasing, according to a study performed by the American College of Chest Physicians. Researchers examined 180 nonsmoking patients with COPD between the years of 2016 and 2018 and presented the findings at the CHEST congress back in April 2019. Forty six percent of patients had exposure to biomass gas, while 26% had exposure to toxic gases. These results support that exposure to biomass fuel is a major contributing factor to COPD and a higher risk among the rural population.
Other major respiratory illnesses include chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, and pleural infection.
Key Nutrients for Optimal Lung Health
Just like your heart, your lungs have a key set of nutrients that help you get the most out of every breath.
Vitamin A - This essential nutrients acts as a natural beta carotene. Vitamin A is essential for growth and development of cells and tissues. Vitamin A plays a substantial role in the respiratory epithelium and the lung. During moderate vitamin A deficiency, the incidence for diseases of the respiratory tract is considerably increased and repeated respiratory infections. Supplementing with vitamin A is shown to reduce the risk of developing related diseases and optimize the health of mucus membranes, which your lungs use to protect them.
Select Vitamins & Minerals - This formula provides vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, iodine and manganese for overall immune health and optimal body function. They are all parts of the intricate puzzle connected to your lungs.
Iodine plays a critical role in protecting your body from toxins. Magnesium is involved in countless bodily functions, including regulating muscle and nerve function, and blood pressure. Your respiratory system needs an adequate supply of magnesium to keep you breathing and constantly clearing out potentially harmful molecules.
Select Herbs - Opti-Lung takes advantage of including lotus, rutin, kelp, L-tyrosine, ginger, L-cysteine HCl monohydrate, pleurisy seed extract, Korean ginseng, glycine, yellow dock, uva ursi and blue cohosh. Each one of these research-backed nutrients either helps your body’s overall function--which indirectly affects respiratory function--or directly aids in the overall health of and protects your lungs.
Glandulars - Opti-Lung takes advantage of including safely sourced lung, thymus, pancreas, duodenum, spleen, kidney and stomach extracts from bovine glandulars out of Argentina. Together, they provide a complete array of tissue support for your lungs.
In Chinese medicine, the lung refers to the whole respiratory system and includes the nose and sinuses. Since most human energy is derived from oxygen in the air, the lung is primarily responsible for physical vitality and is said to govern qi.
Oral ingestion of animal glandular material is though to strengthen the corresponding human gland by increasing its tone, function, and/or activity.
Opti-Lung
The glandulars in the formula give Opti-Lung that push needed to elevate it to therapeutic level. By extracting nutrients, enzymes, hormones and so on from the glands, these ingredients help replace what your body isn’t producing efficiently on its own. When your lungs need an extra dose of healing and protection, these glandular ingredients are shown to help your respiratory system and associated organs.