Are you looking for ways or foods to eat to strengthen your lungs?
Before knowing what foods will help to strengthen your lungs, let’s find out what are the main functions of your lungs in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) perspective and how to know if your lungs are weak (Qi deficiency) now.
The Function of The Lungs in TCM Perspective
In TCM, the functions of the lungs are:
- Breathing – One of the main functions of the lungs is the exchange of air in our lungs and the surrounding environment. On breathing in, the lungs work with the kidney on the depth of how deep is the breath. Side note: It is known that a healthy kidney will help a person to breathe deeply.
- Qi Channeling – The lungs play an important role in channeling the air we breathe into the different organs and also warm the organs to maintain their functions.
- Fluid Channeling – You might be surprised to know that the lungs are also in charge of the fluids flow in our body. If the lungs are not well, the discharge of fluids (sweat, urine, etc.) in our body will be affected.
In TCM, the lungs are also known as the organ that is easily infected by the ‘evil qi’ (邪气) in our surroundings. Hence, it is very important to strengthen our lungs in order to have strong immunity.
How To Know Whether You Have Weak Lungs (Qi Deficiency In Lungs)
You might have weak lungs (Qi deficiency) if you are having two or more following symptoms:
- Coughing (especially long-term weak cough)
- Feeling tired easily
- Easily falling sick and getting cold
- Afraid of wind as it causes you discomfort
- Very soft-spoken
Things That Will Hurt Your Lungs
Lungs are very sensitive to cold air. You will not notice this if you are young but slowly you will notice the effect cold air has on your lungs as you age. Thus, whenever in a cold or cooling environment, make sure you keep warm, especially in the chest area.
Reduce the intake of polluted air whenever possible. This means you should stop smoking if you are a smoker. If you are working in an air-polluted environment, do your best to wear a quality mask to protect your lungs from the hazardous air.
Foods That Help To Strengthen Your Lungs
The following foods will help to strengthen your lungs and improve your immunity:
- Astragalus – This is a herb that is very commonly used by physicians to help improve the immunity of patients with weak lungs. Read here to find out more about astragalus benefits.
- Hongjingtian (红景天) – Hongjingtian is a very potent herb to strengthen the lungs and protect them against inflammation and virus. Read here to find out more about Hongjingtian.
- Chinese Yam – Chinese yam is very good food that you can eat with other dishes. Besides strengthening the lungs, it also helps to strengthen the spleens and kidneys. Read here to find out more about chinese yam benefits.
- Bird’s Nest – Bird nests are expensive but they are quite effective in strengthening the lungs and nourishing them. Read here to find out more about bird’s nest.
It is also important to take vitamin C if you find yourself getting cold easily or more frequently. You can check out this natural source of vitamin C.
Hope you find this post useful!