The Role of Antioxidants and Herbal Remedies in Respiratory Health

By Jamie Bussin and Dr. Gordon Chang

 

Can lifestyle choices and natural products prevent or cure asthma? No. But the choices you make and supplements you take can help support your body’s response and alleviate symptoms.  On Episode #267 of the Tonic Talk Show/Podcast I spoke to regular guest, and nutraceutical formulator Dr. Gordon Chang PhD. This is a digest of that conversation.

Respiratory health means different things to different people from a causative perspective. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, then you’re dealing with potential risks during particular times of the year. If you suffer from asthma, your body is reacting to external stimuli in a way that air movement is restricted in your lungs in which case it is important to avoid triggers such as smoke.

Gordon, who is asthmatic himself, advocates for the use of pharmaceutical drugs – which are specifically designed to treat the condition. There are no lifestyle choices or supplements that can replace a puffer. However he also believes that there are steps we can take to support the body’s response to asthma.  

To some people a lung cleanse might connote scrubbing your lungs with soap and brush (which, of course, is incorrect). The body already has a built-in cleansing mechanism for the lungs. A lung cleanse really means taking products that aid and support the body’s efforts to remove toxins from the respiratory system.

According to Gordon, “There are herbs which will actually open up the bronchioles and there are herbs which will actually open up the blood vessels. And what these herbs will do if they open up the blood vessels, it will help increase the blood flow through the lung. And if it increases the blood flow through the lung and through the bronchioles, it will help clear some of these compounds. In doing so the mucus buildup and asthmatic triggers are reduced”.

While for some exercise might induce asthma, for others exercise might help to strengthen and support respiratory muscles. Common sense and your doctor’s recommendations prevail.

Antioxidants can help with respiratory health as they help to deal with inflammation. As Gordon likes to say, “All antioxidants are anti-inflammatory. But not all anti-inflammatories are antioxidants”. You can get many antioxidants through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Or you can supplement as our diet alone does not provide all the necessary antioxidant nutrients.

Gordon advocates taking a variety of antioxidants, as each deals with different free radicals that are the cause of much inflammation. And there are no antioxidants that are specifically attuned to deal with the respiratory tract.  Vitamin C is an example of an antioxidant that we can’t get enough of from our diet (even if you’re eating a lot of oranges). Others are polyphenols and citrus bioflavonoids.

Caffeine is not an antioxidant, but it can open up your bronchioles. So a cup of tea or coffee is actually supportive, but it isn’t practical or recommended to drink a lot of caffeinated beverages. One could take caffeine supplements. However, Gordon cautions against side effects. 

Menthol, which you can take as a candy or perhaps as a rub, actually does open up the airways. As will herbal remedies such as  peppermint, chrysanthemum and Chinese skullcap. Similarly eucalyptus can provide relief. Traditional Chinese medicine offers remedies that also might provide relief, such as monk fruit, honeysuckle and Polygala tenuifolia.

Gordon cautions moderation in use of all herbal remedies.