Keeping your lungs healthy is essential. Besides limiting your exposure to air pollution, quitting smoking, and exercising, you should also pay attention to your diet. Patients who suffer from common breathing issues like nasal congestion, cold/flu, covid, RSV, asthma, NTM Lung Disease, MAC lung infection, COPD, nasal polyps, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection, and allergies to common environmental triggers, like pollen or dust mites, often seek treatment and prevention with the help of vaccines like the mRNA vaccine and the flu shot, or with a variety of other medications including Robitussin, Theraflu, Aleve, Flonase, Advil, ARIKAYCE, Claritin, Zyrtec, Dupixent, Stiolto and Allegra. Listed below are some of the foods that can trigger breathing issues. These should be avoided to keep your lungs healthy and functioning correctly:

1. Bread
Most often made with refined flour that is a simple carbohydrate, bread is one of the foods that can trigger breathing issues. Other similar foods to avoid are white pasta and rice. Opting for a low-carb diet might be beneficial for the lungs as these produce less carbon dioxide when metabolized. These foods could cause the airways to tighten and increase phlegm production, resulting in breathing difficulty. However, as carbohydrates are essential for the body’s proper functioning, you should consume complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

2. Broccoli
Although broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients that are beneficial for the body, they can cause breathing issues. This is because these types of vegetables can cause bloating and gas, which result in respiratory problems. Hence, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli, which can trigger breathing issues, should be limited from the diet.

3. Ice-cream
Dairy products such as ice-cream can increase mucus production in the respiratory tract, resulting in breathing difficulties. Hence, if you notice that you experience a stuffy nose, sinus irritation, or excessive phlegm production after consuming dairy products, including milk, avoid or limit the consumption of these.

4. Chips
It should come as no surprise that junk and processed foods are among the foods that can trigger breathing issues . These food types are not suitable for health as they contain high amounts of saturated fat and salt. Too much salt can cause water retention in the body, resulting in fluid leaking into the lungs. This would make it difficult to breathe. Foods that are high in trans and saturated fats can have an impact on cardiovascular health. This, in turn, can affect the health and functioning of your lungs.

5. Alcohol and carbonated drinks
Alcohol such as red wine, which contains sulfates, is not good for lung health as it can cause breathing issues and trigger asthma attacks. Excessive consumption of alcohol can also cause dehydration, which can affect breathing. Carbonated sodas with a lot of gas can cause bloating or tightness of the chest, resulting in respiratory issues. In some cases, excessive alcohol intake can even trigger asthma attacks. Avoiding drinks that contain too much sugar, such as juices with added sugar, should also be avoided.

Keep these foods that can trigger breathing issues in mind to avoid respiratory problems and boost your lungs’ health.