01/15/2025
Hi it’s been a while! I am one of the few people who want to find more time to get on social media!
A friend asked today about advice to help with coping with the poor air quality in LA. This information is really the same as what I shared when we had terrible air quality in NYC from the Canadian fires.
Air pollution increases ROS (reactive oxygen species), these are highly reactive molecules that cause oxidative stress and damage to cells and tissues and organelles including mitochondria. It can increase DNA damage and trigger inflammation. These are systemic changes hence why people who live in polluted city’s have an increased risk of dementia, cardiovascular and lung disease just from the pollution! Of course there is is also the local irritant effect on the lungs themselves.
What to do?!?
While the air pollution is high (or actually anytime!) you need to boost your glutathione and SOD levels.
As you are likely to be reading this at home here are some home remedies to do this:
- sweat it out! Heat shock proteins triggered by increased core temperature actually increase glutathione production and SOD. Assuming you don’t have a sauna at home- hot baths that increase core temperature by 1-1.2C can be used to trigger heat shock proteins. Take a thermometer to the bath time and keep your temperature up for ten minutes to stimulate the heat shock proteins.
- Eat the rainbow! Compounds in fruits and vegetables help to mop up ROS.
- culinary herbs that increase SOD include Rosemary, oregano, turmeric, sage, thyme, oregano and basil. So if you don’t have milk thistle to hand add herbs to your meal.
- cysteine is an amino acid which is a precursor for glutathione so be sure to have enough in your diet when pollution is high. Sources include poultry, eggs, legumes, garlic, oats and Brussel sprouts.
If like me you have a well stocked supplement cupboard.
I would suggest:
Milk thistle, curcumin, rhodiola, lion’s mane, Boswellia, ginkgo and more!
Selenium, vit C, NAC, alpha lipoic acid.
To get any particulate matter out of lungs any herbal expectorant will help. Thyme, licorice, mullein, inula, lobelia, marubium, anise, hyssop etc etc.
