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Breathe, Just Breathe
This Week's Tips
Inhale, exhale. It's easy to take healthy lungs for granted. Don't. Take vitamin D instead.
The sunshine vitamin may do more than help build strong bones and defend against certain cancers. Vitamin D may also help put out the fire of inflammation that leads to chronic lung disease. Along with drinking D-fortified milk and orange juice, try D-rich recipes like this simple, savory Asian Salmon.
Many Americans don't get enough vitamin D. And although a shortfall may not cause chronic breathing problems, scientists found, after testing more than 14,000 men and women, that the higher their blood levels of vitamin D, the better able they were to fill -- and empty -- their lungs. One possible reason: D may calm lung inflammation that contributes to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU). Fortified milk and OJ are great sources, but new government research has found that some fish, including salmon, are also surprisingly high in D. Nutrition data won't show the new numbers until later this year, but salmon may turn out to be in the top part of the chart of foods rich in vitamin D.
| Salmon, 3 ounces | 360 IU |
| Atlantic mackerel, 3 ounces | 345 IU |
| Milk, low-fat, fortified, 1 cup | 100 IU |
| Raisin bran, 1 cup | 100 IU |
| Corn flakes, 1 cup | 40 IU |
| Eggs, one large | 26 IU |
RealAge Benefit:
Getting 400 IU of vitamin D and 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day can make your RealAge as much as 1.3 years younger.
RealAge Smart Search: Find more D-licious fish recipes with RealAge Smart Search.
Amazon Product Search: Find products at Amazon.com that can help you meet your vitamin needs.
Relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and pulmonary function in the third national health and nutrition examination survey. Black, P. N., Scragg, R., Chest 2005;128(6):3792-3798.
