If you want to improve the functioning of your lungs, you need a list of foodsthat are the best foodsfor lung health and the appropriate way to eat those foods. People with damage to their lungs, COPD, often have a difficult time breathing after a large meal. Not only does the increased amount of food in your stomach require more oxygen to digest, it also takes more room and often pushes against your diaphragm. This makes breathing far more difficult. Be ware of gassy foods, also. As your stomach fills with gas, it has the same effect as eating too much. It presses on your diaphragm and makes breathing far more difficult.

Whether you have COPD, or simply want to improve the health of your lungs, you'll find a variety of foods that can help you. The most important foods are fruits and vegetables. These foods provide plant fiber that helps you not only reduce your cholesterol but also move food through your system faster. Foods high in fiber include fresh vegetables, cooked beans, whole grains, dried peas and fresh fruit. Not only do these foods help reduce cholesterol but they also help control your blood sugar levels. Uncontrolled high glucose levels in the blood, diabetes, can cause damage to the lungs.

If your a smoker and have already done damage to your lungs, then the first thing you should do is to detox your lungs. Your lungs can go from black and cloged to pink and healthy by following a simple regimine

Get foods that contain plenty of vitamin D. Recent research shows that vitamin D helps to slow declining lung function in people with asthma. Scientists tested cell cultures from both asthmatics and non-asthmatics and found that calcitriol, a type of vitamin D, slowed muscle proliferation in airways. Muscle proliferation reduces lung function. Calcitriol, also acts as an anti-inflammatory. You can get vitamin D from exposure to the sun, but also from fish and .

Look for colorful fruits and vegetables, which contain high  amounts of vitamin A. Recent studies on lab animals indicate that a high intake of vitamin A can actually help heal the lungs. In addition, vitamin A also helps the body build more resistance to infections, including those in the respiratory area. Foods containing vitamin A in the form of retinol or beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, include Apricots, carrots, asparagus, cantaloupe, tomatoes and watermelon, to name just a few.

Increase the amount of anti-oxidants in your diet. Vitamin C and E are powerful antioxidants. Besides being an antioxidant and enhancing the antioxidant action of vitamin E to protect the lung cells from damage from free radicals, vitamin C also plays a major role in building collagen and elastin, both necessary for the health of all tissues. A recent study showed that if both vitamin C and magnesium levels played important roles in maintaining healthy lung tissues. Foods that contain high vitamin C are citrus fruits, red peppers, cantaloupe, rose hips, tomatoes and cucumbers, among others.

Help your lungs by reducing the amount of sugar you consume. Sugar has a negative effect on the body's immune system, lowering it's efficiency. If you want to keep not only your lungs healthy, but also the rest of your body, reduce your intake of sugar and sugary products.

Cut down on fats and salt. Whether you already have a problem with your lungs, such as COPD, or simply want to live healthier, cut down on your intake of saturated fats and salty foods. Sodium causes you to retain fluids and people with lung problems find that makes it more difficult to breathe. Fats clog your arteries. When this happens, it often builds up fluid in the lungs.

Eat appropriately, exercise and lose weight if necessary. Running, bicycling and other aerobic exercises help work your lungs, cleanse them and make them stronger.

Maintaining appropriate weight is good for not only those with lung disease but also those that wish to continue a healthy life. When you select from the list of foods to eat for lung health, exercise and quit bad habits such as smoking, you'll not only improve the health of your lungs but also your entire body.