The lungs

Your lungs are around your heart in your chest cavity (the thorax) and consist of spongy tissue with a rich blood supply.Air goes from your nose and mouth, and passes into the trachea (windpipe) and into each lung, through two airways called the bronchi. These divide into smaller airways, called bronchioles, which divide again and end in alveoli. These are air sacs with walls just one cell thick. It's here that oxygen and carbon dioxide can filter into and out of the blood. In this process, known as gaseous exchange, molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide bind to haemoglobin, one of the components of blood.

What is lung cancer?
Lung cancer develops if the cells of the lung become abnormal and grow out of control. This creates a lump (tumour). Tumours can either be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous). Cancer can occur in the lining of the bronchi or in the lung tissue itself.
Cancers that originate in other organs can spread through the bloodstream or the lymph system to the lung where they may grow and form "secondary" tumours. This is called metastasis.There are two main types of lung cancer - small-cell and non-small-cell - abbreviated to SCLC and NSCLC. The different types of lung cancer both develop, and are treated, in different ways.

Potentially beneficial nutrient supplements include the following.

Vitamin C (250 to 500 mg twice per day), vitamin E (400 IU twice per day), selenium (200 mcg twice a day), zinc (30 mg per day), and coenzyme Q10 (100 mg three times per day)
Avoid vitamin A (and beta carotene) supplements if you have a history of alcohol or nicotine abuse.
Coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine (600 mg three times per day) can reduce toxicity from certain chemotherapies.
Anti-inflammatory omega-3 and omega-6 oils (1,500 mg three times per day)
Glutathione (500 mg twice a day)
N-acetylcysteine (200 mg three times per day)
Melatonin (10 mg per day) may improve survival rate in non-small cell lung cancer patients who do not respond to a type of medication called cisplatin
Bromelain (250 to 500 mg between meals)

Beta-carotene could slow down lung aging
Increased intake of beta-carotene, found naturally in carrots, broccoli and tomatoes, might reduce the loss of lung function due to aging, says new research from France.The researchers, from the University of Medicine Bichat, Paris, also report that heavy smokers who had high intakes of beta-carotene and vitamin E reduced their loss of lung function.
“These results strongly suggest that beta-carotene protects lung function in the general population and that beta-carotene and also vitamin E have a protective effect in heavy smokers,” wrote lead author Armelle Guénégou in the journal Thorax (Vol. 61, pp. 320-326).As we age, our lung function declines. This decline is even more pronounced in smokers where tobacco smoke increases the oxidative stress on the lung tissue. By increasing the intake of antioxidants it has been suggested that this decline could be slowed.

Vitamin C intake corresponds to healthy lungs
New research by British scientists at the Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, shows that vitamin C protects the lungs, and may lower the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.The researchers found that people with a high dietary intake of vitamin C and magnesium have healthier lungs, and with sustained levels of dietary vitamin C, lung health will deteriorate at a slower rate over time. This in turn prevents the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), reports Reuters Health.

Magnesium, potassium can help improve lung function
Children who fail to consume enough magnesium and potassium in their diets may be damaging the function of their lungs, according to recent research from the US.Magnesium is at the centre of so many processes important to the body - energy metabolism, immune function and muscle and nerve function, The recommended daily allowance for magnesium during adolescence - when the body most needs magnesium - is 410 milligrams (mg) a day for boys and 360 mg a day for girls. Fewer than 14 per cent of boys and 12 per cent of girls in the study had adequate intake. Potassium intake also was higher in boys than girls, but researchers found that potassium intake for both boys and girls was within the recommended range (2,000 to 3,500 mg a day).

Milk thistle compound could protect against lung cancer
- A flavanone compound in milk thistle, silibinin, stopped lung cancer growth and spread in mice, says research from the University of Colorado.“Milk thistle extract dietary supplements generally contain 80 per cent silymarin, a flavonolignan mixture; and silymarin contains approximately 40 per cent silibinin,” explained Singh.“Therefore, we expect about 32 per cent (w/w) silibinin in milk thistle dietary supplements,

If you use herbs, do so responsibly. Consult your doctor about your health conditions and use of herbal supplements. Herbs may be harmful if taken for the wrong conditions, used in excessive amounts, combined with prescription drugs or alcohol, or used by persons who don't know what they are doing. Just because an herbal remedy is natural, does not mean it is safe! There are herbs that are poisonous such as Poison Hemlock, Jimson weed, and many more.