Lungs & Trachea

The importance of oxygen to our body

You breathe in and out about 10,000 to 20,000 times a day, and by doing this your body extracts oxygen from the air. This oxygen, by breathing in, enters the trachea, a solid tube made up of cartilage rings, so the tube is always open. The trachea splits at the bottom into two branches, the bronchi. Through the bronchi, the inhaled oxygen enters the lungs, where the bronchi branch into smaller and smaller sections. At the end of the bronchi are the alveoli, which ensure that the inhaled oxygen enters the blood. Oxygen is indispensable for our body, as all our cells use it as fuel, thus providing our body with energy.

Protection of lungs and trachea

Unlike the trachea, our lungs are soft and spongy, which makes them very vulnerable. Fortunately, our throat, nose and mouth are covered with a mucous membrane, to which much of the inhaled harmful substances and bacteria stick. Thus, the lungs are preventively protected from harmful external influences. When dirt does enter the lungs, the lungs and trachea also keep themselves clean by means of a layer of mucous membrane. This layer contains cilia that cause the dirt to be transported back to the throat. There the dirt is coughed up or swallowed, after which it leaves the body along with the stool. The lungs are also surrounded by the thorax, which provides additional protection for the lungs against blows and bumps from outside.

Tips for healthy lungs

Sometimes your lungs and trachea benefit from extra support to keep them functioning properly, such as in the winter, when your lungs are more sensitive. It's not that you can significantly improve lung function or lung health with supplements or similar support. However, you can use supplements to support trachea and lungs and contribute to them maintaining good condition. Not smoking, exercising every day, eating healthy food, fresh air in your home, healthy outdoor air or playing a wind instrument also contribute to healthy lung function.

Natural lung function support

In addition to dietary or lifestyle changes, it may sometimes be desirable to support trachea and lungs with supplements. Herbs such as echinacea and boswellia have long been known to contribute to healthy airways* and are therefore regularly used in dietary supplements. The trachea and lung supplements available at Ergomax are all of a high standard and Ergomax stands 100% behind every product offered in the webshop. Windpipe and lung supplements like Bovine Windpipe with Liver - Grass-fed from Ancestral Supplements, LifeShield™ Breathe from New Chapter and Quercetin bromelain from Doctor's Best are interesting supplements for the respiratory system.

Breathtaking facts

Did you know that your right lung is bigger than your left lung? The right lung has three lobes, while the left has only two. This is because most of the heart is on the left side and takes up space there. When we breathe slowly and deeply, we take in six to 10 times more oxygen than when we breathe normally or shallowly, and of all this inhaled oxygen, 80% is consumed by our brain. Moreover, did you know that about 70% of all waste products leave the body through the respiratory tract? Of the waste products left behind, 20% leave our body through the skin and only 10% are excreted through the digestive organs. Furthermore, of course, everyone knows how bad smoking is for the health of your lungs. However, did you also know that almost half of all children who start smoking die as a result? Fortunately, more and more schools are committed to a smoke-free generation by providing smoke-free school grounds, among other things.

*Health claim is pending European approval