Vegetables help fighting lung infections: A new study on molecules in vegetables

Vegetables are generally good for you - but do you know that they can also help you fight some lung infections?

Scientists claim that specific molecules in some vegetables can promote the health of the lung's protective barrier, lowering the risk of various infections.

Let's find out more!

New research on vegetable supremacy

Specialists claim that a protein called AHR in the gut and lungs can be easily activated by natural molecules in some vegetables.

These molecules help AHR target specific genes that regulate the lung's special protective barrier.

When the flu virus infected lab mice during the experiment, the lung's barrier was damaged, causing blood to leak into their lung spaces.

However, when AHR was activated, it prevented this leakage and improved the mice's ability to fight infections.

The specialists also noticed that mice with higher AHR activity didn't lose as much weight when infected with the flu and fought viruses better.

Why it's important

These new facts highlight the importance of eating healthily, especially during illnesses, to support the lung's protective barrier and overall health.

Andreas Wack, a group leader at the Crick, emphasized that while eating cruciferous vegetables is generally a good idea, it becomes even more vital when you're unwell because these vegetables help maintain the lung's protective barrier.
 

• Related news:
• research
• vegetables
• health
• 23 September 2023

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