Avocado may protect against the effects of air pollution

According to scientists from the UK, adding a few slices of avocado to your salad may help to protect you against the damaging effects of air pollution.
There has been a lot of evidence over recent years to show how exposure to pollution from vehicles and factories can increase our risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. The tiny particles of pollution find their way into our lungs causing inflammation and breathing difficulties and it’s this that can lead to serious health problems and even fatalities.

This latest research comes from a team at King’s College London and Nottingham University, in the UK. They examined the lung function of 5,500 people who were regularly exposed to high levels of pollution. They found that people with higher levels of vitamin E had increased lung function and are therefore less likely to feel the effects of pollution.
Vitamin E is found naturally in foods such as avocado, spinach and almonds and has many associated health benefits. Primarily it acts as an antioxidant, lowering the levels of harmful free radicals in our body. This latest research suggests that the vitamin is working in the same way to protect us from pollution, cleansing the body of harmful chemicals. By eating a healthy well balanced diet you should be getting most of the vitamin E you need. There are also various foods fortified with the vitamin as well as supplements that will give you a vitamin E boost if necessary.

For more on this story and the benefits of vitamin D, follow the link here