Smog Attack! Fighting The Invisible Assailant

Posted Thu, 2009/07/23 - 07:38 by Liora Hess

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Feeling wheezy lately? You could be suffering from the effects of high smog levels that tend to peak in the hot summer months.

But what exactly is smog?

Smog is primarily made up of a colorless gas called ozone. Ozone can be good or bad. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the ozone that resides approximately six to thirty miles above the earth's surface forms a layer that protects us from the sun's harmful UV rays. What causes humans (and probably animals as well) trouble is ground-level, or tropospheric, ozone. Some sources of this ground-level ozone include emissions by cars, power plants, chemical plants, and oil-based paints.

A surprising fact is that a full 90% of the ozone you inhale never gets exhaled. Once inhaled, smog can cause everything from cough and chest pain to throat irritation and even fatigue during exercise.

So what can you do to combat the effects of smog?

Most advice regarding smog is to simply avoid it. The EPA monitors air quality levels giving them a number that corresponds to the Air Quality Index (AQI), also known as the Air Pollution Index (API) or Pollutant Standard Index (PSI). The higher this number is, the more likely it is that individuals will suffer effects of poor air quality. Most major cities offer a smog forecast, which can help those who have preexisting conditions, such as asthma, know to avoid exercising outdoors that day. You can find smog alerts for your city at Air Now.

You're also wise to take note of how you're breathing. Air should be inhaled and exhaled through the nose. While this may not be possible during periods of heavy exercise or other physical exertion during which air is usually inhaled simultaneously through both the nose and mouth, nasal breathing should be the normal breathing of a healthy individual. Breathing air through the nose has many benefits, including serving to warm, moisten, and filter the air that is inhaled.

Besides taking the route of avoiding smog, you may be surprised to learn that you can actually combat the effects of smog from the inside out. Research shows that a diet rich in a form of vitamin E known as gamma-tocopherol helped rats avoid the ozone irritation leading to allergic airway disease. Until there's research that shows similar findings in humans, it's a good idea to make sure you're including gamma-tocopherol in your diet.

Gamma-tocopherol-containing vitamin E supplements exist, and there is an abundance of natural sources of gamma-tocopherol. Vegetable oils tend to provide the richest source of gamma-tocopherol in the typical Western diet, meaning some margarine and mayonnaise in moderation actually has some benefits. However, for the full range of benefits of the powerful antioxidant vitamin E, consider adding some healthier sources like flax seed oil and sesame seed oils, high-fiber nuts, wheat, rice, corn and leafy vegetables.

More Resources:
Benefits of Nasal Breathing
National Association of Clear Air Agencies (NACAA)
Vitamin E: Food Sources and Health Benefits
Gamma-Tocopherol, the Major Form of Vitamin E in the U.S. Diet, Deserves More Attention
Vitamin E Fact Sheet - by The Office of Dietary Supplements