You breathe to supply your body with oxygen and to get rid of carbon dioxide, a waste product of energy production. The lungs are the centre of the respiratory system. In your lungs, the oxygen in the air you breathe is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the blood. The channel that the air follows in and out of your lungs is called the respiratory tract. It includes the nose, throat, and trachea, or windpipe. Deep in the chest the trachea divides into two main tubes, which are called the bronchi, each one goes into one lung, where it divides into increasingly smaller air passages called bronchioles. At the tip of each bronchiole there is a balloon-like cavity called an alveolus. There are about 300 million of these alveoli in each lung. The vital exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide occurs through minute blood vessels in the thin walls of the alveoli.

To support the respiratory system:

Foods: garlic, onions, leeks, turnips, grapes, pineapple, honey (eucalyptus), green leafy vegetables

Drinks: celery and papaya juice, carrot juice, watercress and apple juice with ¼ tsp cream of tartar, rose hip tea, goat milk whey

Herbs: mullein, elderflower, peppermint, yarrow, lobelia, comfrey, cayenne, marshmallow, sage, coltsfoot

Minerals: calcium, iron, silicon, manganese, potassium, copper

Vitamins: A, C, B-complex, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyanocobalamin), E, F, inositol, choline, bioflavonoids, folic acid, pangamic acid

Essential oils: nose, throat and lung infections respond very well to treatment with essential oils. Inhalation is a very effective way of utilizing their properties. By inhalation they are absorbed into the blood stream faster than by oral application.

Expectorants for catarrh, sinusitis, coughs, bronchitis, etc: eucalyptus, pine, thyme, myrrh, sandalwood, fennel

Antispasmodics for colic, asthma, dry cough, whooping cough, etc: hyssop, cypress, Atlas cedarwood, bergamot, chamomile, cajeput

Balsamic agents for colds, chills, congestion, etc: benzoin, frankincense, myrrh

Antiseptics for flu, colds, sore throat, tonsillitis, gingivitis, etc: thyme, sage, eucalyptus, hyssop, pine, cajeput, tea tree

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