We shouldn't be able to see the air we are breathing!

The lungs are being inundated with more toxins than usual: both chemical and particulate. That's the nature of wildfires and human-generated pollutants. What can you do about it?
The body has an amazing ability to heal itself. The lung has a system much like an escalator that moves particulates, whether mucus or small pieces that were inhaled, up to the throat where they can be coughed out. Another system involves chemical reactions to protect the delicate tissue. These chemicals defend the surfaces by neutralizing harmful substances that come in contact with or are made by the lung tissue.
Commonly known antioxidants from fruits and vegetables are available for the body to use when supplied in the diet. The best sources are freshly grown and picked organic, non-GMO foods. A large part of the challenge supporting the body to do it's job detoxifying is supplying active nutrients in sufficient quantity. It is here that we are fortunate to benefit from nutritional supplements, concentrating the efforts of the plant kingdom, for optimal nutrition and function.
Have you heard of super oxide dismutase? It is also known as SOD. This less commonly known antioxidant is used largely in the lung. When we have extra smoke from the surrounding fires, or even lung diseases such as COPD1, pulmonary fibrosis2 and emphysema3, extra protection is warranted. You quite literally would not be able to eat enough plant material to get a concentrated therapeutic dose. Few supplements have SOD included. Searching through the antioxidants is most fruitful. Look at the labels closely, some will contain a source from gliadin, derived from wheat, which is a poor choice for someone with celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. I found a source that is from melon which you can buy online through the clinic's FullScript dispensary.

 Antioxidant Resilience by Progressive Labs is a great choice for general protection, and for increased protection when the exposure to chemicals in the environment, home or work are higher.4 Remember to check in if you have questions about whether it is right for you - medication interactions must be reviewed before choosing nutritional supplements.

Since you can't stop breathing, start protecting!

Follow this link to find Antioxidant Resilience

References

1. Rahman, Kilty. Antioxidant therapeutic targets in COPD.Curr Drug Targets. 2006 Jun;7(6):707-20.

2. Gao F, Kinnula VL, Myllärniemi M, Oury TD. Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase in Pulmonary Fibrosis. Antioxidants & redox signaling. 2008;10(2):343-354.

3. Yao H, Arunachalam G, Hwang J, et al. Extracellular superoxide dismutase protects against pulmonary emphysema by attenuating oxidative fragmentation of ECM. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2010;107(35):15571-15576. doi:10.1073/pnas.1007625107.

4. Gongora MC, Lob HE, Landmesser U, et al. Loss of Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Leads to Acute Lung Damage in the Presence of Ambient Air Underlying Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The American Journal of Pathology. 2008;173(4):915-926.