The Lung and Short of It

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It's Fruit and Vegetable Month, and there's one fruit in particular that your lungs love. It's round, it's red, and it's really delicious.
Give up? It's apples. This Superman of fruits is packed full of vitamins and phytochemicals that may reduce the risk of asthma and improve your overall lung capacity. How many should you eat?

The Flavonoid Fruit
In a study, people who ate at least five apples a week had better lung function than the people who noshed less frequently on this crunchy fruit. However many you decide to munch, get the most out of them by eating the peel, too. That's where most of the health-helping flavonoids -- like quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidins -- reside.
There's another way apples may help you breathe easier: by loosening your waistband.

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