Breathing in Delhi today feels like inhaling a cloud of poison and locking yourself indoors or sitting beside an air purifier all day just isn’t a option.
Dr Sudipto De, a robotic cancer surgeon specialising in genetics and onco-nutrition at Metro Hospitals, Delhi NCR, has suggested that your kitchen might already hold the answers. Through an Instagram video posted on November 6, Dr De outlined six powerful food groups that, when consumed regularly, can help your body fight inflammation, repair DNA damage, and build resilience against toxic air.
“Nowadays, there is no need to smoke to get lung cancer. Just living in Delhi is enough,” Dr De warned in the Insta video.
“Recent data clearly suggests that 40 years ago, 90 percent of lung cancer patients were due to smoking, and today, approximately 50 percent are.”
“So, how do we stop this? One option is to run away from Delhi, or sit in an air purifier all day. But both of these things are not possible. But there are some things in our kitchen that can help us fight this cancer,” he added.
Here are the six lung-protecting foods he recommends:
1. Leafy greens:
Dr De urges people to include saag or green leafy vegetables like spinach, methi, and kale in their daily meals. These help flush out toxins and heavy metals from the body.
2. Cruciferous vegetables:
Steamed cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and radish are “rich in sulforaphane, which supports natural detox enzymes.”
3. Vitamin C fruits:
Fruits such as amla, strawberries, guava, pomegranate, and oranges are rich in vitamin C, potent antioxidants that protect cells from pollution-induced free radicals.
4. Carotenoid-rich vegetables:
The veteran cancer specialist recommends brightly coloured vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, papayas, and pumpkins, which contain carotenoids that shield lungs and skin from oxidative damage.
5. Omega-3 fatty acids:
Foods rich in omega-3s like salmon, mackerel, sardine, walnuts, and flaxseeds can lower inflammation.
6. Vitamin E sources:
Lastly, he suggests vitamin E-rich foods like sunflower seeds, almonds, and avocados which will nourish and protect cells from long-term damage.
{News Ei Samay has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.}
