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NEWS
Get Healthy Tri-State: The hidden benefits of lemonade
A perfect glass of lemonade does more than relax and cool you on a summer day. It may protect your lungs against a potentially serious condition: adult asthma. People who eat little or no fruit and shun citrus are more likely to develop asthma or fall victim to its wheezing, gasping symptoms than people who fill up on them. Vitamin C in these fruits probably facilitates the breathe-easier effects.
Just because you haven't had asthma yet doesn't mean your lucky streak will continue: It can start at any time in your life. It can be caused by a number of factors, including your environment (dust mite droppings, for instance, inside your mattress or pillow -- enough to cause a gasp even if not near the bedroom), where you live and genetics (you have at least a 25 percent greater risk of developing asthma if your parents have allergies). But even if your situation ups the numbers on the wheeze dial, you have the power to roll it back, and also possibly to tame the long-term damage caused by frequent attacks.
Adding all things citrus -- grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes -- to your shopping basket reduces your risk of this respiratory bane, regardless of how active or how old you are. That's not all you can do. If you're a smoker, quit! Control your exposure to dust mite waste in your pillows by covering them with 1-micron casings. And reduce the amount of pollution you encounter by keeping car windows closed when on high-traffic freeways or while going through tunnels.
The YOU Docs -- Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz -- are authors of "YOU: Being Beautiful -- The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty." To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, go to www.RealAge.com, the docs' online home.
