By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

It’s called, “phlegm,” “mucus,” “snot,” “loogies,” or even “boogers,” and some of us have more than others. We sniff, snort, clear our throats, cough, and spit it out. And it can be pretty gross.

We all have about 1 to 1.5 liters of it that pass through our system every day, and some of us have more mucus than others. It can be thick, green, yellow, brown, or clear and thin. It’s all mucus and it serves some vital functions in the body.

What is this slimy stuff?

Mucus is a lubricating, protective substance made mostly of water and a gel-forming molecule called mucin. Mucus lines the nose, sinuses, the eyes, the mouth, the digestive system, the vagina and more.

Mucus serves to protect the sensitive areas, remove dirt, pollen, and other pathogens, and keep tissues moist. Mucus also lubricates organs and cavities in the body, allowing you to move freely without things sticking to each other. Ouch!

Some of the cells in these areas of your body release a mixture of proteins, salts, fats, and immune molecules, and other cells covered with tiny hair-like projections called ‘cilia’ sweep the mucus along. Sort of like automatic house cleaning in your body.

We tend to notice the mucus in our nasal passages and throat the most because this is the stuff that catches dirt, dust, pollen, and pathogens and gets thick and gooey. Sometimes it can run down your throat, causing you to have to clear your throat often.

Phlegm is also mucus that ends up down in your lungs due to breathing irritating air, having a cold or lower respiratory infection or pollen that you breathe in. Phlegm helps you cough up some of those things you’ve inhaled.

Phlegm also happens when you are sick, and a virus gets down in your lower respiratory passages. This irritating virus and the resulting immune reaction cause thick mucus to deposit in your bronchial tubes and lungs. Result— you cough up, thick chunks of yellow, green, or brown mucus, called phlegm.

Our bodies make mucus all the time, but we only tend to notice it when it’s excessive and thick. In fact, your body normally produces about 1 to 1.5 liters of mucus a day.

What causes excess mucus?

• Dairy products, especially conventional dairy
• Inflammation from grains, i.e., gluten
• Nightshade sensitivity
• Vegetable seed oils, like sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, soybean, corn, canola, etc.
• Colds, flu, covid, and other respiratory infections
• Inhaling smoke, dust, animal dander, mold spores, and air pollution
• Certain medications, like birth control pills, or blood pressure medications
• Pregnancy
• Acid reflux
• Smoking
• Asthma
• Cystic fibrosis
• COPD
• Dehydration
• Alcohol
• Excess inflammation, anywhere in the body

Stop the constant drip, drip, drip…

Many people have ongoing mucus issues and don’t understand the cause—nor understand that it can be eliminated. But you can reduce and/or eliminate this annoying goo.

There are a variety of ways to reduce or thin your mucus secretions, both naturally and medically. Let’s dig in…

1. Diet

Diet is the biggest factor in causing excess mucus secretions, and this can vary from person to person. However, there are a few foods that create more mucus for most people.

These include conventional, processed dairy, which can be a big issue, especially if you tend to have an allergy or sensitivity to dairy. Dairy can cause everything from stuffy nose, to blocked sinuses, and even coughing up phlegm. Switching to raw dairy, or even A2 type of dairy can eliminate this mucus clogging food.

Other foods that contribute to mucus include all grains, especially gluten, corn, and soy. Processed, refined grains are the worst for mucus production. Grains are highly inflammatory to the entire body, and this causes excess production of mucus.

An often-overlooked food that causes excess mucus are nightshades. Many people are sensitive to one or more of these foods, and don’t even know it. You don’t have to have a dramatic reaction to these foods. In fact, the mucus production may be the only reaction you notice. Nightshades include white potatoes, all varieties of peppers, tomatoes (often canned or cooked ones are more of a problem), eggplant, okra, and even goji berries.

Other foods that can cause excess mucus are certain fruits and vegetables like leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables. While you wouldn’t think of these foods as causing inflammation, for many, these foods can inflame the digestive system, creating more mucus or phlegm. Examples of fruits or vegetables that increase mucus include spinach, kale, cabbage, bananas, and potatoes.

One of the worst offenders for causing mucus and inflammation includes vegetable seed oils such as sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, corn, canola, soybean, grapeseed, or just ‘vegetable oil’. These oils are known to be highly inflammatory to the body and the lungs. Many people who have asthma report increased inflammation and difficulties breathing when ingesting vegetable oils.

Refined cane sugar can really exacerbate inflammation as well as mucus production. On top of that, sugar can totally knock out or reduce your immune system responses to viral and bacterial infections. Lowered immune function results in catching more colds, flu, and bacterial infections—all of which cause increased mucus and phlegm.

Alcoholic beverages—especially beer and wine can increase mucus production as well. Because alcohol inflames the digestive tract, this causes excess mucus to be produced. The worst alcoholic beverages for mucus and phlegm are dark beers and red wine. Both contain high quantities of yeasts and molds, along with histamines that create a stuffy nose and sinuses.

2. Irritating Allergens in Your Environment

This may be easier said than done, but when pollen, dust, animal dander or other allergens are floating around in the air, it’s best to reduce your exposure. If it’s pollen from plants and trees that bothers you, spending time indoors with air conditioning or an air filter may be best. If it’s indoor allergens, vacuuming and dusting frequently may help.

One thing that makes a huge difference during allergy season, is eliminating any foods that increase inflammation and mucus. I personally have found that avoiding eating any grains or sugar, as well as certain nightshades makes a huge difference in my reaction to other environmental allergens. So, before you lock up the dog and lock yourself inside, make some healthy tweaks to your diet, and you may find that your runny nose, cough, and watery eyes disappear during allergy season if you are avoiding inflammatory foods.

Another helpful practice is to use a Neti pot during allergy ‘season’ or when exposed to allergens in the air. It can wash out the irritating substances and reduce the mucus in your nasal and sinus pathways.

3. Medication

Conventional medical doctors will want you to try taking decongestants, antihistamines, and nasal sprays. However, I am not a big believer in these remedies as they often have unwanted side effects (no surprise here).

Decongestants–Common decongestants can be effective but also are extremely drying to your body and can cause dehydration, since they work systemically. Decongestants even dry out your eyes and make them feel irritated and scratchy.

Decongestants have a common side effect of making you feel jittery and anxious—kind of like having too much caffeine. While feeling this way is not fun at any time of the day, feeling jittery at night can wreck a good night’s sleep. Decongestants also constrict blood vessels, causing a possibly dangerous increase in blood pressure.

Antihistamines–On the other hand, antihistamines can not only be very drying, but they have the added side effect of making you feel extremely groggy and drowsy. While you may have less mucus, you may not even be able to function with these medications.

Nasal Sprays–The three most often used types of nasal sprays are steroid, antihistamine, and decongestant. While nasal sprays can temporarily clear your nose, you can actually become physically addicted to them—very quickly.

Nasal sprays have a ‘rebound’ effect, and while they can constrict the blood vessels in the nose, helping to shrink your nasal tissues and helping you breathe easy, once they wear off, breathing and mucus production will be worse. Nasal sprays, like decongestants, can also dangerously raise blood pressure, so beware. A saline nasal spray may be the best option to thin mucus.

Expectorants–Expectorants can help to loosen and break up phlegm in the chest, helping you cough up and clear out your bronchial tubes and lungs. Conventional medical expectorants can encourage a cough, while other cough suppressant medicines stop a tickling cough. Elderberry cough medicine, which is a natural-based cough medicine, uses elderberry extracts to help break up the phlegm for a more productive cough.

4. Natural Solutions

Besides dietary changes, there are a few effective treatments you can do to reduce the amount of mucus secretions and the viscosity (thickness).

Hydration—The simple act of drinking more water or fluids can help to thin out secretions. Since mucus is a body fluid, anything that helps to increase bodily fluids will help to thin mucus. Approximately 60% of the human body is water–plus or minus 15%. Losing only 3% of your weight in water can result in dehydration.

Neti pot—Neti pots help to clean allergens, dust, and animal dander out of the nose, while flushing out the sinuses. Neti pots clean the nasal passages with a salt and water solution and are easy to use. You can also purchase an over-the-counter saline nasal spray which basically works the same as a Neti pot.

Essential Oils—One of my favorite methods is to use essential oils to help clear the sinuses, and even the bronchial tubes and lungs. Eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil, rosemary oil and oregano oil all work well to help reduce congestion and mucus. One of the best ways to use these oils is to put several drops into boiling or almost boiling water, lean over the pot and cover your head with a towel to trap in the essential oil and steam. Breathe deeply.

Natural Supplements—Anything derived of elderberries works well to break up and reduce mucus. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a popular lung supplement that has been found to help patients with advanced COPD by reducing phlegm and thinning mucus. Ginger—either fresh ginger, or in a capsule is also effective at reducing mucus. Bromelain and pancreatic enzymes are often recommended to reduce and thin out phlegm and mucus in the body.

Making the above changes in diet and lifestyle along with adding in the necessary natural supplements will help you reduce your production of mucus and stop that annoying urge to clear your throat or blow your nose.

References
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324570
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2020/08/marvels-mucus-phlegm
https://www.respiratorytherapyzone.com/vegetable-oils-are-damaging-your-lungs/
https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/how-to-get-rid-of-phlegm
https://ezyschooling.com/parenting/expert/five-foods-that-flush-out-mucus-from-the-body
https://www.everydayhealth.com/sinus-health-guide/sinus-congestion-and-mucus.aspx

The post Why do I Have So Much Mucus (Snot) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Back in the days of primal man, they would catch a wild animal to eat and they weren’t just eating boneless, skinless grilled muscle meat. Nope. Primal man basically ate the average land animal from nose to tail. Did you know that close to half the weight of a cow is the ‘non-meat’ stuff? Bones, tendons, skin, cartilage and other connective tissue. There are good reasons for eating all those parts. They are full of collagen. Our bodies actually function best eating not only the muscle meat of an animal but the collagen as well.

While the protein in meat is no doubt healthy, we need the amino acids in the collagenous materials as well. We actually require plentiful amounts of collagen to live longer, healthier, and look and move better.

As we age, we continually lose collagen, so it’s super important to replace the lost collagen. A big part of the aging process has to do with the breakdown of collagen. Sagging and thinning skin, stiff joints, shortened stature, stooped posture, easy bruising are all the visible signs of aging from collagen breakdown.

Collagen actually has far-reaching health benefits that include longevity and protecting your body from some of the more serious diseases of aging.

1. Longevity

Collagen contains the amino acid, glycine, our bodies need adequate amounts of glycine and we cannot create enough on our own. An average person needs approximately 10 grams of glycine to cover all of our physical needs. Unfortunately, our bodies only make about 3 grams per day, most of us only get about 1.5-3 grams from diet—if that. That means we cannot make enough on our own and need supplemental glycine to function optimally.

Collagen is about 1/3 glycine, so a 12 gram serving of collagen—about a heaping scoop of collagen peptides—will give you plenty of glycine to cover the deficit.

Here’s another thing: meat contains a substance called methionine. Studies show that that the more methionine eaten, the shorter the lifespan—unless it’s balanced with glycine. Glycine has been shown in studies with mice to extend lifespan.

There are also some human studies that would suggest this, too:

• People with low glycine levels and high meat intakes have been shown as more likely to have diabetes. However, people with higher glycine levels and high meat intakes had no health issues.
• Meanwhile, high levels of glycine predict better blood sugar control.
• Patients with chronic kidney disease often have low glycine levels.

So, it appears that higher levels of glycine are linked to better health and lower levels of glycine linked to poorer health across a broad range of conditions.

Meat is a very healthy part of a diet, and has been a vital part of the human diet for hundreds of thousands of years, but most of us more modern folks tend to eat just muscle meat—boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lean steak and pork chops—instead of fat, bones, skin, and tendons, etc., and that is just plain not healthy. Increasing your collagen, then, could balance out the meat intake by providing ample glycine.

2. Sleep

Sleep—One of the best, non-drug sleep remedies is a warm drink with collagen before bed. You can also use bone broth which has collagen in it. Why does this work so well?

This goes back to the glycine in the collagen. Glycine enhances our body’s production of serotonin, a brain chemical. Research shows collagen with glycine elevates serotonin, reduces symptoms of insomnia, and improves sleep quality. Other studies suggest it may help you bounce back to a healthier sleep cycle after a period of disrupted sleep or changing time zones.

This is because at night, serotonin is turned into melatonin, our sleep hormone. Glycine also helps to lower the body’s core temperature, which helps someone get to sleep quicker and actually sleep more soundly, with more quality REM sleep. It also helps people perform better the next day as well.

3. Younger, Stronger Skin

Skin contains a lot of collagen. Collagen actually forms the structure of our skin and holds it up and makes it look smooth. Think of the poles that hold up a tent. That’s what collagen does for your skin. It’s when that structure begins to break down that we get wrinkles and deep creases in our skin. The good news is that collagen provides the fundamental substances that help our bodies make more collagen. And the benefits of collagen are well-documented in these two studies:

• This 2014 study, for example, showed that 2.5 grams of collagen a day resulted in a 20% reduction in facial wrinkles from just 8 weeks of collagen supplementation, with the smoothing effects extending even a month or so after supplementation was discontinued.

• Another study found that 1 gram of chicken cartilage daily collagen over 12 weeks led to a 76% reduction in skin dryness and a 13% reduction in wrinkles. Researchers were actually able to see a substantial increase in collagen within the skin dermis that came from the supplementation.

• More good news, 6 months of collagen supplementation even reduces the appearance of cellulite.

However, in order for our bodies to effectively make and use collagen, it’s important to get enough vitamin C in your diet. Vitamin C is considered a cofactor for collagen synthesis and to regenerate collagen in the skin. Collagen also needs the help of vitamins A and E and zinc.

Sure, having smooth skin is great for getting compliments from your friends but it’s not just a superficial benefit. The age of your face is actually considered to be one of the better predictors of your overall health, so the quality of your skin reflects the health of your insides as well.

4. Immune Function

Lately, everyone wants to know how to boost their immune function, and that’s a good thing. Collagen not only helps to reduce inflammation—especially in the gut—which is intricately connected to the immune system, but it also contains amino acids very important to optimal immune function. Glycine, glutamic acid or glutamine, and arginine have been shown to help regulate the inflammatory process and support the immune function.

Glycine as we know is a big part of collagen and has long been considered an amino acid that has strong anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it also helps to modulate the immune system, meaning that it helps the immune function work effectively without overreacting.

Glycine also helps boost the functionality of macrophages (our cells’ scavengers) , which in turn, go after damaging free radicals and inflammatory cytokines.

In addition, some research suggests that collagen protein may play a role in fighting infection. In a recent study, it was found that collagen has a positive effect on the immune system by activating Natural Killer cells and macrophages in the lymphatic system.

Another amino acid in collagen is L-glutamine. L-glutamine is one of the most abundant free amino acids in humans and has been shown to help regulate the immune system function. Immune cells largely depend on glutamine’s availability to defend our body against pathogens. L-glutamine also supports the immune system by activating lymphocytes and macrophages, and regulating the availability of glutathione—one of our key protective antioxidants.

Glutamine has been shown to help reduce the risk of respiratory tract infections in athletes, (and other folks as well) according to this article published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

And then there’s arginine. Arginine is also a necessary amino acid. It serves as a precursor to nitric oxide (NO), a compound that plays an important role in many functions in the body, including immune system activation.

Arginine supports both the innate and adaptive immune systems, and the improves the T-cells’ ability to resist infection. Like glutamine, arginine supplementation may be necessary to maintain adequate levels in the body to support optimal immune function.

5. Gut Health

Our gut health has much to do with almost every other aspect of our health, including brain function, immune function and of course, helping digest and assimilate our food. When the gut is inflamed, due to a poor diet of processed foods, gluten, grains and other inflammatory foods, small holes in the very thin lining of the small intestine can leak undigested food proteins into the bloodstream. This can exacerbate inflammation as well as cause food allergies/sensitivities. This happens frequently in people with celiac disease, IBS and Crohn’s.

These disorders can often become debilitating. These painful conditions cause irritation and inflammation in the gut, leading to painful symptoms and nutrient malabsorption, along with severe nutrient deficiencies. Collagen helps restore and heal the gastrointestinal lining, while glutamine, an amino acid in collagen, reduces inflammation.

6. Brain Health

Collagen has actually been found to have protective benefits for the neurons in the brain. A specific type of collagen, type VI, forms a barrier to help protect the brain against amyloid-beta proteins that are believed to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

Recent studies have also identified collagen’s amazing ability to help repair and regenerate the Central Nervous System (CNS), making it the perfect material for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injuries, and dementia.

7. Athletic Performance

Collagen plays a fundamental role in the musculoskeletal system including cartilage, joints, tendons, ligaments and bones. To ensure maximum mobility, it is vital that high collagen levels are maintained throughout the musculoskeletal system.

A recent clinical study performed in the UK demonstrated that the subjects who were supplemented with collagen experienced 20% less muscle soreness after intense exercise, compared with those who received a placebo dose. The subjects also reported an increase in sports performance, along with accelerated recovery from training. Because collagen is a protein containing high levels of certain amino acids it offers performance and recovery benefits that go far beyond plain protein supplementation. Collagen not only supplements muscle regeneration, it helps to build and maintain strong tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue.

Studies backing the multiple benefits of collagen peptides in supporting connective tissues include:

• Regenerating cartilage and reducing joint inflammation
• Reducing joint discomfort
• Supporting connective tissues
• Preventing injuries, especially repetitive use injuries

There is good evidence that collagen supplementation speeds up healing time for all types of injuries, whether to the brain, the body tissues, the skin or muscle and connective tissue. It is a safe bet that taking extra collagen can also speed up the healing time from any wound or trauma that requires the laying down of new collagen.

What type of collagen should I take?

Collagen is contained in the skin, tendons and cartilage of meat and poultry–or if you are ambitious you can make your own collagen broth from boiling chicken feet or cooking bone marrow.

If you’re like me, it’s easier to just add collagen powder to your morning coffee, smoothies or nighttime tea. Collagen comes flavored or plain, and generally has no taste.

There are 3 different forms of collagen: hydrolyzed collagen, collagen peptides, and collagen hydrolysate. These types make it easier for the body to break down and utilize. Is there a difference? Not really. All are broken down to make it easier to absorb and put it use.

There are actually 16 different types of collagen, but that being said, types I, II, and II make up about 90% of the collagen in the body. Collagen is made of amino acids. When you ingest any type of collagen, it’s broken down in your body to amino acids so your body can use it. Do you need specific kinds of collagen to work properly for the appropriate body functions? No, not really. The body breaks down the collagen into amino acids and the collagen is used wherever it is needed.

Want to start looking AND feeling younger? Start adding some quality collagen into your daily regimen.

References
https://www.bubsnaturals.com/blogs/blog/collagen-benefits
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210150713.htm
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/201902/4-sleep-benefits-glycine
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-collagen-peptides-protein/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15490264/
https://www.vitalproteins.com/blogs/wellness/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

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