What is haze?
Haze, a combination of fog and haze, is common in cities. In many areas of China, fog is incorporated into haze as a catastrophic weather phenomenon for early warning and forecasting, collectively referred to as “haze weather”. Haze is the result of the interaction between specific climatic conditions and human activities. The economic and social activities of a high-density population inevitably result in the emission of large amounts of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5, PM is Particulate Matter, PM2.5 refers to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 microns).
Its formation is due to a variety of reasons, including higher humidity, the atmosphere is in a state of static stability is not conducive to the diffusion of suspended particles in the atmosphere dilution, the vertical direction of the inverse temperature, the air suspended particles difficult to drift to high altitude and organized at low altitude and near the ground, as well as to have cooling conditions, so the winter is more likely to haze weather.
Haze in the lung particle pollutants, enriched with a large number of toxic and harmful substances, and the long residence time in the atmosphere, transport distance, seriously affect human health and the quality of the atmospheric environment. Once the emissions exceed the capacity of the atmospheric circulation and carrying degree, the concentration of fine particles will continue to accumulate, at this time, if affected by static weather and other effects, it is very easy to appear a wide range of haze. Now the haze is actually carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, etc. If the haze is mixed with harmful substances, it will cause direct health hazards, including damage to the nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and endocrine system.
What is the danger of haze to children’s health?
PM2.5 and PM10 are linearly correlated with the respiratory disease rate of children. Children’s respiratory tract is less resistant to immunity compared to adults, and once the harmful toxic substances contained in the haze are inhaled by children, it will stimulate their respiratory mucosa and cause various diseases of the respiratory system; in addition, along with the warm weather this winter, various bacteria and viruses are unusually active, and along with the respirable airborne particles entering the lungs, it will also induce some related diseases, mainly respiratory tract infections and Allergic diseases.
Hazy weather is extremely harmful to the human body and can trigger respiratory diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis, etc., and also cardiovascular diseases. Some environmental experts have analyzed that haze is likely to cause lung cancer. It has also been reported that because the fine particles in the haze have oxygen radical activity, they can cause damage to cells by excessive oxidation. At the same time, some metal particles in the haze can also prompt cells to produce free radicals, thus causing cell damage.
Second, the haze affects the content of vitamin D, increasing the likelihood of rickets. Vitamin D has an important role in the healthy growth of children. It promotes the absorption of calcium, and a lack of vitamin D may lead to rickets; vitamin D also facilitates the maturation of children’s immune systems. The sun is a major way for children to get vitamin D, which helps convert substances in the skin into active vitamin D. Hazy weather shades out the sun, and children are not exposed to sunlight at all, which can affect the normal level of vitamin D in the body.
Third, haze can make children tired and weak. Hazy weather can affect the level of hormones in children’s bodies. When the secretion of certain hormones that can keep them alive is reduced, parents may feel that their children are very tired, weak, inactive, and even have a poor appetite.
What should we do to protect children?
First of all, we should pay attention to the forecast of haze and decide when to go out and whether to play outdoor sports according to the forecast of the location and degree of haze;
Secondly, wearing a mask is a proven method to fight against haze, for example, N95 and N99 masks have a better effect on haze, while ordinary medical masks tend to leak a little, but they are a little better than not using a mask;
Once again, you need to wash your face and rinse your mouth after exposure to haze, because haze can also be harmful to the skin;
How to arrange the haze weather diet?
1, supplement calcium and vitamin D: haze weather, exposure to sunlight time is reduced, need to supplement some vitamin D. Suggest eating more fish, especially sea fish, such as salmon, tuna, etc.. Eat more tofu, milk, yellowtail (and other sea fish), animal liver, egg yolk, lean meat, cheese and nuts, which are rich in vitamin D and are good for calcium supplementation.
2, increase the food rich in beta-carotene and antioxidant: such as pumpkin, fungus, yams, carrots, cantaloupe, oranges, oranges these foods can be converted to vitamin A in the body, not only can play antioxidant, but more importantly, the physiological effects of vitamin A, maintenance of epithelial tissue cells. It can form a protective film in our respiratory tract that effectively prevents the invasion of external pollutants.
Foods that contain more vitamin A, cod liver oil, liver, fresh lettuce, cabbage, green peas, tomatoes, celery, carrots, eggs, milk, etc. Carrots, purple kale, blueberries, purple potatoes, grapes, grapefruit, broccoli, and green tea are rich in antioxidant components. More consumption can enhance the body’s immune function and resistance.
3, light diet and drink more water: foggy day diet should choose light and easy to digest and vitamin-rich food, drink more water, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, which can not only replenish a variety of vitamins and inorganic salts, but also play a role in moistening the lungs and dryness, expectorant and cough, spleen and kidney.
4, try to light diet, do not eat onions, garlic, chili and other stimulating food. Can eat more food rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, in order to facilitate the body to discharge dust particles, such as lemons, oranges, kiwi, peppers, cabbage, potatoes, milk, eggs, spinach, etc.. You can eat a little more tofu, milk and fish, etc. Because protein has the effect of improving resistance. Eat less stimulating food, eat more pears, loquats, oranges, tangerines and other foods to clear lungs and resolve phlegm. Snow pear lily stew can achieve the effect of lung moistening and anti-virus, foggy days can eat more.
Recommended recipes for foggy days.
1, tofu yellow croaker.
Eat more tofu, milk, yellow croaker (and other sea fish), the
animal liver, egg yolk, lean meat, cheese, nuts, these foods
These foods are rich in vitamin D, which is beneficial to calcium.
Ingredients: yellow croaker 500g, marinated tofu box, bean paste, onion, ginger and garlic
Method: Wash the fish, absorb the water, and pat with raw flour (so that the fish will not peel off when frying). Fry in a pan until golden brown on both sides, set aside. Put a little oil in the pot, add ginger, garlic and chili pepper to make fragrant, add 2 spoons of bean paste to make fragrant, add fish and tofu, add salt and a little water, cook on medium heat until the soup is dried up.
2.Snow pear stew with lilies.
Haze days have the greatest impact on the respiratory system, easily causing acute upper respiratory tract infections, pneumonia and other diseases. At this time, should eat more lung food, snow pear stew lily is a lung anti-virus meal.
Ingredients: snow pear 1, lily, rock sugar a number of.
Practice: wash the snow pear, with skin cut into small pieces, lily clean. Put the snow pear block, lily and water into the pot on high heat, then cover the pot, show a small slit, adjust to low heat and cook for 20 minutes, add a little rock sugar, and then cook for 2 minutes on OK.
3, papaya and silver fungus lotus seed soup.
On a foggy day, eat more food that strengthens the spleen and replenishes the qi, which can enhance resistance. Silver fungus and lotus seeds both have the effect of nourishing the spleen and appetite, in addition to silver fungus can also enhance the immune system.
Ingredients: silver fungus, lotus seeds, papaya, rock sugar, wolfberry.
Directions: Soak the silver fungus and lotus seeds, peel the papaya and cut it into small pieces: put the silver fungus and lotus seeds into a soup pot, add water, boil it on high heat, pour in the papaya and rock sugar and then boil it, turn to low heat and cook for about 20 minutes, add wolfberries and cook for 10 minutes.