It's not exactly a well-kept secret that a lungful of cigarette smoke isn't exactly one of your five a day. In fact, smoking is one of the absolute worst things it is possible to do for your health.
There is seemingly no end to the ways in which cigarettes are detrimental to our health, yet many of us continue to flagrantly puff away regardless.
If you've never laid your lips on a cig then good on you, but for everyone else - quitters and current smokers alike - there's a drink you might want to try that some people claim can help to cleanse the lungs.
The drink contains all natural ingredients and is beneficial for non-smokers, too. However, it's supposedly particularly helpful to those who smoke or have recently given up.
It's packed full of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and anti-carcinogenic compounds which can help to detox the lungs, as well as improving overall health.
Here's what's in it:
Two tablespoons of turmeric
400g of onion
Thumb-sized ginger root
400g maple syrup
One litre of water
And here's how to make it:
Stir the maple syrup into the water and heat it up until it begins to boil before reducing the heat and adding the chopped onions and ginger.
Next, bring it back to the boil before adding the turmeric. Once that's done, you can lower the heat and leave it on the hob until there's only half of the original amount left in the pan.
Now strain the mixture into a glass and leave it to cool.
Once at room temperature, the mixture is ready to be relocated to the fridge. Keep it in there, taking two spoons daily - once in the morning and once in the evening, always at least two hours before meals.
While this remedy may help to clear your lungs a little what it definitely will not do is undo any of the damage smoking causes. If you want real, long-term results and all-round healthier lungs then the best course of action is to stop smoking entirely.
Quitting smoking will improve your breathing and overall health, the tone of your skin, the colour of your teeth and greatly reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill.
Aside from that, you'll save a huge amount of money, too. The average smoker has 13 cigarettes a day, which works out as 364 cigarettes a month. That's £141 a month and £1,696 a year that you could be saving if you stopped smoking cigarettes.
Regardless, this drink is as good a place as any to start.
Featured Image Credit: The Simpsons / FOX