The lungs are exposed to more pollutants than almost any part of our body. Not only do we see the air we breathe, we now can taste it. Air pollution contains ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and several different hydrocarbons. All of these pollutants significantly increase the amount of free radicals present within the lining of the lung, and these free radicals have been related to the lung damage that leads to emphysema.
Studies have shown in the acute phases of emphysema, that oxidative stress is high.
Antioxidant defense systems of the lung are soon depleted. Vitamin C is one of the most important antioxidants in the lung, since most of this attack takes place in the aqueous fluid within the lung tissue itself. Vitamin C levels along with other antioxidants have been found to be significantly depleted during these acute attacks. Epidemiological studies have shown that low dietary intake of vitamin C significantly increases your risk of developing emphysema. The medical literature has shown us beyond any shadow of a doubt that cigarette smoke is the greatest cause of oxidative stress in the lungs and throughout the body.