HSI’s 13 Most Surprising Cures • 139Breathing isn’t optional, so this ingredient
keeps the air moving
NAC (n-acetyl cysteine) gets down and dirty, helping make sure your
sinusitis doesn’t turn into a full-blown bronchial infection. This amino acid
offers solid support for your lower respiratory system, keeping your lungs from
getting overrun with thick mucous.
Not to get too gross, but NAC helps to liquefy thick mucous. So instead
of clogging your sinus cavities, your nose, and your lungs, the mucous is thin
enough for you to easily expel it.
And NAC doesn’t stop there. It also suppresses harmful bacteria that lurks
in your bronchial tract, so they can’t develop into more serious infections.
But it also works wonders for that clogged nose, especially symptoms
brought on by allergies.
This natural antihistamine
keeps your sinuses clear
Weakened sinuses can lead to weakened lungs—unless you have quercetin
on your side.
It starts out like an antihistamine (again, without harmful side effects),
working even for the most desperate hay fever sufferers.^7 Quercetin does this
by stabilizing the membranes of special cells called mast cells, and that keeps
them from overreacting when faced with allergens. That’s critical, because
when those mast cells do react, they release the histamines that cause your
sinus symptoms. So quercetin starts by stopping one cause of the problem.
Studies also show that quercetin can clear sinus symptoms—even if you
suffer from chronic sinusitis—partly because of its powerful anti-inflammato-
ry properties.^8 Quercetin also lessens inflammation related to asthma, making
it much easier to breathe.
Three healing ingredients
complete the formula
Ivy leaf adds support for your lower respiratory system, helping your body
avoid secondary lung issues, and defending your lungs and bronchial passages
from irritation. Ivy is particularly effective against allergy-induced asthma,
which can come on after a bad bout of sinusitis.
Vitamin C helps clear up virtually anything that ails you, and sinus issues
are no different. Specifically, vitamin C appears to reduce airway spasms that
come with asthma.^9 It can also ease and help prevent allergic rhinitis (the