When it comes to aging, few things are more important than lung capacity.

Lungs are critical for supplying your cells with sufficient oxygen to power everyday physical activities and bodily functions…remove harmful, cell-eroding carbon dioxide…and help your body build up necessary reserves for times of mental stress, physical exertion, infections, and other environmental assaults.

When the capacity of your lungs diminishes with age, your body becomes more susceptible to pneumonia, asthma, COPD, cancer, and other chronic lung diseases.

Unfortunately, few people think about the significance of robust lung capacity in preventing—even reconciling—lung diseases.

In fact, despite lung diseases killing more people than any other disease worldwide and death rates rising in recent decades—to the tune of 4 million every year—the Forum on International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) warned in 2012 that most people are generally uninformed about lung disease.

Yet it’s not just dying from lung disease, it’s living with lung diseases that’s concerning.

Joint estimates by the American Lung Association and the U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) show American adults struggle every day with the debilitating effects of asthma (over 21 million), COPD (more than 15 million), and other lung diseases. And another 200,000+ new cases of lung cancer are reported each year as well.

With dozens of lung diseases affecting seniors, there are simple ways to boost lung health so you can prevent these in the first place.

It starts with getting plenty of the right nutrients, like carotenes.

Carotenes are the precursors to vitamin A, an essential nutrient needed for growth and development, cell recognition, vision, and reproduction. They belong to a group of antioxidant substances called carotenoids, which give vegetables and fruits their red, yellow, and orange coloring.

Beta carotene—converted into vitamin A as needed by the body—is the most important carotenoid for getting adequate vitamin A because it yields more vitamin A than other carotenes. It’s also a powerful antioxidant and immune booster which helps the body reduce the inflammatory action of free radicals that causes cells to age prematurely, including the cells of your lungs.

In fact, this study shows how beta carotene slows decline in lung power associated with aging.

Additionally, a 1984 study conducted by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that humans and other mammals with the highest levels of beta-carotene had the longest life span.In other words, the more beta carotene you consume, the longer you’re lungs are likely to last!

Of course, one of the best natural ways to get sufficient beta-carotene for boosting lung capacity—even “rescuing” aging lungs—is to eat plenty of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits, like dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, and Romaine lettuce) or brightly-colored vegetables (carrots, pumpkins, and red peppers) and fruits (cantaloupe, apricots, and cherries).

But be warned. A recent report by the CDC concludes barely 13% of American adults eat enough fruits and less than 9% eat enough vegetables.

So for most Americans, a more practical way to boost lung capacity with carotenes is by taking a high-quality supplement. Just be sure to get one that contains at least 15,000 IU of mixed carotenoids for maximum antioxidant coverage and effectiveness