When you think of nutrients, you think they can be obtained only from your diet. However, researchers have found strong evidence that we can also absorb some nutrients from the air. In a new research published in Advances in Nutrition, scientists said that fresh air is an overlooked source of nutrients. 

What are aeronutrients?

Researchers call these inhaled nutrients 'aeronutrients' - to differentiate them from the 'gastronutrients' that are absorbed by the gut - and propose that breathing in the fresh air can supplement your diet with essential nutrients. These include iodine, zinc, manganese, and some vitamins.

According to the researchers, to date, much of the research around the health effects of air has been centred on air pollution, even though for millennia, different cultures have valued nature and fresh air as helpful. The focus is on filtering out what’s bad rather than what could be beneficial. Until now.

The researchers' concept of aeronutrients shows that these views are underpinned by science. Oxygen, for example, is technically a nutrient — a chemical substance required by the body to sustain basic functions, they say. Because we breathe it rather than eat it, we just don’t tend to refer to it that way.

How do aeronutrients work?

These nutrients enter our body by being absorbed through networks of tiny blood vessels in the nose, lungs, olfactory epithelium (the area where the smell is detected), and the oropharynx (the back of the throat). Once they enter the bloodstream, the liver metabolises and detoxifies them.

What next?

There are still many unknowns. To date, research has predominantly focused on toxins, particulate matter, and allergens like pollen. For starters, we need to find out what air components are beneficial for health in natural settings like green spaces, forests, the ocean, and the mountains.

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