Fuel your life with the purest vitamins
Nov 3rd 2025
Protection from Wildfire Air Pollution
It was an apocalyptic experience to wake up on the morning of September 9th in San Francisco, California, to a darkened sky with an eerie orange glow. And it became stranger still when by mid-afternoon the sky hadn’t changed, as if the day had never begun.
This was a San Franciscan’s eye view of the effects of the worst fire season the West Coast has experienced ever. The air was darkened for two days by a blanket of smoke that stretched all along the coast and more than 1,000 miles west over the Pacific Ocean as wildfires raged from Washington down to Southern California.
Even those who haven’t been in the direct path of the fires leading to loss of property and life have experienced some of the worst air pollution in the world, comparable, according to a study done in Berkeley, to smoking 25 cigarettes a day.
And it didn’t help to know that the consequent lung irritation and inflammation made us more prone to lung infections, like COVID-19.
What can those of us who live on the West Coast, or anyone dealing with air pollution, do to protect ourselves?
The first thing is investing in a good air purifier, or several depending on the size of your home. They’ve made a huge difference for people here who could create an oasis of clean air in their homes. Beyond Health used to sell, and we still recommend, the Austin Air Purifiers. Raymond Francis spent years researching air purifiers and concluded Austin made the best. He considered an air purifier a household necessity no matter where you live. (See his article on Air Pollution.)
Another thing you can do is increase your consumption of antioxidants, especially vitamin E. Much of the damage done by air pollutants like smoke, smog, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide, is free radical damage. As the body’s most powerful fat-soluble antioxidant, vitamin E protects your lungs from the irritation and inflammation caused by free radical assaults. Studies have shown that higher vitamin E consumption reduces risk of lung diseases like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and pneumonia.
The more stressors (like air pollution, illness, emotional stress, etc.) you’re experiencing, the more free radicals are produced in your body and the more antioxidants you need to decrease their damaging effects. Beyond Health recommends 200 IU of natural vitamin E daily from our multi at minimum, plus 400-800 IU (1-2 capsules) of mixed tocopherols and 125-250 mg. (1-2 capsules) of tocotrienols for comprehensive vitamin E protection.
But antioxidants work synergistically and regenerate each other, so getting an array of different antioxidants is best. These include vitamins A, C, D and K, and minerals like zinc, selenium and manganese. Fruits and vegetables supply antioxidants, especially if they’re grown organically; and green tea, white tea and oolong tea offer an enjoyable and potent way to get antioxidants (ours have been chosen especially for their high antioxidant content).
Last, although it may be becoming harder and harder, try to eliminate stress where you can and find ways to bring pleasure, relaxation, love and fun into our life. Namaste!
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