Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for a bunch of lung diseases, like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, that block airflow and make breathing harder. COPD can't be reversed; the lung damage is permanent, but research shows that symptoms can be managed by reducing the inflammation that drives it.
What happens when lungs are inflamed?
When the lungs are under attack, sometimes from years of exposure to cigarette smoke or irritants like pollution, your immune system floods your airways with inflammatory cells as a protective mechanism. These include neutrophils, macrophages, eosinophils, and T cells, with the exact mix differing from person to person. This is one of the reasons why COPD is hard to treat with a one-size-fits-all approach.
Steroids are often used as a solution for inflamed lungs, but in high doses (especially oral, rather than inhaled), they cause side effects, so scientists are developing more precise ways to calm airway inflammation.
Zestt is not a drug company, and we don’t develop medicines. What we do develop are natural solutions for reducing inflammation to support lung health. What the latest scientific research shows is that:
- Calming inflammation is the right target. This isn't whacky thinking; it's the central goal of leading pulmonology research.
- There's room for well-tolerated support. The heavy-hitting drugs often have limits and side effects. In our view, gentle, plant-derived compounds that help reduce inflammation are worth taking seriously.
- Macrophages and the immune response are where the action is. That's exactly where our New Zealand blackcurrant anthocyanins, quercetin and zinc do their work by helping to dial down excess inflammatory signalling and supporting a more balanced immune response.
Care around claims
I'm not going to tell you Zestt Breathe+ does what a targeted kinase inhibitor is designed to do. That would be an overreach.
What I will say is that reducing inflammation is the goal for us, as well as the drug companies. When we do this in a gentle way, we know we are headed in the right direction.
Some people ask me, "Can Zestt Breathe+ become a prescription drug?” My answer is not a “no,” but it’s a “never say never” response. The reality is that it’s a long, expensive track made more difficult when you are dealing with natural plant extracts, which are variable, compared with synthetically produced compounds.
When we think about the future of where we want to go with Zestt Breathe+, addressing affordability, without compromising efficacy or quality, is our key challenge. In my humble opinion, Zestt Breathe+ is a better product than many over-the-counter products for immunity, coughing and lung health, so it’s our job to work out the access and affordability part.
In the meantime, thanks for buying Zestt products and supporting Nature First Therapies. As a small and growing New Zealand company, operating in a challenging climate, we value every customer (genuinely).