Protecting your body as Delhi’s air worsens: advice from hormone specialist Tanisha Bawa

Delhi’s air quality has dipped into hazardous territory again, with AQI figures far above safe limits. The heavy, polluted haze is leaving many residents coughing, low on energy and breathing with difficulty. Tanisha Bawa, a specialist in hormones and gut health, warns the impact goes well beyond the lungs, reaching the heart, endocrine system, brain and immune defences.

Bawa notes that fine particulate matter, especially PM2.5, can slip into the bloodstream and spark body-wide inflammation. This kind of unseen harm can show up as persistent tiredness, mood fluctuations and trouble concentrating. As she wrote on Instagram on November 5: you can’t become immune to polluted air, but you can work to strengthen your resilience.

Her practical recommendations are straightforward: favour antioxidant-rich foods, keep hydrated, nurture gut health with fermented items, and use stress-relief techniques. She also urges people to cut down on outdoor exposure when pollution peaks and to turn to indoor air cleaners when available.

Medical professionals have long warned that prolonged exposure to dirty air raises the risk of heart disease, asthma, thyroid disorders, hormonal imbalances and weaker immunity. Residents are advised to use pollution-rated masks, avoid rush-hour travel where possible and maintain a clean, dust-reduced home environment.

Bawa stresses that modest, consistent changes can add up. Regular healthy eating, steady hydration, stress management and a protected indoor space can all help the body stay more resilient against Delhi’s toxic air.