Today, I am delighted to connect with my physician colleague, Dr. Vivek Lal. He is a physician-scientist, a double board-certified physician, an innovator, and an entrepreneur. He is also the Director of Clinical Innovation at the Marnix Heersink Institute of Biomedical Innovation and Professor and Director of the Pulmonary Microbiome Lab at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In today's conversation, we dive into the lung microbiome, examining the anatomy and physiology of the lungs, gas exchange, and why air is medicine. We discuss the realities of lung function, looking at the lung microbiome, dysbiosis, the concept of leaky lung, and the gut-lung relationship, and explore how lifestyle, exercise, and nutrition impact lung health and how sleep deprivation and stress can lead to lung infections and inflammation. We also get into specific diagnoses related to lung health, the effects of environmental toxins, and the latest cutting-edge research on probiotics that may benefit lung health, and touch on the consequences of long-term steroid use for chronic conditions and how menopause impacts the lung microbiome. I know you will love this invaluable conversation with Dr. Vivek Lal. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: Dr. Lal explains the anatomy and physiology of the lungs Why Dr. Lal believes air is medicine How the lung microbiome compares with the gut microbiome  How the concept of real lung function can prevent secondary health issues  How lifestyle factors influence lung health How the gut-lung axis affects lung health How ResB Lung Support, the world's first respiratory probiotic, was developed  The benefits of using the ResB Lung Support probiotic  How probiotics can reduce the side effects of long-term steroid use Bio: Dr. Vivek Lal Dr. C. Vivek Lal, MD, is a physician-scientist, innovator, and entrepreneur. He is the Director of Clinical Innovation at the Marnix Heersink Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Professor, and the Director of the Pulmonary Microbiome Lab at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Lal is the founder of Alveolus Bio, Inc., a biotech platform company that does FDA-approved pulmonary drug development. He is also the founder and CEO of ResBiotic Nutrition, Inc., a company that makes science-backed wellness supplements, and Urgent Care for Children, a Southeast US-based urgent care chain headquartered in AL. Connect with Cynthia Thurlow          Follow on Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Check out Cynthia’s website Submit your questions to [email protected] Connect with Dr. Vivek Lal On the ResBiotic website Email Dr. Lal: [email protected]