Study: Fish, Fruit, and Dairy Recommended for COPD Patients
A diet rich in fish, fruit, and dairy products may improve lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a recent study.
Researchers from the United States and Europe examined lung function in COPD patients within a 24-hour period of eating bananas, fish, cheese, and grapefruit.
Researchers used data from the Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Endpoints (ECLIPSE) study to determine how COPD progresses and to identify biomarkers. In addition, the 2167 ECLIPSE participant reported the amount of a specific food they consumed during the previous 24 hours.
Researchers noted greater improvement in lung function, less emphysema, improved SGRQ scores, improved 6-minute walk scores, and a decrease in specific inflammatory markers associated with poor lung function (including C-reactive protein and white blood cells) in participants that recently consumed cheese, grapefruit, bananas, and fish.
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“Our findings suggest a role for diet in the prevention of lung disease and overall maintenance of lung function and health,” said Corrine Hanson, PhD, the study’s lead author and assistant professor at the UNMC School of Allied Health Professions.
“The primary limitation was that the measuring instruments only provided limited information regarding nutrient intake, asking only questions about intake of specific foods 24 hours prior to the study visit,” she said.
This study was presented at the American Thoracic Society’s 2014 International Conference in San Diego.
-Michelle Canales
Reference:
University of Nebraska Medical Center. Healthy diet linked with better lung function in COPD patients [press release]. May 28, 2014. www.unmc.edu/news.cfm?match=15192. Accessed June 3, 2014.