Diets Helping To Repair Lungs In Ex-Smokers

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has conducted a study investigating the natural decline of lung function over a span of a 10 year period showing it was decreased in former smokers who consumed a diet that was high in tomatoes and fruits, namely apples. The findings suggest that certain components contained in these foods may help to restore lung damage that had been caused by smoking. Results of the study can be found published in European Respiratory Journal. Poor lung function has been associated with increased mortality risks from all diseases, including heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The researchers found that the individuals who consumed on average 2 or more tomatoes or more than 3 portions of fresh fruits daily had a slower decline in lung function as compared to those who consumed less. Participants were questioned about their dietary sources such as frozen meals and processed foods containing vegetables and fruits, with the protective effect only being observed in fresh vegetables and fruits. The study also showed among all adults there was a slower decline in lung function, which included individuals who did not stop smoking with the highest amounts of tomato consumption.

To conduct this study more than 650 adults were assessed by the team by completing questionnaires on their diet, overall nutritional intake, and lung function, who all repeated lung function tests 10 years later. Participants also underwent spirometry testing, which is a procedure that measures the capacity of the lungs to take in oxygen in each individual.

The participants underwent spirometry test which collects 2 standard measurements of lung function. Forced Exhaled Volume in 1 second, that measures how much air is expelled from the lungs in 1 second (FEV1). And Forced Vital Capacity, that measures the total amount of air inhaled in 6 seconds (FVC). The study controlled for factors including height, age, body mass, sex, physical activity, energy intake, and socio-economic status.

Among former smokers the connection between diet lung function was even more evident. Former smokers who consumed diets high in fresh fruits and tomatoes were found to have around 80 ml slower decline over the 10 year period, suggesting that the nutrients in their consumed diets were helping to repair the damage that had been done to their lungs by smoking.

At around 30 years of age lung function starts to decline at variable speeds which are dependant upon the general and specific health of the individual. The results of this study suggest that the consumption of more fruits on a daily basis can help to attenuate the decline in the lungs as individuals age and assist in the repair caused in the lungs by smoking. Diet may become a way of combating the rising diagnosis of COPD globally says Garcia-Larsen.