Diet quality linked to better lung health

The study, published in ERJ Open Research, found that higher diet quality was associated with better measures of lung function. Among people with COPD, better diet quality was also linked to a slower decline in lung function over time.

Arturo F. Martinez-Rodriguez of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and colleagues analyzed data from adults participating in the Lifelines study to investigate the relationship between diet quality and lung function among people with asthma or COPD.

The researchers used the Lifelines Diet Score (LLDS) to assess participants’ diet quality and measured lung function at the start of the study and during two follow-up periods lasting approximately 10 years. Measurements included forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the FEV1/FVC ratio.

The cross-sectional analysis included 83,460 participants. It showed that higher diet quality was associated with higher FEV1 values and a higher FEV1/FVC ratio among people with asthma or COPD compared with those without either condition.

In the longitudinal analysis, which included 37,752 participants followed over several years, the researchers found that higher diet-quality scores were associated with a slower decline in lung function measures among people with COPD compared with those without the disease.

The researchers said the findings support the possibility that diet may be a modifiable lifestyle factor that contributes to maintaining respiratory health, particularly among people with COPD.

However, the study does not establish that a healthy diet directly improves lung function. Rather, it identifies an association between diet quality and the preservation of lung function, highlighting the need for further research to better understand the nature of this relationship.