Dietary Fiber Can Boost Lung Health

Filed in archive Functional Foods , Lung Conditions , Studies , Treatment on December 26, 2007

A new study suggests that increased intake of dietary fiber (from cereal and fruit sources) may be able to boost lung health and could reduce the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD mainly affects smokers, and is the number five cause of death worldwide. It is characterised by chronic inflammation in the small airways of the lung and leads to excessive mucus production, excessive fibrous connective tissue development (fibrosis), and degradation of proteins (proteolysis). There is no cure.

Yet a reported 10 per cent of people who die from COPD are said to have never smoked in their lives, a statistic that suggests that other factors beyond smoking may play a role in the development of the disease.

Findings have been reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology by Haidong Kan from National Institutes of Health and co-workers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"This study provides the first known evidence that dietary fibre is independently associated with better lung function and reduced prevalence of COPD.

Well, good to know..good to know indeed, for we just know that dietary fiber is only good for the heart, cardiovascular health, weight reduction and bowel movement. Great that its intake is good for our lung as well.

Find more details from NutraIngredients.