Healthy Diet with Whole Grains Protects Against COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a type of lung disease, is commonly associated with smoking, even though up to one third of COPD patients have never smoked. In order to determine how other lifestyle factors may influence the risk of COPD, researchers analyzed over a decade of eating habits and new COPD cases from over 73,000 adult nurses in the US. The scientists concluded that diets high in whole grains, nuts, heart-healthy fats (polyunsaturated and omega-3), and low in red meat and sugar-sweetened drinks were associated with a significantly lower risk of COPD. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that whole grains are a vital component of an overall healthy diet.
British Medical Journal. 2015 Feb 3;350:h286. (Varraso R et al.)