Mediterranean diet found to halve the risk for lung disease

May 15 2007

French researchers say eating a Mediterranean diet halves the risk of serious lung disease such as emphysema and bronchitis.

Diseases like emphysema and bronchitis come under the term 'chronic obstructive pulmonary disease' (COPD) and are expected to become the world's third leading cause of death by 2020.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fish and contains anti-oxidants, which reduce the risk of tissue inflammation.

By comparison, a typical Western diet includes higher levels of processed foods, refined sugars, cured and red meats.

The researchers from the research institute Inserm, in Villejuif, France, collected data on almost 43,000 men who took part in the U.S. Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which started in 1986.

The study found that a Mediterranean diet was linked to a 50% lower risk of developing COPD than the Western diet, even after taking factors such as smoking and age into account.

Every two years, the men were questioned about their lifestyle, including smoking and exercise, diet and medical history, while detailed diet information was gathered every four years.

The men's diets were classified as either eating a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fish (Mediterranean diet), or a diet rich in processed foods, refined sugars, and cured and red meats (Western diet).

The team found there were 111 cases of COPD diagnosed in the study group between 1986 and 1998 and men who ate a predominantly Western diet were found to be more than four times as likely to develop COPD.

While smoking remains the primary cause of COPD, lead researcher Dr. Raphaelle Varraso says a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish may help to reduce the risk of COPD.

The study showed that the higher the compliance with a Mediterranean diet, the lower the risk of developing COPD over the 12-year period.

Varraso says if healthy food can cut the odds for COPD, unhealthy eating could do the opposite, therefore in both smokers and ex-smokers, a diet rich in refined grains, cured and red meats, desserts and French fries may increase the risk of COPD.

Recent research has linked a Mediterranean diet to a reduced risk both for asthma and respiratory allergies in children and the development Alzheimer's in later life.