Living with COPD can mean making drastic lifestyle changes, but one aspect of daily life that is often underestimated is diet. While the main concerns discussed by healthcare professionals are surrounding tobacco exposure, diet can also be a key part of managing flare ups. 

The subject of diet and COPD symptoms is a bit of a road untraveled, due to lack of concrete research on its impact in the grand scheme of chronic respiratory management, but one thing is clear - diet affects your breathing.

Let’s review the do’s and don’t of a COPD-friendly diet, and how you can implement easy, healthy habits into your lifestyle:

How Nutrition Affects COPD

Outpatient Clinical Dietitian Marilyn Mills from Elliot Center for Advanced Nutrition Therapy has seen firsthand that nutritional deficit is common among those with restrictive lung disease.

“Not eating enough protein and calories especially in cases of COPD—can quietly lead to muscle loss, including loss of the breathing muscles themselves,” Mills explains. “In a flare-up, small protein and fat packed meals with less sodium or supplemental high protein beverages can offer nutrition that require less exertion to chew and swallow.” 

Marilyn also discussed the convenience in highly processed foods, which are missing key vitamins and minerals. According to a study found in the article, Role of Diet in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Prevention and Treatment by PubMed, deficiencies in minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and zinc were found among COPD patients.

“Some minerals have been studied in relation to lung function and COPD risk and symptoms. A case-control study in Japanese adults found a positive association between intake of calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, and selenium and lung function measures, the PubMed article explains. “Magnesium may play a beneficial role in respiratory function and COPD, through its protective effects against inflammation and bronchoconstriction.”

The role of antioxidants and inflammatory foods, however, have shown to greatly improve COPD symptoms. “Two recent large population-based prospective studies in Swedish men and women confirmed the inverse and independent association between high long-term consumption of fruits and vegetables (only in men) and incidence of COPD (35% lower risk in men; 37% lower risk in women).”

Fiber also plays a key role in a COPD- friendly diet. “Wholegrains are rich in phenolic acids, flavonoids, phytic acid, vitamin E, selenium, and essential fatty acids, " the article continues. "Indeed, higher dietary intake of total fiber reduced by about 40% the risk of COPD in large prospective studies.” 

Tips To Improve Your Diet

The term “balanced diet” can be an elusive term drowning in a sea of wellness media, so it’ s important to identify what works best for your body. Here are some tips to help you create a diet plan that works best for your individual chronic respiratory symptoms:

Don’t stress over counting your macros

Marilyn’s experience with her pulmonary rehab audience suggest that most patients don't understand their caloric intake, sharing “I usually ask my pulmonary audience this question: Did you know that eating refined carbs can increase carbon dioxide production during metabolism, which may worsen breathing discomfort in COPD patients?’ Then I hold out a plate and ask them to identify the foods containing carbs.” 

“Most people don’t recognize fruit juice and apple pie as carbohydrates,” she adds.

So should you track your calories? Marilyn thinks counting macros is too confusing and time consuming. She recommends the plate method, explaining “I prefer them to spend energy on shopping and creating simple nutritious meals. Get 4 things on your plate: something ‘strong,’ something bright, and something ‘whole’ (whole grain), and a heart healthy fat or oil.”

Foods and beverages to stay away from

If you aren’t ready to revamp your entire diet, start with removing the harmful stuff! Marilyn suggests the following are likely culprits of your next flare up:

• Carbonated beverages (too gassy and increasing bloat or symptoms of reflux) 
• Sugary beverages, even if they are non-carbonated (could increase the CO2 production), 
• Ice cream (milk can sometimes increase thickness of mucus and make it difficult to cough)
• Fried foods (can increase inflammation of the breathing tubes). 

Eat small meals

Healthline article COPD Diet: 5 Diet Tips for People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease says that eating six smaller meals instead of three larger ones could help  “avoid filling up your stomach too much and give your lungs enough room to expand, making breathing easier.”

Stay Hydrated

Make sure you’re having enough water throughout the day. “Around six to eight 8-ounce glasses of noncaffeinated beverages are recommended per day. Adequate hydration keeps mucus thin and makes it easier to cough up,” Healthline shares.

COPD-Friendly Diets Vary

While research suggests that having enough minerals, antioxidants, and fibers significantly assists those managing COPD, adequate diet plans should be individualized, as symptoms, comordities, and pre-existing conditions vary from person to person.

For more information on how to identify a diet plan that works best for you, locate your closest pulmonary rehab center, and request the help of a dietician.