Teens’ Poor Diets Hurt Lungs

by Diane Lofshult

Food for Thought:

The scientific body of research is replete with studies that confirm that a diet high in fruits and veggies contributes to optimal respiratory health. But few studies have explored whether the inverse is true: Can a poor diet lead to lung disease?

Researchers reporting in the journal Chest (2007; 132, 238–45) recently explored that very hypothesis in a group of adolescents. The study examined a cohort of 2,112 high-school seniors from 13 different communities in the United States and Canada during the 1998–1999 school year. The investigation focused on the association between low dietary nutrient intakes and pulmonary function/respiratory symptoms in the teens.

Low dietary fruit intake and low intake of omega-3 fatty acids were both associated with higher rates of the symptoms of chronic bronchitis. Low intakes of omega-3 fatty acids also increased wheezing and asthma among the teens. Smokers with lower intakes of vitamin C had higher odds of having respiratory symptoms compared with smokers who got more of the vitamin each day. “Adolescents with the lowest dietary intakes of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory micronutrients had lower pulmonary function and increased respiratory symptoms, especially among smokers, suggesting that adequate dietary intake may promote respiratory health and lessen the effects of oxidative stress,” the researchers concluded.