Upgrade Your Body - Protecting Lungs From Volume Loss | Lungs

Protecting Lungs From Volume Loss

Thursday, 13 March 2008 11:13

Inflammation Causes Decreased Lung Capacity

June 2007 - A group of New Zealand researchers at the University of Otago in Dunedin took measurements of lung capacity and inflammation in 1,000 young adults aged 26 to 32.

They measured inflammation by looking at blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) which is a marker of nflammation. Inflammation is also linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Higher levels of CRP were found in those with smaller lung capacities. The association between higher CRP levels and lower lung function was not related to smoking, lung disease or obesity. The authors said ‘To our knowledge, this is the first report of an inverse association between lung function and CRP in young adults.

The association between poor lung function and cardiovascular disease may be somehow mediated by inflammation. Their next step is to establish whether inflammation leads to reduced lung function, or vice versa.

However other studies have already shown that foods high in antioxidants protect against loss of lung capacity. So again the evidence points to eat healthy to slow your aging.

Statins reduce loss of function, keeping old lungs young

Oct 2007 - Statins which are known to be good for lowering cholesterol now have another reported benefit. They appear to slow decline in lung function, even in those who smoke. According to researchers in Boston, it may be statins’ anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help achieve this effect.

Dr. Joel Schwartz, Ph.D., professor of environmental epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, was the first to examine the relationships between statins and lung function decline.

“The link between lung function and mortality and the reduced levels of lung function in the elderly indicates the importance of a possibility of reducing the rate of decline,” wrote Dr. Schwartz.

To investigate whether statins had an effect of loss of lung function, the researchers used data from the ongoing and longitudinal Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study, which began in 1963. They analyzed 803 people who had had their lung function measured at least twice between January 1995 and June 2005. Both forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured. The study subjects also completed questionnaires on pulmonary disorders, smoking and medication usage.

They found that people taking statins experienced a much slower annual decline in lung function. In FEV1, statin users lost 10.9 ml on average, whereas nonusers lost an average of 23.9 ml each year—more than twice that of the statin group. Similarly, statin users lost an average of 14 ml a year in FVC, whereas nonusers lost an average of 36.2 ml.

This research suggests that statins’ have an ability to reduce inflammation and smoking related injury in the lung, as well as reduce serum levels of C-reactive protein, which relates to systemic inflammation, and to protect against oxidative damage. All this translates to overall protection from loosing lung volume.

Diet and Supplements

Various studies have indicated that diets rich in antioxidants, such as vitamins E and C, selenium, and beta carotene, improve lung function and may provide some protection against lung damage from COPD among smokers. (In one study, such foods were protective only if they were eaten throughout the smoking years.) Foods rich in such antioxidants include dark colored fruits and vegetables (vitamin C and beta carotene), whole grains, nuts (selenium), and vegetable oils and wheat germ (vitamin E).

A French study found that filling your plate with bright, beta carotene-rich foods can help fight normal slips in lung performance. Beta carotene is the antioxidant compound that gives mangos, carrots, peppers, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, apricots, and many other fruits and veggies their brilliant red, yellow, and orange hues. Over this 8-year study, people who had the highest blood levels of beta carotene lost the least lung function. Beta carotene is a major scavenger of certain types of free radicals that are particularly harmful to the lungs. So basically ant bright red/yellow/orange foods, from salsa to squashes, can help keep your lungs young. The same study concluded that Beta carotene and vitamin E are protective even in heavy smokers.

However we should mention that one study found lung protection from diets rich in vitamin C, but other antioxidants, including vitamins E, A, and beta carotene, had no effect.

Many COPD patients are deficient in protein. Although most healthy diets emphasize proteins from fish, poultry, and lean meat, people with COPD may benefit from foods with a higher fat content than average. (People should still prefer healthy fats, however, such as those found in olive oil and oily fish.) Some evidence suggests that high-carbohydrate meals may reduce exercise capacity.

Since we know that antioxidants protect from lung capacity loss, wheatgrass would be great for protecting lung function. Wheatgrass juice cleanses the lymph system, building the blood, restoring balance in the body, removing toxic metals from the cells, nourishing the lungs and restoring vitality. One ounce of wheatgrass juice has the vitamin and mineral equivalent of 1kg (2.2 pounds) of fresh vegetables. The deep green juice is abundant with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, chlorophyll and vital life energy. It contains most of the vitamins and minerals needed for human maintenance, including the elusive B12. Many of the benefits of wheatgrass juice stem from the fact that it's a living food, which is a complete protein with about 30 enzymes and is approximately 70% crude chlorophyll. It is intensely concentrated and benefits are seen with as little as one ounce a day.

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