Managing COPD Symptoms through Dietary Choices

9. Fill Your Diet with Fatty Fish

Many people with COPD have a protein deficiency that can lead to muscle loss, which leaves them with an increased need for lean proteins and healthy fats that provide energy and help maintain muscle integrity. Sardines, salmon, mackerel, and tuna are delicious options. Seafood is also the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids, another nutrient of special benefit to those with COPD. University of Rochester researchers discovered that after consumption, omega-3s break down into compounds that switch off pro-inflammatory signals and promote the death of inflammatory cells in lung tissue following cigarette smoking. (Though promising, these findings were in laboratory and animal models.) Many studies note that higher consumption of these polyunsaturated fats correlates to improved lung function.