Diet may affect development of chronic lung disease

AORN Journal, Jan, 2006

A diet that includes mostly meat, refined starches, and sodium may increase the likelihood of individuals developing chronic respiratory problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a Nov 15, 2005, news release from the National Institutes of Health. A study found that individuals whose diets are high in meat, refined starches, and sodium are 1.43 times more likely to report new onset of persistent coughs with phlegm than those who consume a diet high in fruit and soy.

Researchers analyzed data on the usual dietary intake of 52,325 men and women of Chinese ethnicity ranging in age from 45 years to 74 years at enrollment whose dietary patterns are reflective of US eating patterns. Participants were asked about the frequency of consumption of 147 food items and 18 beverages during a one-year period. Researchers used these data to analyze dietary patterns of the population rather than simply looking at individual foods or nutrients as is usually done.

Two distinct food patterns emerged in this population: the meat-dim sum pattern and the vegetable-fruit-soy pattern. The meat-dim sum pattern contained 31 food items, predominantly pork, chicken, fish, noodle dishes, and preserved foods, as well as 11 snack items. The vegetable-fruit-soy pattern contained 32 foods, including 23 vegetables, four fruits, and five soy food items. The meat-dim sum pattern was positively associated with new onset of cough with phlegm after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, education, and other factors. No individual food item could account for the increase in risk of cough with phlegm from this dietary pattern.

Similarities exist between these Chinese patterns and two primary US dietary patterns: the Western pattern and the prudent pattern. The Western pattern, characterized by red and processed meats, sweets and desserts, french fries, and refined grains has many similarities to the Chinese meat-dim sum diet, and the prudent pattern, characterized by fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, poultry, and whore grains, resembles the vegetable-fruit-soy diet.

A Meaty, Salty, Starchy Diet May Impact Chronic Lung Disease (news release, Bethesda, Md: National Institutes of Health, Nov 15, 2005) http://www.nih.gov/news /pr/nov2005/niehs-15.htm (accessed 15 Nov 2005).