Diet rich in tomatoes and apples help to heal lung damage

A new study is suggesting it’s time for a little “breathing room” to eat more tomatoes and apples each day for optimal lung health.  The decades-long research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found the natural decline in lung function was slower among former smokers with a diet high in tomatoes and fruits, especially apples, suggesting certain components in these foods might help restore lung damage caused by smoking.

The study analyzed more than 650 British and European adults who on average ate more than two tomatoes or more than three portions of fresh fruit a day had a slower decline in lung function compared to those who ate less than one tomato or less than one portion of fruit a day, respectively.  It appeared that the protective effect was only observed in fresh fruit and vegetables as opposed to processed foods containing fruits and vegetables.

The most striking finding was that the link between diet and slower reductions in lung function was stronger among former smokers.  This suggests that nutrients, particularly antioxidants, in tomatoes and apples may help repair and restore ventilatory lung function in adults due to damage caused by either smoking or having been exposed to secondhand smoke. 

Another interesting finding was that ex-smokers are not the only individuals to benefit from eating a diet with more tomatoes and apples.  The researchers stated that anyone, regardless of a history of smoking or not, who ate a diet rich in fruits could slow down the lung’s natural aging process.

“Lung function starts to decline at around age 30 at variable speed depending on the general and specific health of individuals,” explained Vanessa Garcia-Larsen, assistant professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health and the study’s lead author.  “Our study suggests that eating more fruits on a regular basis can help attenuate the decline as people age, and might even help repair damage caused by smoking.  Diet could become one way of combating rising diagnosis of COPD around the world.” 

This study is showing once again, how a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, has important health benefits for everyone.  Even though the study suggests the possibility of how consuming more fruits and vegetables could be beneficial for those at risk of developing respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it should only be seen as a helpful partner to medication and not a substitute.