Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among both current and ex-smokers, according to a study published in Thorax.
Researchers examined a prospective cohort of 44,335 Swedish men, aged 45 years to 79 years, with no history of COPD at baseline. They determined fruit and vegetable consumption with a patient-administered questionnaire.
During a mean follow-up of 13.2 years, researchers identified 1,918 incident cases of COPD. While total fruit and vegetable consumption reduced COPD incidence in current and ex-smokers, it did not affect those who had never smoked.
An increase of one serving per day in total fruit and vegetable consumption decreased risk of COPD by 8 percent in current smokers and by 4 percent in ex-smokers, the study shows.