A recent research has found that consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and apples could reduce the natural declining of lung functioning in ex-smokers. Preferably, they should be eaten raw or in salads.
A study made by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially apples and tomatoes could benefit lung functions during old age.
The researchers assessed the lung functioning of 650 adults from Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom in 2002. They conducted a follow-up test after 10 years to find that the ex-smokers who ate diets rich with tomatoes and fruits had around 80 ml slower decline in their lung function when compared to those who had lesser fruit diet.
Vanessa Garcia-Larsen, an assistant professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of International Health and the lead author of the study said, "This study shows that diet might help repair lung damage in people who have stopped smoking. It also suggests that a diet rich in fruits can slow down the lung's natural aging process even if you have never smoked."
The research, which had been originally published in European Respiratory Journal, suggests that certain components in diet could protect people who are at risk of developing respiratory diseases.
The researchers studied two standard lung functions including the Forced Exhaled Volume in one second (FEV 1), which measures how much air a person can expel from their lungs in one second and the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), the total amount of air a person can inhale in six seconds. The factors like age, height, sex, body mass index, socioeconomic status, physical activity and total energy intake were also considered.
It had been found that people who eat more fruits on regular basis have the ability to repair damage caused by smoking. The dietary nutrition has been found as a better way for combating rising risks of heart disease and lung cancer, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) like asthma.
