A Breath of Fresh Air:
The respiratory benefits of a Mediterranean diet
Posted May 28th, 2007 at 12:22 PM by Jessica Galvano
Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Health & Fitness
As runners, we are often conscious of healthy eating habits. Even if the occasional fast food lunch gets us off track, we remain generally aware of what we put into our bodies. But why then do we concern ourselves with the hamburger and fries we had for lunch? In most cases, we witness the negative consequences of these dietary “slip-ups” in the prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular problems.
However, a recent study suggests that perhaps our diet affects more than just our weight and cholesterol. According to Dr. Varraso, a researcher at Inserm, a French research institute, there is a direct correlation between diet and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD—a condition that inhibits regular respiration and in its later stages, physical activity.
The American Lung Association recognizes COPD as an emerging killer in the United States. The disease, which refers specifically to emphysema and chronic bronchitis, now ranks as the fourth cause of death in America and claims over 120,000 lives each year. Although most commonly the result of smoking, Dr. Varraso’s research identifies diet as an additional contributor to the development of respiratory problems.
With symptoms including shortness of breath and coughing, COPD complicates normal breathing, limits physical exertion, and eventually reduces sufferers to a largely inactive lifestyle.
To observe the effects of diet in relation to the incidence of COPD, Dr. Varraso divided over 42,000 men into groups according to their diets from least to most Westernized. The 12-year study revealed that men whose eating habits coincide with the Western dietary trends rich of fast food, refined grain, and red meat are 4.56 times as likely to develop lung disease as their vegetable, whole grain, and fish eating peers. These foods, which constitute a Mediterranean diet (Also check out the applicable food pyramid at the conclusion of this article), Varraso explains, are the healthiest substitutes for the less healthy foods of the Western diet.
While blame for the harmful effects of Western eating habits often falls predominantly to fast food chains, refined grains, processed meats and snacks are equal culprits. Refined grains including white flour, white bread, and white rice, have little nutritional value when compared to their whole grain alternatives.
Whereas whole grains retain the fiber, iron, and B vitamins necessary for a healthy diet, the extensive processing of refined grains removes most of these essential nutrients. The claim that refined grains are “enriched” is in itself misleading. Although “enriched” seems to imply that manufacturers have refortified refined grains with the fiber, iron, and B vitamins lost during the milling process, only certain vitamins and iron actually reappear in products marketed as “enriched.”
Along with our consumption of refined grains, Varraso’s team acknowledges our choices of meats as potentially damaging to respiratory function. As the main sources of protein in the Western diet, high fat red meats and nitrate filled lunchmeats fall far short of the more positive nutritional attributes of fish. Rich in healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3, fish like salmon and trout are a beneficial protein alternative that could lower the likelihood of developing COPD by as much as fifty percent.
With all of the health advantages to a Mediterranean diet, why not make the switch? If improved health isn’t enough, consider the possibility that better respiratory performance could improve your run. A few simple dietary substitutions could have you on your way to breathing easier, and who knows, maybe even to a faster mile.
Research sources and for more information: [Reuters], [Thorax], [MyPyramid.gov - Grains], [MyPyramid.gov - Fish], [American Lung Association]
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Tags: american lung association, breathing, cardiovascular problems, cholesterol, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, emphysema, fresh air, Mediterranean Diet, Mediterranean diet food pyramid, obesity, respiratory, respiratory benefits, weight
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The Final Sprint
[…] A Breath of Fresh Air: The respiratory benefits of a Mediterranean …… health isn t enough, consider the possibility that better respiratory performance could improve your run. A few simple dietary substitutions could have you on your way to breathing easier, and who knows, maybe even to a faster mile. … […]
May 28th, 2007 at 2:21 pm[…] A Breath of Fresh Air: The respiratory benefits of a Mediterranean …… health isn t enough, consider the possibility that better respiratory performance could improve your run. A few simple dietary substitutions could have you on your way to breathing easier, and who knows, maybe even to a faster mile. … […]
May 28th, 2007 at 9:12 pm