What Helps COPD

Vitamin C is an essential, water-soluble vitamin best-sourced in fruits (orange, grapefruit, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe) and vegetables (red pepper, green pepper, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower).  A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C plays a key role in immune function, protein metabolism, and collagen production.

Dietary antioxidants are responsible for lung defense, Vitamin C may help COPD due to its antioxidant properties.

Turmeric is made from the dried rhizomes of the Curcuma longa plant, belonging to the ginger family. Native to South Asia, Turmeric has a long history in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. The key component is the organic polyphenol, curcumin, which is responsible for giving the plant its yellow color. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have been used in the treatment of arthritis, digestive disorders, respiratory and metabolic issues.  

Turmeric, specifically its key component curcumin, may help COPD through promoting the cleansing of dysfunctional cells.

American Ginseng or Panax quinquefolius is a herbaceous perennial and member of the ivy, Araliaceae, family. A traditional and widely-used Native American medicine, Ginseng is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Found primarily in the Appalachian and Ozark regions, as well as eastern Canada, the herb was discovered by a Jesuit priest in the 1700s and imported to China.

American Ginseng specifically its compounds, ginsenosides, have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects and may help COPD by inhibiting development of the disease.

N-acetylcysteine, also known as NAC, is the supplement form of the non-essential amino acid L-cysteine. In its natural form, cysteine is found in foods including meat (pork, beef), poultry (chicken, eggs), fish (tuna), dairy (yogurt, swiss cheese) and seeds (sunflower). Cysteine is a component of the powerful antioxidant, glutathione, and is used for its liver-protective properties and immune function support, as well as, in the treatment of an acetaminophen overdose.

Oxidative stress is a main factor of COPD, N-Acetyl Cysteine may help due to its antioxidant and mucus-clearing properties, specifically as an adjunct therapy.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin found in foods including fish (salmon, trout, sardines) and mushrooms (morel, chanterelle, oyster, shiitake), but more substantially from sun exposure, as the sun’s ultraviolet rays trigger synthesis. 

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of COPD; therefore, supplementation may help restore required levels.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant produced naturally by the body, but levels generally decrease with age. CoQ10 is present in many foods including vegetables (spinach, cauliflower, broccoli), fish (trout, mackerel) and organ meat (heart, liver, kidney). It plays an important role in cellular growth and maintenance.

Research has found COPD patients have a CoQ10 deficiency, but there is no clinical evidence to support whether supplementation may help the disease.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids are essential fats absorbed through food including fish (mackerel, salmon, seabass), vegetable oils (flax oil, soybean oil), nuts (walnuts) and seeds (flax, chia, hemp). There are three main Omega-3 Fatty Acids: ALA also known as Alpha-Linolenic Acid, EPA also known as Eicosapentaenoic Acid and DHA also known as Docosahexaenoic Acid. ALA is found naturally in plants, while EPA and DHA are found in fish. Omega-3 Fatty Acids maintain heart, vascular, lung, brain, immune and endocrine system health, while reducing inflammation.

Anti-inflammatory properties in EPA and DHA may help COPD as an adjunct therapy, but clinical evidence is inconclusive.

Vitamin E encompasses a group of naturally-occurring fat-soluble compounds, including alpha-tocopherol used by the human body. It is a strong antioxidant, protecting cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Vitamin E is found in plant-based foods including oils (wheat germ, sunflower, safflower, soybean), nuts & seeds (sunflower, almonds, peanuts), vegetables (beet greens, collards, spinach, pumpkin, asparagus) and fruit (mango, avocado).

Antioxidant-rich Vitamin E may help as a preventative therapy to COPD by improving pulmonary function.

Magnesium is an essential mineral for the human body absorbed through foods including nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts), beans (black beans, edamame) and vegetables (spinach, potatoes). It is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body helping maintain nerve and muscle function, a healthy immune system, blood glucose levels, as well as, aiding in energy and protein production.

Magnesium may help COPD as an adjunct therapy by relaxing lung muscles and widening airways, but clinical evidence is inconclusive.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that naturally live in the human body. They typically include strains from the common bacteria groups, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, as well as the yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii. Found naturally in fermented foods (kombucha, tempeh, kimchi, miso and sauerkraut) and dairy (yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese), probiotics are part of the microbiome or the healthy community of organisms that keep the body healthy.