Many with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) suffer symptoms that worsen with the wrong foods because they can irritate the lungs and trigger breathing difficulties. Due to this issue, COPD patients must watch what they eat to ensure optimal lung health. While COPD is progressive in nature and has no cure, doctors often recommend things like oxygen therapy and avoiding the following foods and beverages that can worsen COPD symptoms:
1. Chocolate
Chocolate poses a threat because sugar inflames the lungs. Some studies even suggest that blocking sugar receptors can reduce inflammation of the lungs. Anything with high caffeine content, like chocolate, can trigger a COPD reaction. A healthy COPD diet has you eating between 20 and 30 grams of fiber every day. This includes pasta, nuts, bread, fruits and vegetables.
2. Fried foods
Fried foods such as donuts, fried chicken, french fries, and onion rings may taste good, but they do nothing positive for COPD. The issue with fried foods comes from how it doesn’t digest quickly, which causes gas, bloating, and indigestion. All of this can lead to making it harder to breathe. These foods are rich in fats and empty in calories which can lead to excess weight gain. This can also make breathing more difficult as the excess weight puts pressure on your lungs.
3. Soda and carbonated beverages
This type of beverage can lead to bloating and gas due to the infusion of carbon dioxide. All of this will make breathing harder. The air gets trapped in the lungs, and the lungs become enlarged for those with COPD. Instead of carbonated drinks, you might choose non-carbonated juices, water flavored with lemon or lime, and hot or chilled herbal teas.
4. Salty foods
Anything with a great deal of salt in it, such as pizza or canned soups, can trigger your COPD. The reason behind it being that it can cause your body to hold onto fluids. That will increase your risk of pulmonary hypertension as well. In general, COPD patients want foods labeled as “low sodium” with less than 140 milligrams per serving.
5. Dairy products
Dairy products can create phlegm in your airways, and you should avoid them where possible. Milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, and yogurt all have a reputation for creating phlegm which can make it more difficult to breathe.
6. Alcohol
Anyone who has COPD must keep themselves well-hydrated because the water thins the mucus in your lungs and lets you expel the mucus naturally as you exhale. Unfortunately, alcohol dehydrates the body. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, which removes fluids from the blood through your renal system. At the same time, alcohol can interfere with the medication that you take for COPD. Steroids and antibiotics, for example, can have worsened side effects when taken with alcohol.
Learning how to live with COPD takes time, but you can do things like control your diet to make it less problematic. The greatest risk for those with COPD includes lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. As the severity of the COPD grows, respiratory death becomes increasingly common.