Is there a diet for COPD? COPD diet and how it works for lung health is a topic of great interest among COPD patients as well as those treating them. They want to know if there any foods that may boost lung function or foods that should be avoided to prevent COPD exacerbations. The answer to all these lies in the understanding of nutrition and how it works to support body function and repair.
Diet for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD]
Lead dietitian and clinical nutritionist at ReLiva Physiotherapy & Rehab, Pooja Lakhani says, “Although most patients do not realise subtle signs of malnutrition until it manifests itself as significant muscle mass loss, loss of physical strength and diminished capacity to perform daily activities and assume they are quite well, long term diseases like COPD can slowly and gradually lead to loss of optimal nutritional status.”
Dt. Pooja elaborates importance of nutrition and diet tips for COPD patients in this blog post.
COPD Diet – Right Nutrition Matters!
COPD can have an effect on the whole body. It is therefore important to eat a balanced and varied diet to help maintain one’s strength and fitness, as well as help body fight infections.
If you are finding it a struggle to eat enough or are losing weight (e.g. your clothes and jewellery or watch are feeling looser), or you notice that you are losing strength in your muscles and your body shape is changing. This is the time you need to think differently about the food you are eating.
Following the advice in this blog will help you regain the strength and weight you have lost due to COPD.
If you continue to lose weight, speak to your doctor or nurse.
COPD: How to enhance healing with Diet & Nutrition?
Here are some additional diet and nutrition guidelines that people with COPD must follow, to help with their condition:
- HIGH ENERGY FOODS can help to tackle the weight loss among COPD sufferers. High energy foods like milk-based desserts – rasgulla, milk powder, starchy vegetables etc help increase energy intake
- DIET and BREATHING – COPD patients have to cope with shortness of breath during eating. It is easier to eat 3 small meals with snacks in between rather than 3 large meals.
- EATING and EXERCISE – Staying active is critical and is closely linked with food intake. Continue to try and gently increase the amount of activity that you are doing yourself. Make sure you consume a high energy snack after every time you exercise.
- COPING WITH A DRY MOUTH – Use of oxygen, nebulisers or inhalers can sometimes cause dry mouth among COPD patients. Choose softer foods like over-boiled vegetables, cereals, curd etc. Suck fruit candies, ice-cubes made with fruit juice, chew sugar-free gum. Consult your doctor for a saliva spray if problem continues.
- COPING WITH TASTE CHANGES – Rinse your mouth and gargle often to prevent taste changes due to steroid inhalers. Regularly clean your mouth with using a mouthwash. Try foods with strong aroma and taste. Experiment with different seasonings and sauces.
- MONITOR YOUR WEIGHT – Weigh yourself atleast once every month and report if you have lost 5-10 percent weight, involuntarily.
COPD: Tips for improving dietary intake
When you are unable to get enough energy and nutrients into your diet to maintain your weight and strength, following tips will help you improve your energy intake:
- Choose full fat or high energy options e.g. (whole milk) and avoid the lower fat variety
- Add cottage cheese (paneer) to your chapatti dough, soups, scrambled eggs, cooked beans and lentils
- Use cottage cheese, tofu, eggs in sandwiches and salads
- Add sesame seeds or mixed oilseeds to dry-cooked vegetables, gravies, scrambled eggs and bread
- Make your own fortified milk – whisk 2-4 tablespoons of milk powder to one cup of milk; add this to drinks, puddings, cereals, soups etc.
- Try to sip nourishing drinks like smoothies, soups, fruit juice, milkshakes, hot chocolate, energy drinks from time to time.
- Don’t feel that you need to stick to three meals a day. Try to take small meals and snacks or nourishing drinks between meals.
- Use convenience food when you don’t feel up to preparing food from scratch. Have some standbys ready in the freezer or cupboard. Here are some food ideas to stock your cupboard with: long life milk, savoury snacks, biscuits, rice puddings, soups.
- Don’t fill up on drinks before or during your meal.
- Eat more of the type of foods that you feel like, when you aren’t feeling great don’t worry about having the perfect diet
- Try not to miss meals as you will feel even worse.
COPD Diet: Importance Of Various Food Groups
You will need food from different food groups to ensure you are eating right. Here is why and how each of these food groups matters
- PROTEIN FOODS – For Healthy and Strong Muscles (including those that help in breathing)
Protein Intake Tip: Try to take protein rich foods like soy, eggs, chicken, fish, lentils, cottage cheese etc in at least two meals every day.
Including high biological value proteins help in maintaining muscle mass. For vegetarians, high biological value (HBV) protein sources include milk and milk products, legumes, lentils and soy; while for non-vegetarians, eggs, fish and poultry form an HBV source.
- CARBOHYDRATE FOODS – For Energy
Carbohydrate Intake Tip: Starchy foods include potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, cereals. Include 6-8 portions per day for optimal energy intake.
For optimal utilisation of protein, it is important to consume sufficient energy. It also has ‘Protein Sparing Action’ which means that body spares dietary protein for repair, healing and muscle built up. If energy intake is insufficient, these proteins are utilised for providing energy in place of other important functions.
- FRUITS & VEGETABLES – For essential vitamins and minerals to boost immunity
Vitamins & Minerals Intake Tip: Include plenty of these in diet everyday, minimum five portions including raw and cooked ones should be taken.
Starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato, colocasia, yam etc. can be consumed regularly for optimal energy intake but these should not be counted as vegetable servings. Example, if you have consumed potato for breakfast; still include 5 vegetable and fruit serving in remaining main meals and snacks.
- DAIRY FOODS – For Strong Bones
Dairy Intake Tip: People with COPD may have weak bones due to medicines or lack of physical activity. Dairy foods like cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, curd, buttermilk etc. should be included at least 3 portions per day.
If your BMI is >25 kg/m2, preferably consume dairy products with fat less than 3 percent. Up to 500 ml skim milk and milk products can be consumed regularly.
What foods should be avoided with COPD?
As a general rule of thumb, food items that cause bloating and gas should be avoided by COPD patients. The fermentable carbohydrate content of some of these can cause difficulty breathing.
It is also advisable to limit intake of simple carbohydrates, including table sugar, candies, cake and aerated soft drinks.
5 Key Questions
For self-assessment of nutritional status, ask yourself following five questions at least once in 2 weeks, and consult a doctor or dietitian if answer to two out of five questions is “Yes”.
- How is your appetite?
- Are you managing to eat as well as you usually do?
- Have you noticed any change in your weight?
- Are you experiencing early fatigue (getting tired easily)?
- Do you have any concerns about your food intake and diet?
Dietary patterns for people with COPD depend on many factors, including body weight and their overall health. A clinical dietitian is an expert who understand the relationship between nutrition and disease progression. They will help you with a customised food plan after a thorough assessment of your medical condition and treatment challenges along with an understanding of your taste and food preferences.
RespiRehab propagates medically supervised pulmonary rehabilitation to promote healing from within the lungs. A holistic inter-disciplinary approach including clinical dietitian and chest physiotherapist is proven to improve breathing and quality of life. This has a direct impact on reducing the incidence of COPD exacerbations as well as hospitalisation. If you or a loved one has COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or another chronic lung disease and would like to learn more about pulmonary rehabilitation, call us at +91 9920991647 or ask for call back by clicking here.
