Eating and Breathing

"First known evidence that dietary fiber is independently associated
with better lung function and reduced prevalence of COPD. "

American Journal of Epidemiology Published by the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health 2007.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----

ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Dietary Fiber, Lung Function, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Haidong Kan1, June Stevens2,3, Gerardo Heiss3, Kathryn M. Rose3 and
Stephanie J. London1
1 Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and
Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC
2 Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, The University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
3 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Correspondence to Dr. Stephanie J. London, Epidemiology Branch,
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P.O. Box 12233,
Mail Drop A3-05, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (e-mail:
london2@niehs.nih.gov).

Received for publication June 28, 2007. Accepted for publication
October 25, 2007.

Recent data suggest beneficial effects of fiber intake on chronic
respiratory symptoms in adults that are independent of antioxidant
vitamin intake, but little is known about fiber consumption in
relation to lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD). The authors investigated the association of fiber intake with
lung function and COPD in 11,897 US men and women from the
Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (1987=961989). After control
for potential confounders, positive associations were found between
lung function and fiber intake from all sources as well as from cereal
or fruit alone. Compared with those in the lowest quintile,
participants in the highest quintile of total fiber intake had a 60.2-
ml higher forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (p for trend <
0.001), 55.2-ml higher forced vital capacity (FVC) (p =3D 0.001), 0.4%
higher FEV1/FVC ratio (p =3D 0.040), 1.8% higher percent predicted FEV1
(p < 0.001), and 1.4% higher percent predicted FVC (p =3D 0.001).
Adjusted odds ratios of COPD for the highest versus lowest quintiles
of intake were 0.85 (p =3D 0.044) for total fiber, 0.83 (p =3D 0.021) for
cereal fiber, and 0.72 (p =3D 0.005) for fruit fiber. This study
provides the first known evidence that dietary fiber is independently
associated with better lung function and reduced prevalence of COPD.


dietary fiber; forced expiratory volume; pulmonary disease, chronic
obstructive; respiratory function tests; vital capacity

----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
Abbreviations: ARIC, Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities; COPD,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV1, forced expiratory volume
in 1 second; FVC, forced vital capacity


Who loves ya.
Tom


Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
* tinyurl . com /2r2nkh


Man Is A Herbivore!
* tinyurl . com /a3cc3


DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
* tinyurl . com /zk9fk