Coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath are all symptoms of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, commonly known as COPD, which is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, reports CNN.com. COPD refers to a group of chronic lung diseases that includes asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, the University of Maryland Medical Center says, and people who suffer from COPD tend to lack certain vitamins in their bodies that can help improve their lung function.
Vitamin A
People with COPD often lack enough vitamin A, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. The National Institutes of Health says that male COPD patients with a vitamin A deficiency who participated in a research study were more likely than those who consumed enough vitamin A to experience decreased lung function, although female COPD patients in the study could breathe equally well whether or not they consumed enough vitamin A. The recommended daily amount of vitamin A is 900 mcg for men and 700 mcg for women, reports the National Institutes of Health, which also says that vitamin A helps keep the surface linings inside your respiratory tract healthy.
Vitamin C
Suffering from COPD often also means suffering from a vitamin C deficiency, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The National Institutes of Health reports that people with COPD who took lung function tests in a study performed significantly better if they consumed enough vitamin C than they did if they lacked the recommended daily amount of vitamin C in their bodies. Adult men should consume at least 90 mg of vitamin C per day, and adult women should consume at least 75 mg, but people with COPD need to consume greater amounts -- between 500 and 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day -- to gain any real benefit for their lungs, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Vitamin E
You can reduce your risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and increase your lung capacity by taking one supplement of 600 IU of vitamin E each day, CNN.com says. Adults should consume at least the recommended daily amount of vitamin E -- 22.5 IU -- daily, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center, but many COPD patients lack even that much.
References
- CNN.com: Vitamin E May Protect Lungs
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin E
- National Institutes of Health: Medline Plus: Poor Diet May Make COPD Worse, Study Finds
- National Institutes of Health: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
