The effort of breathing and the metabolic changes associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, may increase your need for calories, fats and protein. COPD includes several chronic lung conditions, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, that are characterized by blocked air passages, scarred lung tissue, coughing and shortness of breath. Breathing and circulation demand more energy than they may have required in the past, according to the American Lung Association, or ALA. Your nutritional plan should help you maintain a healthy weight, keep up strength and energy, regulate your fluid balance, and ease the workload on your lungs and heart.
Energy Requirements
COPD may require you to consume 10 times more calories than a person with healthy lungs, according to the ALA. Most of your calories should come from nutritious foods, such as lean meat and fish, eggs, nuts, vegetable oils, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If you're unintentionally losing weight, you may also need a high-calorie medical nutritional supplement to avoid lean tissue loss and keep up your muscular strength. Maintaining strength in your respiratory muscles facilitates breathing. If you are overweight, reducing your caloric intake and exercising regularly can promote weight loss and reduce the workload on your heart and lungs.
Fats, Protein and Carbohydrates
The metabolic changes of COPD may require you to increase your intake of heart-healthy fats, especially if you are trying to gain weight. Fat produces less carbon dioxide during metabolism than protein or carbohydrate, according to the ALA. Because COPD can elevate your carbon dioxide levels, eating foods that produce less carbon dioxide may improve symptoms in some people with COPD. Focus on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados or fatty fish. The saturated fats in red meat and full-fat milk products, or the trans fats in margarine or fried fast foods, may compromise your cardiovascular health. Eat foods rich in protein, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs or cheese, at least twice a day to maintain your muscle mass. The complex carbohydrates in vegetables, fruits, whole grain products and dried beans provide energy, vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Fluid Balance
Drinking fluids loosens lung secretions, making it easier for you to cough up excess mucus. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water or other noncaffeinated fluids each day. If you have an enlarged heart due to COPD, your doctor may restrict your fluids. To prevent fluid retention, avoid adding table salt to your food and limit your intake of processed foods high in sodium, such as soups, frozen meals, soy sauce and other condiments.
Vitamins and Minerals
If you're taking steroids to improve your lung function, you may be at risk for a calcium deficiency. Milk products, canned fish with softened bones, and dark green vegetables like broccoli and kale offer calcium. The vitamin D in egg yolks, fatty fish, liver and fortified milk or cereal helps your body absorb calcium. Orange, red, yellow and dark green fruits and vegetables provide vitamins A and C, nutrients that support your immune system. Eating these foods may help you avoid respiratory infections that could worsen your COPD symptoms. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, people with COPD frequently have low levels of vitamins A, C, E, potassium, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Meeting your daily requirements for these nutrients may improve your lung function. Consult your health care provider before taking any vitamin or mineral supplements.
