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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of chronic morbidity and mortality in the United States affecting around 24 million Americans. Although there is currently no cure for COPD, there are steps that you can take to help ease your symptoms and halt the progression of the disease. Exercise programs and nutritional changes have been shown to help reduce the symptoms. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the most common conditions that make up COPD. Understanding the risk factors associated with COPD can help you avoid these conditions. Although damage to the lungs from COPD can’t be reversed, our team at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center can help you understand this disease better and treat your symptoms.
What Does Nutrition Have to Do with Breathing?
According to the American Dietetic Association, attention to what you eat can help reduce your carbon dioxide levels and improve breathing. Nutritionists that treat patients with COPD are interested in your respiratory quotient (the ratio of carbon dioxide produced compared to your oxygen consumed). Components of your diet can impact your respiratory quotient. Your percentages of total carbohydrate, fat, and protein all impact this respiratory quotient. The science is like this: the process of changing food to fuel is called metabolism and involves carbohydrates, fats, and proteins which are converted to carbon dioxide and water in the presence of oxygen. The kind and amount of macronutrient involved will impact how much carbon dioxide is produced. Eating carbohydrates will yield the most carbon dioxide, while eating fats will yield the least carbon dioxide. Achieving the right balance for COPD patients involves customizing a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet to reduce patient respiratory quotient levels and carbon dioxide production.
Eating for Lung Health
The American Lung Organization agrees with the findings of the American Dietetic Association and stated: “Most people are surprised to learn that the food they eat may affect their breathing. Your body uses food as fuel for all of its activities. The right mix of nutrients in your diet can help you breathe easier. No single food will supply all the nutrients you need—a healthy diet has lots of variety.” Food is transformed into the fuel your body uses to participate in all your daily activities. Metabolism changes food and oxygen into energy and carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a waste product that we exhale. Without energy, you wouldn’t be able to do all the things you do in a day. Even sleeping requires energy. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder need more energy to breathe–10 times more caloric energy than those that don’t have this disease. This means that proper nutrition is essential for improving your COPD symptoms. Research has shown breathing to improve for some patients suffering from COPD by choosing to consume less carbohydrates and more fat. Striking that healthy balance can be tricky so involving our Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center staff for help can help you find it.
Nutritional Assessment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Symptoms
To establish a nutrition plan to help with your COPD symptoms, we start with a nutritional assessment to see where you currently are. We use numerous testing methods to give our patients a complete picture about their food-related health. Testing the body with electricity can help us get an accurate picture of the fat deposits of your body, which can reveal surprising details if you are overweight or obese. We also offer complete blood testing to identify deficiencies in crucial nutrients like iron, Vitamin B12, and calcium. During the food tracking phase, we can quickly assess how our adjustments are working for you to help treat your COPD symptoms. Nutritional assessments at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center also involve reviewing your pre-existing conditions and medications because these can both block the absorption of crucial minerals and nutrients. If you are taking a drug that keeps your body from taking up calcium from food, you may need immediate supplementation to prevent more complications from occurring with your breathing and current COPD symptoms. Our dietary plans are tailored to your exact needs and include both whole food sources and supplements.
Free Consultation
While there is currently no cure for COPD or for reversing lung damage, Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center can help ease your symptoms and improve your breathing with changes to your current diet. Schedule a nutritional assessment so we can begin to customize a nutrition plan that can improve your current health and abilities. Call (512) 806-0015 today to schedule your free consultation!