Best Foods for COPD Patients
Background Healthy living is key for everyone including those who have COPD. This includes quitting smoking, being physically active, eating the right foods, reducing stess, and sleeping hopefully 7 to 8 hours each night.
Many patients in my practice ask about the best foods for COPD. The following information provides guidance on this topic.
Various foods as part of a Mediterrean diet
What Is A Mediterrean Diet? Mediterrean refers to characteristic of the peoples native to the lands along or near the Mediterrenean Sea.
Map of countries that are adjacent to the Mediterrean Sea (located in the middle of the map).
In brief, diets rich in whole foods, vegetables, fruits, lean and unprocessed meat, and healthy fats are key foods in the Mediterrean diet. These foods provide all of the minerals and vitamins that a person needs on a daily basis. Registered dietitian Sandra Arevalo, RDN, MPH, noted that the Mediterrean diet has anti-inflammatory benefits and is also rich in fiber (October 2025 issue of Pulmonology News, a publication of CHEST).
Sandra Arevalo, RDN, MPH, is director of community health and wellness at Montefiore Nyack Hospital.
Reduced Carbohydrates A reduced carbohydrate diet is recommended which can help lower carbon dioxide production, an end product of metabolism that can increase the demand to breathe and contribute to shortness of breath.
A COPD Paradign In general, the best diet depends on the type of patient with COPD. If you are underweight with muscle weakness and fraility, then “bulking up” with calorie-dense foods such as dairy products. olive oils, and nut butters is recommended. The focus should be on small, frequent meals that maximize calories with sources of good healthy fats. This type of diet should be combined with some type of resistance training to increase muscle strength.
If you are overwieght, you may have co-morbidities such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and/or obstructive sleep apnea - all of which can worsen shortness of breath. For this patient, reduced calories with the Mediterrean diet has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk factors and help to preserve lung function.
Diet Can Modify Effects of Air Pollution At the September 2025 European Respiratory Society conference in Amsterdam, Dr. Kaewsri and colleagues examined whether a healthy diet modified adverse (“bad”) effects of air pollution on breathing tests [FEV1 and forced vital capacity (FVC)]. Among 150,000 individuals, total fruit intake lessen the adverse (“bad”) effects of air pollution on lung function. Dr. Kaewsri explained that this may be partly explained by the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds present in fruit. These investigators found that, in general, men reported lower fruit intake than women.
Key Takeaways 1. For most patients with COPD, a Mediterrean diet provides may health benefits and can help preserve lung function. 2. Foods rich in potsssium, such as leafy greens, bananas, oranges, asparagus, beets, and potatoes, is vital to lung function. 3. Drink plenty of liquids throughout the day which helps to keep mucus or phlegm thin and easier to cough up. 4. Limit salt intake and foods that cause bloating and gas production (cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and peas). 5. Small and frequent meals may work better for your breathing than large meals.