Middle-aged women who have a healthy level of vitamin E intake in their diet can lower the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by 10 percent, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Societys annual International Conference in New Orleans.
A team of researchers led by Anne Hermetet Agler, a doctoral student in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, studied information collected during the Womens Health Study, which enrolled approximately 40,000 women aged 45 years and older. The participants were randomly selected to receive either 600 mg of vitamin E or a placebo every other day.
The results showed that the women who took the vitamin supplement were less likely to be diagnosed with COPD. The researchers also discovered that the decreased risk was the same in both smokers and non-smokers who were given vitamin E.
The team concluded that further research could discover how lung tissue and function could be affected by vitamin E, and if whether or not a higher intake of the vitamin could also lower the risk of developing lung disease in men.
“As lung disease develops, damage occurs to sensitive tissues through several proposed processes, including inflammation and damage from free radicals,” said Agler. She added that “vitamin E may protect the lung against such damage.”
People who wish to add sources of vitamin E to their daily diet may consider eating meat, poultry, fish and eggs, according to the Department of Agriculture.