Question: My husband (a smoker for 35 years, but two years without smoking now) has been diagnosed with COPD and emphysema. He recently had surgery (a bullectomy), to remove a very large bleb from his right lung. Breathing has improved only slightly (six weeks later) but doctors say it will take some months to judge; and because it’s a progressive disease, there may not be improvement at all. So we wait. Meanwhile, is there some sort of diet to follow, a supplement or medicine he could take to help repair some of the lung damage, to alleviate or ease his difficulty breathing when he exerts himself?
Answer: It is common knowledge that regular long-term cigarette use can lead to destruction of the lung tissue; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is the term applied to the condition that used to be called emphysema. What is not so common knowledge about this situation is the fact that many countries have had high rates of cigarette use, but far less lung cancer and COPD. One factor may be the toxic additives put into the cigarettes in this country, but a more important, and often overlooked, factor is the influence of diet on the progression of COPD.
The tissues that are injured in COPD are the alveoli, which are akin to small soap bubbles. These alveoli make up the bulk of the lung and are the sites where the gases are exchanged. They are thin, often only one layer of cells thick, a property that makes the diffusion of gases from the inside of the lungs into and out of the blood vessels that surround these alveoli an easy process. COPD is the process of the progressive destruction of these alveoli. Eventually, there are no longer very tiny bubbles, because as the walls break the bubbles coalesce, making them bigger. This bigger bubble is called a “bleb.” This results in less surface area so the exchange of gases is less efficient. Clearly, one goal of therapy is to try to create the healthiest, most pliable alveoli possible.
Anyone who as a child made little soap bubbles through plastic rings knows that the integrity of the bubbles is dependent on the mixture of the soap in the bottle. Too little soap and the bubbles don’t hold together, too much and the bubbles don’t form. Our alveoli are similar. They are also made from a kind of soap called surfactant, which in its proper form creates elastic, flexible alveoli. Surfactant, like any bubble, is a fat, or more specifically a lipid envelope. The integrity of the alveoli has everything to do with the type of fat in our blood, from which it is made.
Specifically the research has shown that if the blood contains high amounts of trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils in shortening and margarine, the bubbles will be too stiff and therefore prone to rupture. When the alveoli are made from fats that are highly polyunsaturated fatty acids (mostly from liquid vegetable oils), the alveoli will be too flexible and therefore weak. These findings exactly correlate with epidemiology studies showing that when cultures exchange their traditional fats for the new modern processed foods, then smoking begins to produce epidemics of illness that were not seen in traditional native cultures which use tobacco quite liberally.
The best fats for building healthy alveoli are the mostly saturated fats found in traditional animal foods (butter, lard, etc.) and in tropical oils, such as coconut and palm oil. When treating COPD these are the only fats I allow in the diet, with the exception of 1 tablespoon olive oil per day. A nourishing traditional diet with liberal use of good fats and the fermented foods that help with fat digestion provides the perfect foundation in any program for the recovery from COPD.
A particular food worth mentioning for COPD is beet roots and leaves, because these are a rich source of betaine. (It is also a component of any dark green leafy vegetable.) Betaine seems to help with digestion, particularly of fats, which therefore allows them to be available to be used by the body to “make” alveoli.
There are also a number of supplements that can help with COPD. Standard Process makes a preparation called Emphaplex which contains the nutrients, particularly the fat-soluble vitamins, your body uses to make alveoli and clear out the mucus, an important goal in any treatment of COPD. The dose of Emphaplex is 1-2 capsules, three times per day. Then I use Cataplex E2, a special preparation of vitamin E, a fat-soluble nutrient that specifically is involved with the integrity
of the lung tissue and alveoli. The dose is 2 tablets, three times per day. The next medicine is Pulmaco, a combination of herbs from Mediherb, which helps with expectoration and helps prevent the infections that plague patients with COPD. Expectoration of the mucus is crucial because as the mucus collects in the stiff alveoli, this further inhibits gas exchange. Finally, I use the Chinese medicinal mushroom Coriolus versicolor, the mushroom of immortality, which is the main Chinese medicine for restoring the integrity of the breathing. This product is available from Mediherb.
As always, cod liver oil should be included as part of the treatment. Take 1-2 teaspoons high-vitamin cod liver oil, available from Radiant Life.
With this diet and medicine, the breathing should stabilize and over time some lost function can be regained.This article appeared in the Fourfold Healing Newsletter, Feb/Mar 2005, http://www.fourfoldhealing.com.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2005.
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I have found salt therapy to be great for respiratory problems. They have halotherapy spas all over the U.S. where you sit in a salt room and just breath. It cleanses the lungs and detoxifies them beautifully.
I have hypersensitivity pneumonosis, also known as Bird Fancier’s syndrome. I have been working with a pulmonologist, who seemed more interested in running additional tests to look at the state of my lungs, than in actually helping me improve lung function.
I have recently started work with a naturopath. I want to get off prednisone completely and see if I can come up with a way to lessen any symptoms. I tend to have problems in the winter when the house is closed up. (Birds are no longer in the house.) We just started Emphaplex and I can see a major difference. My oxygen levels are up and my energy levels are up. I am taking adrenal support, as I know that prednisone shuts down the adrenal glands.
I would definitely recommend trying the Emphaplex. The best thing about the Standard Process supplements is that they won’t do you any harm. I can’t say the same about the Fosamax my pulmonologist wanted me to take.
I would like to try emphapplex
I have been able to minimize my use of prednisone, since I posted last. I monitor my O2 levels and can see a difference when I use Emphaplex. I also use Pneumotropin (and Cardio-Plus for my heart.) I have been working with a naturopath to build up my immune system, so I am no longer triggered by anything in the house. I get regular treatments from him of glutamine using a nebulizer. I won’t say it’s a fast process, but it does seem to make a difference.
Would these recommended products be helpful for pulmonary fibrosis? The only thing my pulmonary doctor does is test my breathing ability and observe the disease progression. No nutritional advice, NOTHING! Says there are prescribed drugs that will only make me feel sicker. Says not yet time to prescribe them. I plan to pass on the drugs. I also have autoimmune disease and with another doctor who does a lot of expensive testing that has not resulted in any improvement. Testing, testing, one two three. Ready to give up on all Docs. I doctor myself with the best nutrition I can and use oxygen for hours everyday. Suggestions?
Carol, it is really difficult to offer medical advice, especially in situations like yours. The best advice, then, that we can offer is this: try to find a functional medicine doctor in your area; they are better equipped to understand the whole picture. Also, gut-healing would be a safe and likely helpful route for overcoming your autoimmune disease, and this might improve your pulmonary fibrosis condition as well-might!
I have experienved Crohns Disease, for 49 years, and beimg a former smoker, but have not smoked now for 17 years, have been experiencd extreme breathlessness, from Emphysema, now have Ckd.
I have spent a fortune on testing and medications yrying to get better, and I am sp happy to have found your website.
Thankyou so much
I live in Ontario, Canada, and would like to purchase the supplements mentioned from Standard Process. However, they don’t sell to Canada. Do you have recommendations for similar products or do I have to try to find my own substitutions?
Standard Process and Mediherb are sold only through healthcare professionals, and I am almost certain that there are doctors in Canada who sell them. Check out the website standardprocess.com and contact them to request a list of providers near you. Well wishes!
“I was walking and my husband was telling me to slow down because he couldn’t keep up with me.”
Denise F. lived with COPD and chronic asthma for many years. When her quality of life continued to decline, Denise decided to try something different.While being with her horses brought her peace and joy, not being able to breathe made spending time with them challenging. When her grandchildren would visit, she couldn’t even participate in their activities.After the herbal recommendation at the ( multivitamincare org ) Denise my best friend no longer needs oxygen or a walker and has seen many improvements. She can walk, clean her house, go shopping, enjoy a vacation, ride her horses, lift hay bales and do anything she wants to do.Now, when her grandchildren visit, they can ride horses together and make wonderful memories. And, Denise wants to lead the way, “I was walking and my husband was telling me to slow down because he couldn’t keep up with me.”
If you or someone you love has COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis or another chronic lung disease and would like to see results like Denise’s, contact them on their website to learn more about your lung disease treatment options how to overcome it.
I am not sure, what is the website? looking for help with copd shortness of breath.
My pulmonologist is very nice but offers nothing outside of inhalers which are very expensive and contain steroids.