Adopting a dietary pattern that encourages the consumption of foods high in antioxidants, especially vitamin C and E, may help to halt the onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

​This study examined the connection between the ingestion of dietary antioxidants and the probability of acquiring chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers evaluated nutritional and health records of more than 7,000 men and women recruited from the community-based Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (KoGES). 

Researchers noted that high intake of foods rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin C and E, lessened the odds of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and improved lung function, particularly in men. On the other hand, cigarette smoking was found to promote the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in this study. "Our results suggest the independent beneficial effect of antioxidants, particularly vitamins C and E, on COPD risk and lung function in men," the researchers concluded.