These leafy greens could help protect your lungs, study suggests

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Scientists have linked eating leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli tobetter lung health.

There are two primary forms ofvitamin Kfound in foods.The primary kind is vitamin K1, found mainly in vegetables, which plays a major role in the body’s blood-clotting process.

Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods, certain dairy products, eggs and meats and helps regulate calcium in the body and supports bone health.

Researchers at Australia’s Edith Cowan University examined whether dietary intake of vitamins K1 and K2 was associated withchronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), asthma and lung function.

A person prepares broccoli in a kitchen.

Leafy green vegetables are high in vitamin K1, a nutrient that researchers have observed conributes to improved lung health.(iStock)

“Chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, are among the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases worldwide and were the third leading cause of death in 2019, accounting for 4 million deaths and affecting 454.6 million individuals globally,” the scientists reported in the introduction to their study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“Although asthma and COPD can be managed with available treatments, neither condition is curable, underscoring the need for effective prevention strategies,” they added.

The leading cause of COPD is smoking, the Mayo Clinic reported.Exposure to other irritants, such as dust, chemicals and pollution, can also cause it.

The researchers analyzed data from 179,062 participants over a 10-and-a-half-year period and concluded that, “Higher dietary vitamin K1 intake was associated with betterlung function and a lowerrate of COPD.”

Researchers found that people who increased their vitamin K1 intake were less likely to develop COPD.(iStock)

Participants who consumed the most vitamin K1 had a 16% lower likelihood of COPD, the researchers observed.The effects were more pronounced in smokers and participants with high-risk occupations.

Consumption of vitamin K2 did not result in lower COPD rates.

“No association was observed for vitamin K1 or vitamin K2 intakes and asthma,” the researchers also wrote.