Eating fruit could slash effects of air pollution on the lungs, study finds

We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away — well it turns out that might actually be true.

That’s because new research suggests eating more fruit could reduce the impact of air pollution on the lungs.

This could be due to the antioxidants present in fruit, scientists reckon.

The beneficial effects were most noticeable in woman who ate four or more portions of fruit a day.

Researchers at the University of Leicester made the discovery by looking at the UK Biobank, which has half a million volunteers who provide information about their health.

The team compared their diets, including their intake of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, with their lung function -the amount of air exhaled in one second.

The scientists found that for every rise in air pollution, from tiny particles released by cars and factories, lung function dropped by 78.1ml in people who ate little fruit.

However, in women who ate a lot of fruit, this reduction was only 57.5ml.

Men generally reported eating less fruit than women, which could explain why the effect was seen in females.

Pimpika Kaewsri, a PhD student at the University Leicester who presented the findings to the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam, said: ‘Our study confirmed that a healthy diet is linked to better lung function in both men and women regardless of air pollution exposure.

‘And that women who consumed four portions of fruit per day or more appeared to have smaller reductions in lung function associated with air pollution, compared to those who consumed less fruit.

‘This may be partly explained by the antioxidant and anti-inflammation compounds naturally present in fruit.

‘These compounds could help mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation caused by fine particles, potentially offsetting some of the harmful effects of air pollution on lung function.’

Professor Sara De Matteis, chairwoman of the European Respiratory Society’s expert group on occupational and environmental health, said it ‘confirms the potential respiratory health benefits of a healthy diet, especially rich in fresh fruit intake’.

‘However, access to a healthy diet is not equally distributed in the population and, even if the authors adjusted for socio-economic-status, some residual confounding cannot be ruled out,” she added.

‘A healthy plant-rich diet should be promoted in the population starting from primary school, not only for preventing chronic diseases, but also to reduce the carbon footprint of meat-rich diets.”

Sarah Sleet, chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK, warned that access to fruit and expose to air pollution are linked to inequality.

She said: ‘We know that a high fruit diet supports lung function, but it’s an interesting step forward in this study to see that it could also counteract the effects of air pollution on our lungs.

‘Fruit and vegetables, particularly those high in vitamin C and K, can really help support our lungs to function well.

‘While eating more fruit isn’t a replacement for taking your medication as prescribed, enjoying fruit as part of a balanced diet looks like it can help our lungs when they’re faced with external pressures like air pollution.

‘However, it is important to remember that there is unequal access to healthy foods, largely driven by cost. In addition, air pollution continues to hit people who are the poorest and from an ethnic minority background the hardest.

‘The Government must do more to address the disproportionate exposure to air pollution that contributes to worsening health inequalities, which is why Asthma + Lung UK is calling on the Government to introduce stronger, legally binding air quality targets that align with World Health Organisation guidelines.’

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