No such effect was seen from vitamin C consumption, reported lead researcher Lindsey Dow, M.D., of Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, England. The elderly tend to have diets deficient in vitamins, Dr. Dow noted. Dr. Dow said that it is not known exactly how much vitamin E must be consumed in order to affect lung function. It is also not known whether vitamin E consumed in foods is more or less beneficial than vitamin E in pill form, she added. Vitamins C and E, known as antioxidant vitamins, are found in fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and oils.
Antioxidants protect the lung against damage caused by chemicals known as oxidants.
A study published by the American Lung Association last year by a different research team found that increased consumption of vitamin C was associated with better lung function. Fruit intake was found to be inversely linked with a 25-year risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Netherlands. A study of 77,000 women found those who consumed the most vitamin E had about half the risk of developing asthma compared with women consuming the least. In the new study, participants had their lung function measured, and answered questions about symptoms such as wheezing and breathlessness, and whether they smoked. They also answered a food frequency questionnaire.