Eat Fiber to Breathe Easier
Your morning bowl of oatmeal may keep you from gasping for air during your afternoon run today—and for decades down the road. Why? It's packed with fiber, and a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who consumed at least 27 grams of the nutrient a day had a larger lung capacity than those who took in less than 10 grams. What's more, those in the high-fiber group were 15 percent less likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a breathing disorder. "The fiber found in cereal and produce may reduce tissue inflammation that can damage lungs," says study author Stephanie London, M.D., Ph.D.
