Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the #5 cause of death in the world, and includes diseases like Emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking is often a cause of COPD, so promising new research out of Japan may be welcome news to anyone that opted for cigarettes over health in their life.

We already knew that fish oil limits the effects of smoking, and is useful for a wide range of respiratory diseases. Now a 2-year study on the effects of fish oil for COPD has found promising results.

People with COPD, who hadn’t smoked in 6 months, were given fish oil supplements and they were compared to a placebo group. The omega-3 group not only had less inflammation in their lungs, but also walked the farthest in the 6-minute walking fitness test.

The researchers concluded that fish oil supplements were “safe and practical method for treating COPD” conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Source: Fish Oil may treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease