Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Terry, “My brother in-law was just told he has COPD and has lost 40% of his lung capacity. He is in his 50’s and has smoked in his earlier years. Besides his prescription medications, is there anything he could be taking to help?” — Leann S., Wapato, WA

A. Dear Leann, I am sorry to hear about your brother-in-law’s diagnosis. In COPD, less air flows in and out of the airways. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms. While most people who have COPD smoked or used to smoke, long-term exposure to other lung irritants, such as air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust, also may contribute to COPD.

While I do have some recommendations, I strongly encourage your brother-in-law to discuss the use of dietary supplementation with his physician. His physician may have additional input regarding a supplement regimen.

The best recommendation I can give someone with upper respiratory conditions is to start removing dairy products, sugar, soft drinks, and any grains containing gluten from their diet. I would recommend that your brother-in-law follow my diet as it is described at www.TerryTalksNutrition.com. Click on “Terry’s Traditional Diet”.

When it comes to respiratory health, I would first recommend a blend of highly-bioavailable curcumin (an extract of the spice, turmeric) and boswellia. These two herbs reduce some of the inflammation triggers inside the body. Reducing inflammation in the lungs reduces lung irritation and swelling, and lets the air go in and out more easily. The combination also benefits heart and brain health as well, so it is a good product to use on an ongoing basis. I would suggest approximately 725-1,450 mg of this curcumin-boswellia combination daily. Two things to keep in mind when choosing a product: make sure the curcumin has excellent absorption and that it has been proven in published human studies (curcumin is notoriously hard to absorb), and that the boswellia is screened to less than 5% beta boswellic acid and standardized to 10% acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA), the most active component of boswellia.

I would also recommend supplementing with a combination of English Ivy and Thyme extracts. When used together they make a very excellent combination, helping to keep the lungs clear. Both herbs have been extensively researched in Germany and other European countries for use with colds, cough, bronchitis and even asthma. I would suggest approximately 250-500 mg of a combination of these two herbs three times daily. This combination functions as an expectorant (helps cough out phlegm) and mucolytic (breaks up congestion). Make sure to look for a product that contains an English Ivy extract standardized for Hederacoside-C and a Thyme extract that is standardized for essential oil content.

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally