Higher anthocyanins levels may have protective action against COPD: Study

COPD is a disabling respiratory disease characterized by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Treatment options are few. This study was conducted to analyze the association between dietary intake of anthocyanin and the likelihood of COPD among US adults aged 40 and older using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017–2018.

Anthocyanins belong to the category of natural flavonoids that are present in various fruits and vegetables, including berries, red cabbage, and grapes. Some studies have already shown that anthocyanins may reduce chronic disease risks through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Even though few studies addressed the contribution of anthocyanins to respiratory health in regards to COPD,a condition that affects millions of people worldwide, evidence exists for their role in the management of respiratory illnesses.

This was a cross-sectional study involving 2,862 individuals aged 40 years or older from the NHANES 2017–2018 dataset; of these, 213 were diagnosed with COPD. In the present study, the relationship between dietary anthocyanin intake and COPD was modeled by univariate and multivariate logistic regression with restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, while subgroup and interaction analyses were conducted to find out if such a relationship did vary in different demographic and clinical subgroups.

Key Findings

1. The study found that participants in the highest tertile of anthocyanin intake had a significantly lower likelihood of developing COPD compared to those in the lowest tertile. In fully adjusted models:

   • Model 1: OR = 0.414 (95% CI: 0.245–0.699), P-trend = 0.002.

   • Model 2: OR = 0.363 (95% CI: 0.210–0.627), P-trend = 0.002.

   • Model 3: OR = 0.614 (95% CI: 0.383–0.985), P-trend = 0.040.

2. The RCS analysis showed a significant linear relationship between higher dietary anthocyanin intake and reduced COPD risk (P non-linear = 0.734), reinforcing the protective effect of anthocyanins.

3. The negative association between anthocyanin intake and COPD was consistent across various subgroups, regardless of factors such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and smoking status.

These findings suggest that a diet rich in anthocyanins would be one of the simplest yet most effective ways to lower the risk of COPD in people over 40 years. Knowing the pathogenesis of COPD to be chronic inflammation and resulting oxidative stress, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions presented by anthocyanins reflect them as dietary constituents quite promising for respiratory health. Its results show that dietary factors play a huge role in preventing and managing chronic diseases like COPD.

In the subgroup analysis, it was demonstrated that the protective effect of anthocyanins remained consistent across different demographics and clinical profiles. Therefore, this might suggest that the benefits associated with these compounds may have wide applicability. A correlation of this nature underlines the potential of anthocyanins as a dietary intervention in COPD prevention strategies.

This paper reports that a higher dietary intake of anthocyanins is related to a reduced risk for COPD in people aged 40 and older. The protective effects of anthocyanins, probably due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, were present in all subgroups analyzed and further underscore the role of diet in respiratory health. Promotion of anthocyanin-rich foods may thereby become an important means of reducing the burden of COPD and improving quality of life in at-risk populations.

Reference:

Zhu, J., Cao, J., & Zhao, S. (2024). Association between dietary anthocyanin intake and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in US adults: A public database survey. Heart & Lung: The Journal of Critical Care, 67, 108–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2024.05.006