{"id":729671,"date":"2026-06-27T18:33:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T18:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/729671\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T18:33:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T18:33:10","slug":"leafy-greens-like-spinach-and-kale-linked-to-a-16-lower-copd-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/729671\/","title":{"rendered":"Leafy greens like spinach and kale linked to a 16% lower COPD risk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Scientists have linked eating leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli to <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_2681039\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\">better lung health.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">There are two primary forms of <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_2681040\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/vitamins-supplements\">vitamin K<\/a> found in foods. The primary kind is vitamin K1, found mainly in vegetables, which plays a major role in the body\u2019s blood-clotting process.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_2681041\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\">CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods, certain dairy products, eggs and meats and helps regulate calcium in the body and supports bone health.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Researchers at Australia&#8217;s Edith Cowan University examined whether dietary intake of vitamins K1 and K2 was associated with <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_2681042\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/respiratory-health\/copd\">chronic obstructive pulmonary disease<\/a> (COPD), asthma and lung function.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/broccoli.jpeg\" alt=\"A person prepares broccoli in a kitchen.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>Leafy green vegetables are high in vitamin K1, a nutrient that researchers have observed conributes to improved lung health. (iStock)<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, are among the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases worldwide and were the third leading cause of death in 2019, accounting for 4 million deaths and affecting 454.6 million individuals globally,&#8221; the scientists reported in the introduction to their study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Although asthma and COPD can be managed with available treatments, neither condition is curable, underscoring the need for effective prevention strategies,&#8221; they added.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters?cmpid=fnfirstnl\">CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The leading cause of COPD is smoking, the Mayo Clinic reported. Exposure to other irritants, such as dust, chemicals and pollution, can also cause it.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The researchers analyzed data from 179,062 participants over a 10-and-a-half-year period and concluded that, &#8220;Higher dietary vitamin K1\u00a0intake was associated with better <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_2681044\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\/healthy-diets-spark-lung-cancer-risk-non-smokers-pesticides-loom\">lung function and a lower<\/a> rate of COPD.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lung_exam.jpeg\" alt=\"A doctor listens to a man's lungs.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>Researchers found that people who increased their vitamin K1 intake were less likely to develop COPD. (iStock)<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Participants who consumed the most vitamin K1 had a 16% lower likelihood of COPD, the researchers observed. The effects were more pronounced in smokers and participants with high-risk occupations.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Consumption of vitamin K2 did not result in lower COPD rates.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;No association was observed for vitamin K1\u00a0or vitamin K2\u00a0intakes and asthma,&#8221; the researchers also wrote. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_2681045\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\">CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Associate Professor Marc Sim, who was involved in the study, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2026-06-green-power-spinach-kale-chronic.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com#goog_rewarded\">said<\/a> that it\u2019s likely Vitamin K activates a protein that may help keep lung tissue flexible and prevent damage.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Because the study was observational, it cannot prove that vitamin K1 directly reduces COPD risk, only that higher intake was associated with better lung health.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/leafy_greens.jpeg\" alt=\"A woman chops spinach on a cutting board.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>Researchers have associated higher consumption of leafy green vegetables with better lung function. (iStock)<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Just one extra serving of leafy greens &#8220;is an achievable way to boost your vitamin K1 intake,&#8221; said Chengfeng Li, one of the study\u2019s researchers.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\">CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Other foods rich in vitamin K1 include collard greens, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts and turnip greens.<\/p>\n<p>Teresa Mull is a freelance writer with the Lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Scientists have linked eating leafy green vegetables such as spinach,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":729672,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[10648,104215,97,3274,83822,77922],"class_list":["post-729671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-asthma","tag-copd","tag-health","tag-healthy-foods","tag-respiratory-health","tag-vitamins-supplements"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=729671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/729672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=729671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=729671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=729671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}