A traditional Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fish can cut the risk of developing serious lung disease by half, researchers say. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for conditions such as emphysema and bronchitis. It leads to damaged air-ways, making it harder for people to breathe.

Smoking is the most important risk factor for getting COPD, which experts predict will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020.

Not all smokers develop the disease, which has led researchers to examine how genetic and environmental factors, such as diet, play a role.

A study released before it is published today in the journal Thorax, found that eating a Mediterranean diet cut the risk of developing COPD in half.

Meanwhile, people who ate a Western-style diet, with a high intake of refined grains, cured and red meats, desserts and French fries, were more than four times as likely to develop COPD. The research, led by Dr Raphaëlle Varraso, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, followed the health of 42,917 men taking part in the US Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

All were asked about their medical history, diet and life-style, including how much they smoked and exercised.

Between 1986 and 1998, 111 self-reported cases of newly diagnosed COPD were identified among the men.

Even after adjusting for age, smoking and other risks, those men who ate a Mediterranean diet were found to have a far reduced risk of developing COPD.

The more closely the diet was followed, the lower the risk of developing COPD over the 12-year study period.

The researchers concluded: “In men, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish may reduce the risk of COPD, whereas a diet rich in refined grains, cured and red meats, desserts and French fries may increase the risk of COPD.”

It is not the first time that the Mediterranean diet has been hailed for helping to prevent medical conditions.

Last month researchers from Britain’s National Heart and Lung Institute, the University of Crete, Venezelio General Hospital in Crete and the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barce-lona found that a Mediterranean diet helped to prevent children developing asthma and respiratory allergies. And last year US researchers found that eating a Mediterranean diet could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Other researchers have shown that people live longer if they follow the diet.

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