Condition
Chronic Pulmonary Disease
COPD is a progressive lung condition, usually caused by smoking, in which inflamed, mucus-filled airways and damaged air sacs leave airflow partly blocked, causing breathlessness and a persistent cough. Little research on supplements for it has been reviewed here so far, though one meta-analysis looked at creatine for muscle weakness. Vitamin D and NAC draw the most interest, but without trial findings yet, it is too early to say how much either helps.
Sources: PMID 24918543
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 0
- Trials
- 1
- People studied
- 40
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mucus Production | Improves (the measure goes up) | 4 studies | 40 people | |||
Studies that measured mucus production
| ||||||
The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Support protocol
2 primary supplements · 8 supporting supplements
- Vitamin D2,000–4,000 IU daily (target >30 ng/mL; many need higher doses)
- N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)600–1,200 mg daily
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Support alongside medical care. These supplements are not a treatment for Chronic Pulmonary Disease. If you are being treated for it, talk to your clinician before adding one: supplements can interact with medicines.
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Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed
- The effect of an orally administered proteolytic enzyme on the elasticity and viscosity of nasal mucus
- Effect of expectorants on relaxation behavior of sputum viscoelasticity in vivo
- Effect of the proteolytic enzyme serrapeptase in patients with chronic airway disease
- Evaluation of Serratia peptidase in acute or chronic inflammation of otorhinolaryngology pathology: a multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial versus placebo