Ask Dr Miriam

QI’ve managed to quit smoking after umpteen failures. I know this will do me the world of good but is there anything I can eat to help my body get over the effects of smoking?

AResearch from Johns Hopkins University in the US and Imperial College London has found that certain foods, in particular tomatoes and apples, may help repair lung damage in people who’ve quit smoking.

In addition the study suggests that a diet rich in fruits can slow down the lungs’ natural ageing process, even if you’ve never smoked. The researchers assessed the diets of 650 adults, first in 2002 and then again in 2012, and tracked their lung function in parallel. The team concluded that eating more fruit may offer a way of tackling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Now that’s really good news. Eating more fruit is something we can all do. It’s simple, cheap and good for your lungs.