Foods to Avoid When Managing Bronchitis Symptoms
Lung & RespiratoryBronchitis

Foods to Avoid With Bronchitis

Foods to Avoid With Bronchitis
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Updated on May 26, 2026
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When you’re sick with bronchitis, it might be tempting to indulge in ready-made comfort foods to help take your mind off your symptoms.

But certain foods that delight, like ones containing refined carbohydrates and saturated fats, ⁠may increase inflammation in the body and slow down your recovery. They could also disturb the bacteria and other microbes living in your intestines (the gut microbiome) and contribute to lower immunity.

It’s okay to treat yourself on sick days, as long as you stay mindful of foods that may irritate or prolong your bronchitis.

Inflammation and Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs. The condition often develops after a chest cold and comes in two forms: acute (short term) and chronic (long term).

Your doctor may recommend that you eat inflammation-fighting foods and steer clear of inflammatory foods when you're sick with bronchitis, since it’s an inflammatory disease.

When you want to figure out which foods are inflammatory, you can use the typical Western diet as a guide. That’s because it includes a long list of popular inflammation-causing foods. The Western diet is heavy on animal-based and highly processed foods. It’s rich in saturated fat, added sugars, sodium, and refined grains. And it’s low in fiber and nutritional value.

The Gut-Lung Axis

Along with studies on inflammation and respiratory disease, there is an emerging body of research focusing on the gut-lung axis. This term describes the relationship between the digestive system and the lungs. Some foods affect the bacteria and other microbes living in your gut, and that in turn might have certain effects on your lungs.

Around 70 percent of the body’s immune cells live in the gut. An imbalance in the gut — which could mean a shortage of good bacteria, an overgrowth of harmful bacteria, or a loss of overall microbiome diversity — can lead to a dysregulated immune response in the lungs. And that could increase vulnerability to inflammation and infection.

Research suggests that an imbalanced gut microbiome may make us more vulnerable to respiratory infections.

Foods to Avoid With Bronchitis

Considering this research on the respiratory system’s relationship to inflammation and the gut, here is what you might want to avoid eating or drinking repeatedly if you have bronchitis:

  • Refined Sugars and Simple Carbs These contribute significantly to inflammation. Examples include soda, fruit juice, white bread, white pasta, and ice cream.

  • Trans Fats and Saturated Fats These fats can worsen inflammation and respiratory conditions. They are commonly found in processed and packaged foods, fried foods, butter, lard, fat and skin from meat, hydrogenated vegetable oils, shortening, cookies, crackers, and pastries.

  • Excessive Sodium and Salt High sodium intake causes water retention (edema), which can affect breathing ability and worsen respiratory symptoms in conditions like chronic bronchitis.

  • Fried and Greasy Foods These foods can contribute to inflammation and lower gut microbiota diversity, which can negatively impact the gut-lung axis.

Moderation Is Usually Okay

Take into account that most studies focus on the impact of chronic consumption of specific foods on the body. This means that although it’s best to eat foods that fight inflammation while you have bronchitis, you are probably not putting yourself in harm’s way by treating yourself once or twice on a sick day.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Bronchitis. Mayo Clinic. July 2024.
  2. Foods that fight inflammation. Harvard Health Publishing. February 24, 2026.
  3. Nutrition and Immunity. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  4. Tashiro H et al. Gut–Lung Axis in Asthma and Obesity: Role of the Gut Microbiome. Frontiers in Allergy. June 2025.
  5. Chunxi L et al. The Gut Microbiota and Respiratory Diseases: New Evidence. Journal of Immunology Research. July 2020.
  6. Hernández-Díazcouder A. Negative Effects of Chronic High Intake of Fructose on Lung Diseases. Nutrients. October 2022.
  7. Wypych T. The Impact of Diet on Immunity and Respiratory Diseases. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. November 2017.
  8. Nutrition and COPD. American Lung Association. May 2026.
  9. Qi L. Fried Foods, Gut Microbiota, and Glucose Metabolism. Diabetes Care. August 2021.
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Michael S. Niederman, MD

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From NewYork-Presbyterian, Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Michael S. Niederman, MD, is the lead academic and patient quality officer in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City;...

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