Asthma & Diet - Asthma

Asthma results when triggers cause swelling of the tissues in the air passages of the lung, making it difficult to breathe. Typical symptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing. Food triggered asthma is unusual. Although food allergies may trigger asthma in a small number of people. Check out how diet can affect asthma in different ways.

First, some foods can provoke asthma attacks by causing an allergic reaction.
Foods that trigger attacks (according to your susceptibility), can be:
Foods containing the additives benzoates(E210-19), sulphites (E220-8) or gallates (E310-12)

Cider, wine and beer
Foods containing yeast or mould, such as bread and blue cheeses
Foods, drinks and snacks containing colorings E102, E104 and E110
Cow's milk, cereals (wheat), eggs, fish, soy, and nuts (especially peanuts)

At the same time Food can also help to control the severity of an attack. One of the best-known foods for doing this is coffee, due to the caffeine.
Some Foods can actually dilate air passageways, by thinning the mucus and opening them up for freer breathing. The foods in this category include the spicy, pungent foods like chili, hot mustard, garlic and onions. These hot foods work by stimulating nerves, resulting in the release of watery fluid in the mouth, throat and lungs.

Thirdly, some foods can control inflammation of the airways because of their anti-inflammatory components. Foods that help to do this include onions (these are particularly good), fatty fish (fish oil is a proven anti-inflammatory high in omega 3 fatty acids) and vitamin C-packed foods.

EAT PLENTY OF
Foods rich in the B vitamins such as green leafy vegetables and pulses

Good sources of magnesium such as sunflower seeds and dried figs

Broccoli may help protect against respiratory inflammation that causes conditions like asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

According to a latest Medical News, low levels of vitamin D are associated with higher rates of asthma-related hospitalization, inhaled corticosteroid use, and airway hyper-reactivity in children.

Vitamin D levels were also associated with more direct markers of asthma severity, expressed as odds ratios for each log-10 unit increase in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D:

Asthma hospitalization, OR 0.05 (95% CI 0.004 to 0.71)

Use of anti-inflammatory medication, OR 0.21 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.75)

Use of inhaled steroids, OR 0.14 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.96)

Increased airway responsiveness, OR 0.15 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.96)

Lack of adequate sun exposure was the most likely reason for low vitamin D levels in the study, the researchers said.