How to Use Diet to Treat Asthma

Asthma is a disease of the lungs that is characterized mostly by periodic trouble in breathing. Many who have asthma also have various allergies, so these two conditions are interrelated. When the lungs get irritated by dander, smoke, plant matter or other airborne particles, bronchial tubes constrict, making it hard to breathe. You may be able to treat your reaction to environmental particles and improve lung function by making a few alterations to your diet. Read on to learn more about how to use your diet to treat asthma.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Reference material on asthma and diet
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Fresh fruits or vegetables
• Antioxidants
• Vitamins C and E
• Advice from an acupuncturist, naturopath or homeopathic doctor
• Natural sweeteners
• Foods with whole-wheat flour

Delve Into Diet

1. Eliminate any known food allergens from your daily diet. Don't use nuts, fruits, eggs or other items that cause irritation of the mouth, nausea, hives or other allergy symptoms.
2. Reduce your intake of salty, oily or processed foods (except for fish oil). Substitute these foods for fresh fruits or vegetables.
3. Reduce refined white flour and sugar intake. Use food products that have whole-wheat flour or natural sweeteners, such as honey or fruit juice, whenever possible.
4. Consult a nutritionist, acupuncturist or other natural health care provider for a personal assessment of how your diet affects your asthma condition.

Apply Your Diet to Your Asthma Treatment

5. Increase your consumption of antioxidants. These are plentiful in certain fruits, such as blueberries, as well as vegetables in the lily family, such as garlic and onion.
6. Get the right fats. Eat more fish for omega-3 fatty acids and use extra-virgin olive oil instead of heavier, refined oils like as sunflower or safflower. Steam vegetables instead of cooking with butter or oil.
7. Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. These may contain bioflavinoids, beta carotene and vitamins C and E, which have antioxidant and autoimmune-boosting properties.
8. Follow your health care practitioner's advice on an asthma-friendly diet until it becomes part of your overall routine.

Tips & Warnings

• The rate of asthma increases for those on a diet high in salt and vegetable oils and low in fresh vegetables.
• Proper diet can bolster immune cells, which may decrease hypersensitivity to airborne allergens and particulates.
• Antioxidants help to immobilize free radicals in the body. The build-up of free radicals may cause systemic dysfunction.
• Food allergies may affect asthma. You can treat them through avoidance.
• Asthma is a serious disease that you likely cannot treat through diet alone. See a doctor when you suspect that you may have asthma.
• Continue to eat a balanced diet while adjusting it toward more asthma-friendly ingredients.