May Help: Fruits and Veggies -
There's no specific asthma diet that can get rid of
your breathing troubles. But certain foods may have benefits. Fruits and
veggies are a good place to start. They're full of chemicals called
antioxidants like beta carotene and vitamins E and C. These help stop particles
called "free radicals" that damage cells and could inflame and
irritate your lungs.
May Help: Vitamin D -
You get most of it from sunshine, but it's also in
some foods. The top choice is fatty fish like salmon and swordfish, followed by
milk, eggs, and orange juice, which are often "fortified" with
vitamin D. The nutrient strengthens the response of the immune system -- your
body's defense against germs -- and could lessen swelling in your airways.
Having low vitamin D levels can lead to more asthma attacks.
May Help: Nuts and Seeds -
They've got lots of good things in them, but one in
particular that might be good for asthma is vitamin E. Almonds, hazelnuts, and
raw seeds are good sources, as well as cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and
kale. Vitamin E has tocopherol, a chemical that could help cut how much you
cough and wheeze from your asthma.
May Hurt: Dried Fruit -
There are some foods you may want to avoid if you
have asthma, and dried fruits are among them. Though fresh fruit, especially
oranges and apples, can help control your asthma, the sulfites that help
preserve dried fruit could make the condition worse for some people. Alcohol
(especially red wine), shrimp, pickled vegetables, maraschino cherries, and
bottled lemon juice also often have sulfites.
May Hurt: Beans -
It's all about the gas they give some people. It can
bloat your belly and make it harder to breathe. It may even trigger an asthma
attack. Beans are the most famous candidate. Soak them for a few hours and change
the water a couple or so times to lessen this effect. Other gassy culprits are
garlic, onions, fried foods, and carbonated drinks.
May Hurt: Coffee -
Salicylates are chemicals that occur naturally in
coffee, tea, herbs, spices, and even in anti-inflammatory pills, like aspirin.
Though most people don't react to them, they could make it harder to breathe,
especially if you already have asthma. You may be able to improve these
symptoms if you cut as many as you can from your diet.
May Help: Mediterranean Diet -
It's made up of lots of fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, beans, and nuts. You eat fish and chicken at least twice a week, and
limit your red meat. Instead of butter, you cook with olive or canola oil, and
you flavor with herbs instead of salt. There's even a bit of optional red wine
for adults. People who eat this way have fewer asthma attacks and are less
likely to get the condition in the first place.
May Help: Fish -
It's all about the omega-3 fatty acids, especially
in fatty fish like salmon, herring, tuna, and sardines. They help lessen the
amount of IgE your body makes. That's an antibody that causes breathing
problems in some people with asthma. But the high doses of oral steroids that
some people use to treat serious asthma can block much of this helpful effect.
May Hurt: Food Allergies -
You're more likely to have a food allergy if you
have asthma. And a food reaction could cause wheezing and other asthma
symptoms. In some cases, it's worse if you exercise after you eat certain foods.
Try to notice what does it, and avoid it. Typical triggers are nuts, dairy,
wheat, and shellfish, though everyone is different.
May Hurt: Too Much Food -
When you eat more calories than you burn, your body
stores the extra in fat cells. You can really start to pack on the pounds if
you do that too much. If you become obese (BMI greater than 30), you're more
likely to get asthma and it could make your symptoms worse. In addition, you
may not respond as well to typical treatments like inhaled steroids that stop
an asthma attack.
May Help: Tomatoes -
Foods made from tomatoes seem to help people with
asthma. Scientists think it may be the lycopene that helps most, but more
research is needed. Some studies show they can keep you breathing better over the
long term. Spaghetti marinara, anyone?
May Help: Variety -
There's no single "magic bullet" food that
will cure you of asthma. You need a wide range of nutrients and vitamins to
keep your body healthy enough to handle attacks when you get them or to keep
them away altogether. Talk
to your doctor about any big changes in the way you eat, because they could
affect your condition as well as your medication.
May Hurt: Supplements -
As a general rule, supplements don't work as well as
nutrients from food to protect you from asthma. So, get your veggies! (And
nuts. And fish. And fruit). You may have heard that "soy isoflavone"
supplements, in particular, can ease asthma symptoms. Unfortunately, studies
seem to show that this simply isn't the case. Talk to your doctor about any supplements you take
because they can affect your medication.
May Hurt: Liquid Nitrogen -
Some people call it "nitro puff," but
there are other names. You might notice a stream of smoky coldness that spirals
from a fancy cocktail, a new frozen dessert at the mall, or other foods. It may
look like fun, but
it's best to avoid it. It could cause breathing problems, especially if you
have asthma, as well as serious injury to skin and even internal organs.
Reviewed by: Sabrina Felson, MD on November 09, 2018
Sources:
American Lung
Association: "Asthma and Nutrition: How Food Affects Your Lungs."
Asthma UK:
"Food."
Cleveland Clinic:
"Sulfite Sensitivity."
Deutsches Ärzteblatt
International: "Salicylate Intolerance."
European Respiratory
Journal: "Dietary antioxidants and 10-year lung function decline
in adults from the ECRHS survey."
Journal of
Gastroenterology and Hepatology: "Bioactive food chemicals and
gastrointestinal symptoms: a focus of salicylates."
Mayo Clinic:
"Allergies and asthma: They often occur together,"
"Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan," "Beans and
other legumes: Cooking tips," "Can foods I eat affect my asthma
symptoms?" "Asthma diet: Does what you eat make a difference?"
Nutrients: "Immunometabolism
in Obese Asthmatics: Are We There Yet?" "Diet and Asthma: Is It Time
to Adapt Our Message?"
University of
Rochester Medical Center: "Evidence Points to Fish Oil to Fight
Asthma."
FDA: "2015-2020
Dietary Guidelines," "FDA Advises Consumers to Avoid Eating,
Drinking, or Handling Food Products Prepared with Liquid Nitrogen at the Point
of Sale."
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