What Food Can Cure Asthma?
Diet is the cornerstone of any wellness plan, but especially essential for asthmatics. A diet rich in plant-based whole food sources such as calcium, iron and potassium can help relieve symptoms while improving lung function.
Antioxidants can also provide valuable aid, and one study demonstrated how tomato juice, packed with the antioxidant lycopene, helped relax airways. Kiwi and oranges are other great choices; just watch out for dried fruits as these often contain sulfites which could potentially worsen asthma symptoms.
Beans
Studies suggest that symptoms of asthma may be alleviated or eliminated through following a diet rich in healthy foods, including beans. Beans provide protein without the harmful fats typically found in meat and dairy products, and are also high in soluble fiber, helping the body remove extra water and waste, potentially aiding individuals who are experiencing digestive issues such as gas or bloating that often trigger asthma symptoms.
Beans and peas from the Fabaceae or legume family offer an economical, easily digestible protein source that’s readily affordable. Their seeds and pods contain essential minerals and vitamins like magnesium, potassium and selenium which have numerous health benefits for our bodies’ immune systems, thyroids, lungs and nervous systems. Even those allergic to peanuts, soybeans or soy may still enjoy eating some members of this legume family like lentils or black-eyed peas (hummus). Cooked beans make an excellent addition to any healthful eating plan!
Other food choices that can assist those living with asthma include flaxseeds, which contain omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce inflammation related to wheezing and shortness of breath. They can be added to smoothies or sprinkled over cereal. Other superfoods for asthmatics include spinach, buckwheat and sunflower seeds.
Asthma patients can also reap great advantages by eating more fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and antioxidants. Consuming foods rich in these elements has been shown to strengthen immunity, improve lung function and lower the likelihood of asthma attacks – vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, berries and mangoes as well as many others.
Sea vegetables are nutritional powerhouses. Packed with calcium, iron, iodine, protein and vitamins A-E as well as potassium zinc and copper – it makes an ideal tonic for lung and respiratory tract health as well as being an anti-inflammatory source with plenty of soluble fiber to ease breathing processes for those suffering from asthma. Some examples of sea vegetables to try include wakame nori and hijiki
Meat
New research indicates that switching your diet over to more whole food and fewer processed and fatty options may help ease chronic inflammation that contributes to asthma attacks, according to one recent study. Before making radical changes, however, consult with both your physician and registered dietician about which changes could work best for you.
Avoiding sulfites could help ease symptoms by decreasing the amount of histamine produced, thus decreasing inflammation in your airways. Sulfites are frequently used as preservatives in pickled foods, bottled lemon and lime juices, dried fruits, wine and shrimp products so be aware of label reading when purchasing food and beverage items containing sulfites.
Calcium may also help ease asthma symptoms by strengthening lung walls. Good sources include dairy products like milk and yogurt as well as vegetables like kale, spinach and broccoli.
Garlic may also be an effective asthma superfood. Studies have linked garlic with reduced asthma symptoms due to compounds it contains which reduce free-radical damage and histamine levels, and its abundance of vitamin C content which helps lessen inflammatory reactions as well as spasms of the bronchial passages.
Diets rich in vegetables and fruit, whole grains, unsaturated fats, fish and olive oil may help. Such foods have been shown to lower inflammation while simultaneously strengthening immune systems.
Experts suggest that eating foods rich in magnesium such as avocados, beans and tofu as well as dark chocolate could help relax the smooth muscle of bronchioles, thus alleviating wheezing. Salmon is another food known to contain plenty of magnesium.
Diets low in sulfites and sodium may also help your condition, as these foods have been linked to decreased asthma symptoms for some people. You should also try cutting back on nitrates used as preservatives in many meat-based products such as cured meats, canned fish or mushrooms with these additives and stay clear from these items altogether by reading labels carefully or staying away from these food groups altogether. Finally, get adequate sunshine exposure every day as this may make up for deficiencies in vitamin D that contribute to asthma for some individuals.
Dairy
No single food can treat asthma, but eating fresh fruits and vegetables helps ease chronic inflammation and improve lung function. Certain nutrients are particularly useful: leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard contain folate, calcium, and magnesium; tomatoes, avocados and sweet potatoes contain vitamin C; while nuts offer omega-3 fatty acids – not to mention all the antioxidants these foods provide to fight airway inflammation and avoid oxidative stress.
Some individuals may be allergic to dairy foods like milk, which can exacerbate asthma symptoms. However, most individuals suffering from asthma do not have such an allergy and eating dairy-free won’t help; thus it is crucial that an equilibrium be found between dairy and non-dairy sources of protein for effective management of asthma symptoms.
Studies indicate that diets high in saturated fat and low in fiber increase asthma risk while decreasing lung function. Yet other research suggests dairy consumption reduces asthma risks while others show no correlation between dairy intake and symptoms severity.
One common trigger of asthma attacks is drinking too many sugary beverages, particularly soda. Sugar in these drinks exacerbates inflammation and mucus production, potentially leading to asthma attacks.
Finally, some additives in processed food may trigger asthma symptoms; common examples of these additives are sodium benzoate, monosodium glutamate and Yellow 5. Adopting a plant-based diet will eliminate many of these substances and make controlling your asthma simpler.
While these medications cannot cure asthma, they may help relieve its symptoms such as inhalers. Keeping some close can be life-saving when experiencing an attack or just feeling bad.
If you suffer from asthma, it’s essential that any major changes to your diet be discussed with both a registered dietician and your physician beforehand. Together they can create a balanced eating plan designed to keep asthma under control.
Fruits & Vegetables
As its name implies, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is beneficial for asthmatics. They contain essential nutrients like potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene that can be helpful in relieving symptoms of the condition and decreasing its recurrence risk. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables such as carrots is known to boost lung function thanks to antioxidant-rich carrots; other leafy greens such as kale or spinach as well as sweet potatoes are all considered lung health boosters.
Fruits such as berries and oranges can help relieve asthma symptoms due to their abundant supply of vitamin C. Kiwi fruits contain quercetin, an anti-inflammation bioflavonoid found in these fruit species that aids against lung inflammation. Other healthy options for asthmatics are peaches and mangoes, apricots, pomegranate fruit and pineapple.
Avoid foods that cause gas or bloating as these may make breathing harder by exerting pressure on the diaphragm and pressurizing the diaphragm, potentially increasing diaphragmatic strain and leading to asthma attacks in some people. These foods include beans, carbonated beverages, garlic onions and fried foods as common triggers. Sulfites-containing preservatives may worsen asthma symptoms for certain individuals and should also be avoided in foods like pickled foods, bottled lemon and lime juices wines or dried fruits
Nutrients journal reported that eating predominantly plant-based diets could lower medication needs in those living with asthma. This is because plant-based diets contain less fats and more fibre – two components known to exacerbate asthma symptoms.
Garlic can make an excellent addition to an asthma diet because its chemical compounds help ease breathing, according to research. Garlic also contains antioxidants and compounds that may relieve symptoms by decreasing histamines production – chemicals responsible for asthma symptoms. Other foods which help ease symptoms of asthma are tomatoes, kiwis and goji berries which contain many anti-oxidant and other compounds which provide relief; tomatoes should also be consumed because these contain lots of antioxidants while meat, salt and sugar should all be avoided in their entirety. This article recommends eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains while excluding meat, salt and sugar from one’s diet plan for best results.
