Asthma and Nutrition: How food Affects your Lungs?

 

Is there a link between asthma and Diet? Yes. What you eat too much affects the functioning of your respiratory system - it affects everything. Therefore, if a person wants to control the symptoms of asthma, this is one factor to consider. According to medical research, Asthma is an allergic lung infection. In addition, asthma attacks can be caused by chemicals, pollutants, pollen, fungi, dust, animal skin, food, exercise, and even temperature changes. "Well, what's the dietetic suggestion?" it is to eliminate all processed foods and animal products such as meat, milk, eggs, and the like from your diet - simple and easy. Two quotes that come to mind in promoting this: "You are what you eat" and "Your food should be medicine and your medicine is your diet" All of the above foods from mucous membranes and when digested (in the case of digestion), they leave more than most mucous membranes and slime. However, you will still be much better off avoiding those foods that are listed as making mucus. Some minor issues will still apply to the treatment of natural asthma, however, dietary contraindications are a fact that we need to be very careful about. Remember that what you eat affects the way you breathe and the way you breathe affects the way you live. 

 

How Does Food Related to Breathing?

 

Metabolism is the process of converting food into fuel in the body. Oxygen is essential for this process to help burn food molecules. When sugar, fiber, fat, and protein are broken down, energy is the ultimate product. Carbon dioxide is formed as waste and is released. Different types of nutrients require different amounts of oxygen and produce different amounts of carbon dioxide. Carbohydrates absorb more oxygen and produce more carbon dioxide, while fats produce less carbon dioxide. "Some people with COPD feel that eating a diet low in carbohydrates and saturated fats helps them breathe easier," said Traci Gonzales, a nurse and volunteer spokeswoman for the American Lung Association.

 

What Can Help?

 

Vitamin D: Vitamin D plays an important role in boosting the immune response and helps reduce inflammation of the airways. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of asthma in children and adults. Studies also show that adults with asthma may benefit from vitamin D supplements, such as protective effects against acute respiratory infections and reduced growth rates that require systemic corticosteroids. Dietary sources of vitamin D include solid milk, salmon, orange juice, and eggs.

 

Vitamin E: Vitamin E contains a chemical called tocopherol, which may reduce the risk of other asthma symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. Sources of vitamin E include almonds, green seeds, Swiss chard, mustard greens, kale, broccoli, and hazelnuts.

 

Things to Avoid

 

Sulfites: While some fresh fruits like apples or bananas may be helpful in your diet, sulfites are found in many dried fruits and can cause adverse reactions or even asthma symptoms in others. Sulfites are also found in other foods incorporated in saltwater, shrimp, maraschino cherries, bottled lemon or lemon juice, and alcohol. "Not everyone knows about this connection," Gonzales said. "I've seen a few people with asthma that can be present when they drink alcohol, especially red wine."

 

Gas-eating foods: Avoid foods that contain gas or constipation, which often make breathing difficult. This can cause chest tightness and cause asthma attacks.

 

Foods to avoid include beans, carbonated beverages, onions, garlic, and fried foods.

 

Salicylates: Salicylates are naturally occurring chemical compounds and, although rare, some people with asthma may be sensitive to salicylates found in tea, coffee, other herbs or spices, and even aspirin, according to Gonzales. People with common food allergies or allergies, such as dairy products, synthetic ingredients, tree nuts, wheat, or shellfish, may also be at risk of developing asthma.

 

Some patients with asthma may have heard of soy-caffeine isoflavone as a possible cure for the symptoms. A study from the American Lung Association Airways Clinical Research Centers (ACRC) Network found that the use of soy isoflavone supplement did not cause improved lung function or clinical outcomes, including symptoms, episodes of severe asthma control, or inflammation of the airways.

 

Remember that dietary restrictions and allergies vary from person to person. Remember, no single food or vitamin will give you all the nutrients you need. Foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals keep our mind and body healthy.

 

It is important to consult your doctor or dietitian before making major changes to your diet.

 

Samina Zaheer (Health and Fitness)

Eat Well to Stay Healthy

 

Eating the fat your body needs to do all kinds of things, including breathing. If you have a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), eating can be stressful. Oxygen is needed to chew and digest food, and that is in short supply. Your respiratory problems can also be debilitating and prevent you from developing healthy foods. But you must eat well so that you can stay strong and avoid diseases.

 

New research suggests that food may be a major cause of asthma, a chronic inflammation of the airways that affects about 20 million Americans, six million of whom are children.

 

Researchers report in Chest magazine that adolescents are at increased risk of developing respiratory problems if their diet is deficient. “ Adolescents who ate less fruit, vitamins C and E, and omega-3 fatty acids were less effective in the lungs and reported higher respiratory symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath,” says study author Jane Burns, an epidemiologist at Harvard School of Public. 

 

Burns and colleagues conducted interviews with 2,115 U.S. high school students. and Canadians 16- to 19-year-olds during their school year about their eating habits — and, of course, their lung function. They found that teens who ate less than 25 percent of one fruit a day were more likely to have lung problems than their counterparts.

 

Lewis Smith, professor of medicine at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., says the study confirms many previous studies showing the benefits of healthy eating in respiratory function. The difficulty of determining which nutrients among thousands of different foods are responsible for health benefits says Smith, who has done studies linking soy isoflavones (and potent antioxidants) with a reduction in the severity of asthma symptoms.

 

"This is a very complex disease [and] a lot of work to be done [to understand] the causes," Burns said. He is currently involved in two new studies — one examining the effects of air pollution and the other examining the effects of smoke and food that are effective in respiratory health. Key point: "We have a real problem with young people not being able to access the recommended resources [for food and micronutrients]," Burns said. "Malnutrition is a factor that affects the symptoms of asthma."