Asthma Diet

When it comes to what a good asthma diet looks like, you will find that there are many different opinions. If you are trying to decide on a diet, it is important to keep in mind that there really isn’t an “asthma diet” that is going to cure your asthma.

In general, if you drink adequate fluids and eat well-balanced meals you will be doing well. However, there are certain foods you shouldn’t have and some that you should. These reports are at times conflicting.

Some say not to drink beer or wine or eat shrimp, dried fruit, processed potatoes, or other foods because they might cause asthma symptoms.

One study suggests that even over a short period of time (eight weeks), an egg- and milk-free diet can reduce atopic symptoms and improve lung function in asthmatic children.

On the other hand, some of the findings of a new Dutch study suggest that young children who regularly eat full cream milk, butter and other products that contain milk fat are less likely to develop asthma. These children had less wheezing than children who did not have milk fat in their diet. Also children who ate brown bread daily also had lower rates of asthma and wheezing. The study also found children who consumed fruit juice and vegetables daily had lower asthma rates than other children

Another study indicates that dietary supplementation with fish oil rich in the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid is beneficial for children with bronchial asthma
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Obese people with asthma show improved lung function when they lose weight, therefore it’s possible that the most important reason for eating a healthy diet is for weight control. A healthy diet may also help to reduce the symptoms of asthma by adding natural anti-inflammatory foods and by avoiding food allergies that might provoke asthma attacks. The following is their suggestions for losing weight.

Weight Control for better Asthma Control

Follow these steps:

Some people may find that their asthma is worse if they eat certain foods frequently. Some food allergies are obvious and some food allergies have a delayed reaction and are difficult to pinpoint. Although you can just eliminate the most common food allergens from your diet, it is usually better to order a blood test from a lab that specializes in delayed food allergies. Once you get the results, avoid the reactive foods.

Some of the more common foods to cause allergies include:

These are some of the most common, but almost any food can cause delayed allergies if it is consumed often enough. Try keeping a food diary for one week and look for foods or ingredients that you eat every day or almost every day. These are foods you should eliminate for a while to see if your symptoms improve. Delayed food allergies can make it difficult to lose weight and at the same time can have a negative impact on your asthma.

Some foods can improve your health because of compounds they contain called phytochemicals, bioflavonoids, or essential fatty acids. If you have asthma, you may wish to increase your consumption of foods that are natural anti-inflammatories and anti-histamines. These include:
• Apples and red onions for quercetin.
• Walnuts, soy, and oily fish for their Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
• Berries and Colorful fruits that have several different healthy bioflavonoids.
While there is not an “Asthma Diet” so to speak, your diet can have a huge effect on your asthma. Foods that have shown in studies to be beneficial for asthma patients might be dangerous for someone with allergies for the same foods. Therefore it is important to do good research and to be aware of your own allergies before choosing your diet.