Asthma entails difficulty in breathing, with bouts of cough. Asthma is caused when some particular substance causes swelling of the tissues that are present in the air passages of the lung.
It leads to shortness of breath and coughing. Asthma can be caused by number of factors, including certain foods that cause allergy in people, though there are very few food items that can trigger asthma. A well planned asthma diet can help you to prevent asthma attacks.
Since different people can have allergies to different foods, there is no generalized standard asthma diet that can be recommended for asthma patients. You are suggested to keep a notebook that lists which foods are allergic to you, so that you can avoid those. However, there are certain foods that are generally allergic to asthma patients. These include cow's milk, wheat and other cereals, yeast and foods containing mould, and peanuts. Fish and eggs can be very dangerous to asthmatic patients since these cause the instant and risky reactions. Some food colorings and preservatives can also worse your asthma symptoms.
There are many foods that can worsen asthma situations for a particular patient, but these work well for general public. So, you need to take care of your asthma diet, as to what works for you and what doesn’t.
The foods that are recommended for asthma patients widen air passageways, enabling them to breathe better. These foods include spicy, pungent foods like chili, garlic and onions. These hot foods stimulate nerves which causes watery fluid in the mouth and throat, thus relieving the irritation. There are some other food items that control inflammation of the airways. These are anti-inflammatory in nature and should be a part of your asthma diet, such as onions, fatty fish and vitamin C rich foods.
When you realize that certain foods are not good for you as they are allergic and cause breathlessness or cough, you should have a blood test from a lab. Once the disease is confirmed, avoid the reactive foods. Try keeping a food diary for one week and note down the foods or ingredients that you eat every day or almost every day. Figure out what lead to the reaction and eliminate those from your diet for a while to see if you improve.
You should have disciplined and regulated diet if you have asthma. Ideally, your diet should have limited quantity of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Avoid such foods that generally cause phlegm, such as rice, sugar, banana, papaya, and curd.
Drop fried and such foods that are somewhat difficult to digest such as strong tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, and sauces.
Losing weight can help you to control asthma. If you are particular about asthma diet, losing weight could accelerate the recovery process. A sound health combined with an active, positive and stress free lifestyle improves lung function. See if you are over-weight and try some weight loss exercises if it is true. Plan your healthy asthma diet around a variety of foods, including fresh fruit and vegetables, grains, and cereals.
Some foods have the reputation of being able to protect asthma and to improve lung function. Research has shown that asthmatic people who have fruits and green vegetables had the healthiest lung function. Apart from these, foods rich in vitamin C and E also help reduce the severity of the inflammatory problem. Further, you can control and strengthen your immunity so that you do not catch cold or similar infections, easily, which are common asthma triggers.
Certain food items offer an immediate relief from an attack. These include the spicy, pungent foods like chili, hot mustard, garlic, and onions. If you are a pregnant woman, you should have apples and fish to reduce the chances of respiratory disorders or asthma in your baby. Research has shown that children born to mothers who ate the most apples and fish during pregnancy were the least likely to have ever been diagnosed with asthma or had asthma symptoms.
There are some natural anti-inflammatory substances that can help you in asthma control. These substances are available in certain food items and you should ensure taking more of these items as part of your asthma diet. Quercetin is one such substance that is found in apples, grapes, berries, and in red wine. Omega 3 fatty acids are good anti-inflammatory agents and are found in flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, walnuts, mackerel, soybeans, cod, and in all dark green leafy vegetables.
Some manufacturers use some preservatives for their products, such as for pickles. If the food item contains sulfites, it is likely to trigger asthma. There are certain items for example, dried fruits, beer, wine, pickles, and packed potatoes that may naturally contain preservatives. You should avoid all such food items. Ideally, discuss it with your doctor, and prepare a diet plan.
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