Asthma Diet

There is no special diet for asthma, but there are recommendations that may help this chronic condition. In the asthma diet, people should avoid allergens (the foods and ingredients which irritate the lungs and causes the Allergy) and eat more healthily.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the bronchus' airways and hypersensitivity, leading to difficulty breathing due to mucous production, coughs, and wheezing due to the airways' narrowness shortness of breath. (1)
Asthma has got different levels that may differ from short problems to big problems such as Asthma attacks. (2)
Due to the chronic condition, asthma does not have an exact solution to be cured. Still, it can be controlled as well as other chronic diseases. (3)
Asthma will be treated by using an inhaler that helps the breathing and some tablets.
It can be occurred in childhood or adulthood and last for a long time. (4) Also, with the help of an asthma diet, dietitians replace lost nutrients due to allergens in your meals.

Generally, the main cause of asthma is unknown. But some factors that can contribute to asthma include: (5, 6, 7, 8)
♦ Polluted air
♦ Allergies
♦ Cold and flu
♦ Infection
♦ Cold air
♦ Workout and exercise

♦ Food allergies, allergic rhinitis, skin allergies
♦ Genetic and family history
♦ Childhood common infections
♦ Smoking
♦ Premature birth or low weight on childbirth (under 37 weeks, less than 2500 grams)
♦ Jobs harmful to the lungs (Lumberjack, construction, roadwork, factory work, etc.)
♦ obesity

Above list are some factors that seems can increase risk of asthma. (9, 10, 11)

Foods contain peanuts:

♦ Nut butter that may contain peanut (12, 13, 14)
♦ Peanut oil
♦ Arachis oil
♦ Goobers
♦ Some candies and baked goods

there are several worst foods for asthma that nutritionists and dietitians suggest patients to avoid them, include below:

Foods containing milk:

♦ Butter and butterfat
♦ Butter flavour
♦ Butter oil
♦ Buttermilk
♦ Cheese
♦ Casein
♦ Rennet casein
♦ Cream
♦ Sour cream
♦ Half cottage cheese
♦ Custard
♦ Yogurt
♦ Pudding
♦ Ghee
♦ Milk solids
♦ Lactalbumin
♦ Lactalbumin phosphate
♦ Lactoglobulin
♦ Lactulose
♦ All forms of milk from animals such as goats, cows, sheep (14, 15)

Foods containing eggs:

♦ Eggnog (16, 17, 18)
♦ Lysozyme
♦ Mayonnaise
♦ Meringue
♦ Lecithin
♦ Surimi
♦ Pasta
♦ Marzipan
♦ Marshmallows
♦ Nougat or Gaz

Other foods:

♦ Ethnic foods such as African, Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese
♦ Seafood like shrimp and fish
♦ Soy
♦ Garlic
♦ Pickle
♦ Sour fruits
♦ Tomatoes
♦ Some legumes
♦ Hazelnuts
♦ Walnuts
♦ Almonds
♦ Pistachios

Aspirin: Asthmatic patients may suffer from reactions to sulphites is called anaphylactic shock that may be very dangerous. (19)
Nonfoods allergies or preservatives or additive substances in processed, canned, and manufactured foods may cause allergies such as:
Sulphites: dried fruits, pickled foods, wine, grape juice, shrimp, maraschino, bottled lemon/lime juice, molasses, Sauerkraut (20)
Tartrazine: confectionary foods, cotton candy, flavoured chips, soft drinks, cereals, cake mixes, sauces, mustard, paella, risotto, some health and cosmetics products, ice cream, ice pops, jam, jelly, gelatins, instant puddings, chewing gum, marmalade, yogurt, some brands of squash, noodles, biscuits (21)
Synthetic dyes: balsamic vinegar, processed bread, vanilla ice cream, microwave popcorn, salad dressings, yogurt, chewing gum, farm-raised salmon, energy bars (22)
Salicylates: coffee, tea, herbs, aspirin. Anti-inflammatory pills can make symptoms of asthma more difficult. (23)

There are a lot of recommendations for people who have challenges with their asthma disease during their life here below:
The critical recommendation that nutritionists suggest is that you should pay attention to the labels on the foods you want to consume. Take care of yourself, not consume foods with these contents that react to your body.
Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables as resources that are rich in antioxidants relieves asthma symptoms. (24)
It's better to eat small and frequent meals, eat 5-6 small meals instead of 3 large meals.
Eat fish at least three times a week or take fish oil capsules daily (in children with Allergy to fish) and in non-allergic children. (25)
Fresh fat is recommended.
Some studies have shown a strong relationship between fatty acids and allergies, so monitoring the amount of healthy alternative foods containing fatty acids is needed that a nutritionist can do.
A low salty diet especially relieves asthma symptoms in boys.

In 4% of adults and 11% of children with asthma, one or more foods aggravates asthma symptoms. So, It is better for asthma patients and parents of children with asthma to follow up an asthma diet that restricted in allergens. (26, 27)
The asthma diet should be balanced, low in volume, and rich in high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals. These patients' fluid intake should also be high unless it interferes with the patient's specific condition.
The shift from eating fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to processed foods may be associated with increased asthma cases in recent decades. Although more studies are needed to feed asthmatic patients, preliminary evidence suggests that there is no single food or nutrient that can improve asthma symptoms on its own.
Certain foods may help improve health to fight and control asthma. Apple and banana are two fruits associated with a lower risk of asthma. Fruits and vegetables are a good choice because they include antioxidants and vitamins that reduce the radicals and stop lung cells' harm.

Vitamin A

A poor diet can lead to asthma. Vitamin A is one of the vitamins needed in a healthy diet, and vitamin A deficiencies in early life affect the pulmonary system. (28)
Food sources of vitamin A are cheese, eggs, mango, watermelon, oily fish, milk, and yogurt.
Beta-carotene is a form of vitamin A that helps lung function. Beta-carotene sources are carrots, cantaloupe, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin C

Intake of vitamin C sources such as broccoli, grapefruit, oranges, sweet peppers, kiwi, tomatoes, glams, oranges, and berries in the asthma diet should be high. (29)

Vitamin D

The primary source of providing vitamin D is sunrays, but which foods can provide us with vitamin D?
♦ Fatty fish like salmon
♦ Milk
♦ Egg
♦ Fortified orange juice
♦ Fortified cereals and kinds of milk and products

If the amount of vitamin D were insufficient, supplementation should be recommended.
This nutrient helps the immune system and lowers the irritability of lung airways in response to allergens. Asthma attacks happen more often in people with a low amount of vitamin D in the body.
Many studies suggest a potential therapeutic and preventive effect of vitamin D supplementation for patients with asthma. (30, 31)

Vitamin E

Studies have shown an increased amount of vitamin E in the asthma diet and subsequently raises the antioxidants and reduce asthma occurrence. (32)
Vitamin E is available in most nuts, but you should be aware of your body's reaction to them. If you have allergies, you have to avoid consuming them.
Other Vitamin E sources are Almonds, raw seed, broccoli, kale, plant oil, corn, and olive oil. We should pint the fact that there are many controversies between studies. They should be done more to clarify the relationship between vitamin E and Asthma.

Omega-3

IgE is an antibody that is high in allergy conditions such as asthma, but what are the point of omega-3 and this antibody?
The omega-3 content of foods such as oily and fatty fishes like sardines, tuna, Atlantic mackerel, cod, herring, and lake trout reduces the amount of IgE and less breathing problems as its result.
It should be noted that high using up of oil may lead to other health and artery problems, so dietitians should plan the proper quantity and load. (33)

Magnesium

People, especially children with low magnesium levels, are at high risk of asthma. Eating rich magnesium foods are spinach, nut seeds, dark chocolate, avocados, and whole grains. (34)

Vitamin B6

Theophylline (used to treat asthma) reduces the level of vitamin B6 in the blood. Vitamin B6 supplementation may be required on the advice of a physician.

Obesity and overweight can reduce the effects of treatment with inhaled corticosteroids, and a person needs to lose weight.
In the asthma diet, the stomach expansion should be prevented due to a large meal that leads to gastric reflux or worsening of asthma. Weight-loss diets in obese children with asthma seem to help improve asthma control, lung function and improve their quality of life. People with BMI upper than 30 are called obese, and they have to lose weight. (35)

A healthy diet during pregnancy and childhood and breast milk use can reduce asthma risk in childhood. Therefore, in families prone to asthma, it is recommended that infants be exclusively breastfed. In fact, Breastfeeding provides immune support for infants whose immune systems are immature. It relatively prevents childhood wheezing, and the longer the breastfeeding period, the greater the positive effects.
Decreased intake of vitamins D, E, and zinc during pregnancy is associated with increased asthma incidence and wheezing in children up to five years of age.

Patients with asthma should be careful about their gastroesophageal reflux disease, leading to worsening of the condition. Eating meals and foods that produce gas can lead to massive pressure on the diaphragm, cause Bloating, chest pains, and asthma. Soaking them a few hours in water can solve this problem a bit. Gassy foods that should be avoided are:
♦ beans
♦ legumes
♦ onions
♦ garlic
♦ lentils
♦ pears
♦ cabbage
♦ asparagus
♦ artichokes
♦ broccoli
♦ brussels sprouts
♦ carbonated and soft drinks
♦ fructose
♦ lactose
♦ dairy products
♦ hard candy
♦ wheat

Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy diet due to consuming healthy foods, and this is a plan for a lifestyle more than a diet. Mediterranean diet is calculated and balanced nutrients. Some research has shown the correlation between the Mediterranean diet and fewer Asthma attacks.