Waiting to inhale: dealing with asthma through diet - wellness

Vegetarian Times, May, 2003 by Annette Kornblum, Alan Pell Crawford

Food Fixes

Until much-needed research is completed and medical protocols are developed, asthma sufferers will continue to look for non-medicinal--that is, dietary--approaches to curbing their symptoms of asthma. Although much research remains to be completed, early results suggest that adding these items to your diet may one day be recommended by mainstream medical professionals.

* Soy. Products such as tofu and tempeh "might be helpful" in relieving symptoms, says Jean Regal, principal investigator in a University of Minnesota study published in the April 2000 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine. The study determined that, under laboratory conditions, a diet rich in phytoestrogens, which are found in soy protein, may have a "beneficial anti-inflammatory effect."

* Fruits and vegetables. In a presentation to the American Thoracic Society in May 2002, Tina V. Hartert, assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said that while "no definitive study" supports the claim, dietary antioxidants--found in most fruits and vegetables--have been shown in European studies to preserve lung function. She recommended that asthma sufferers eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

* Vitamin E. In a study published in the November 4, 2000 issue of The Lancet, Andrew Fogarty of England's University of Nottingham found the blood of adults who consumed the highest levels of vitamin E had fewer allergy-related antibodies, which have been linked to asthma, than those who consumed the least. This finding led Fogarty to conclude that antitoxins such as vitamin E may decrease the likelihood of asthma by reducing the level of these compounds.

* Omega-3 fatty acids, The evidence is strong that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids improves lung function. In a January 2000 article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from Harvard's School of Public Health reported that lung function and asthma symptoms appear to improve in adults who consume foods rich in polyunsaturated omega-3s, which are found in flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.