In asthma, the airways are constantly inflamed. They swell and become tight. This makes it hard to breathe. That can be threatening. People who have asthma then need medication on a permanent basis. Inhalers and nebulizers (portable ones) becomes part of their day-to-day activities. Let’s take a look at valuable information that can help asthmatics cope up with their daily activities.
Nutrition as a valuable addition to cope with Asthma
Researchers at the University Hospital in Copenhagen came to the conclusion that diet can have a positive effect on the disease. Asthmatics who eat consciously, avoid certain foods and also do sport, cope much better with the respiratory disease. For example, shortness of breath and chest pain as well as shortness of breath are significantly reduced. The corresponding study on nutrition in asthma had already been presented in 2017 at the International Congress of the European Respiratory Society International Congress.
Diet and exercise for people with Asthma
125 subjects were tested in four different groups for eight weeks. One group received a high protein diet, which led to a balanced blood sugar level. A lot of fruit and vegetables were part of the diet. A second group did sports and took part in so-called high-intensity training. So the heart rate should be increased. The next group took part in an exercise program and ate according to a specially tailored nutrition plan, while the fourth group served as a control group and did not exercise or pay particular attention to nutrition.
The participants could not improve their lung function through sports training alone , but it still had a good influence on the general condition of the participating asthmatics. Many patients, however, fear exercise and exercise because they believe that this can trigger an asthma attack.
The best results were achieved in the group in which the subjects both exercised and adhered to a healthy diet. In this way, they not only increased their physical performance. The combination of exercise and food improved the symptoms typical of asthmatics by 50 percent. At best, this can make some asthma medication unnecessary for patients. But there is still a lack of clear scientific evidence regarding the link between diet and asthma. Numerous examinations are necessary for this. There are still no recommendations in the guidelines relating to a special diet for asthmatics.
Asthma taboos
In an earlier study, researchers had already shown that asthma symptoms worsened significantly in people who ate sausage or other meat products frequently. Meat products have worse effects on asthma attacks than smoking, lack of exercise or obesity.
Asthmatics should also avoid foods that can cause inflammation. These include, for example, many additives and preservatives that are contained in finished products, as well as colorings such as tartrazine. For example, it gives juices a yellow to orange appearance. Sulphites are also suspected of being the trigger for asthma attacks, as is glutamate, which is a component of instant soups and sauces.
Get plenty of vitamin D.
Vitamin D plays a special role. Even in the embryo, it ensures that the lungs develop and mature. Vitamin D can dock onto the cells of the immune system, which has a positive effect on the immune cells so that, for example, various allergic reactions are not activated in the first place. Vitamin D also helps boost the effectiveness of cortisone supplements. This is necessary when asthmatics no longer react to medication containing cortisone, which can make therapy more difficult.
People with asthma statistics
Around one in ten people in industrialized countries suffers from asthma. The WHO estimates that there are around 230 million people worldwide who suffer from this respiratory disease. The ‘Global Initiative for Asthma’ estimates that 300 million people are affected, and around 400,000 people worldwide die of asthma every year.
But not only the airways are affected, the psyche also suffers. After all, asthma attacks are often accompanied by strong fears, such as the fear of suffocating. If further studies show that food has an influence on the frequency of seizures, the person affected will certainly help, for example, by removing meat from the menu.