It used to be believed that diseases were caused by demons and evil forces. Luckily we are further today. The mechanisms of many diseases are well known and in most cases drugs and treatments are readily available. But you also know that Diet plays a very important role can play to avoid or help fight diseases. To what extent this is the case with asthma, we clarify in this article.
What actually is asthma?
The word asthma comes from the Greek and means “anxiety”. This is a chronic inflammation of the airways that occurs in attacks. It is associated with an increased sensitivity of the bronchi to certain stimuli - the so-called hyperreactivity.
Typical symptoms of asthma are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, shortness of breath and a feeling of tightness in the chest. These symptoms often appear at night or in the early hours of the morning. The good news is that asthma can usually be treated well with medication. For example, you can Asthma inhalers such as SalbuHEXAL that make everyday life easier.
The power of nutrition
Asthma is therefore an inflammatory disease and it is known that certain foods can promote or increase inflammatory responses. Other foods, on the other hand, have a proven anti-inflammatory effect. Can't the right diet help with asthma or fight the disease completely?
The answer is yes and no.
There is no one ideal asthma diet that will work wonders for every asthma condition. However, there are recommendations and guidelines that you can follow. Before we break these down, let's talk a little about free radicals and antioxidants.
Antioxidants: The radical scavengers
Our organism is constantly bombarded by harmful influences: from smoking to inflammation and obesity - the body is constantly exposed to so-called free radicals. They put a strain on it and cause oxidative stress, they should get out of hand and can no longer be countered.
Oxidative stress can lead to tissue damage, which in turn can cause inflammation. If this inflammation becomes chronic, it can lead to a number of diseases such as autoimmune diseases, asthma, Hypertension, type 2 diabetes or even cancer (1).
Antioxidants, on the other hand, are chemical compounds that can slow or prevent the oxidation of other substances. You avoid cell damage caused by free radicals or unstable molecules that the body reacts to produced on environmental and other pressures.
Of course, the body has its own antioxidant defenses to keep free radicals at bay. These are called endogenous antioxidants. Examples are glutathione, uric acid or Melatonin. Antioxidants that come from outside the body are called exogenous.
Antioxidants are also found in food, particularly fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based, whole foods. Some are also very effective Vitamins (such as. Vitamin C and E.) and a high proportion of omega-3 fatty acids can have a preventative or mitigating effect (2).
These foods promote inflammation
If you like red meat and suffer from asthma, you won't like the following: Processed meat, i.e. cured or salted meat, increases the risk of inflammation. The inflammation associated with asthma can develop or worsen and worsen symptoms. This also applies to high amounts of salt and sugar.
You should also stay away from sulfites, glutamate and tartrazine - they are considered potential asthma triggers. They can be found in wine, dried fruit, as a coloring agent in some fruit juices or as a flavor enhancer, e.g. B. in ready meals.
In the case of milk and milk products, there is still no consensus as to whether the increased production of mucus after consumption has an impact on asthma.
These foods reduce inflammation
First and foremost, anything that has a high proportion of the antioxidants already mentioned is good. Because not only vitamins are essential for the defense against harmful substances, other foods also provide support through the nutrients they contain.
- Quinoa, for example, is very rich in beneficial plant compounds like saponins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and betacyanins. Many of these compounds can act as antioxidants and neutralize free radicals in the body.
- Amaranth has a high proportion of phenolic acids. These are plant substances such as gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid, which act as antioxidants.
- The antioxidants contained in papaya papain are said to prevent free radicals in the body from disrupting important metabolic processes in the organism, just like the astaxanthin found in trout, microalgae, yeast and shrimp. It can also reduce tissue-damaging acute-phase proteins and DNA-damaging biomarkers.
- Grapefruit seed extract (GKE), the curcumin contained in turmeric and the strongest OPC antioxidant described to date, which is found in many foods such as apples, cinnamon, coconuts or blackberries, can significantly reduce oxidative stress.
- Flavonoids, contained in a large number of plants, fulfill a number of different functions, such as UV protection or attracting pollinators. The flavonoids contained in many types of fruit and vegetables, which are among the most frequently occurring polyphenols and to which particularly antioxidant properties are ascribed, are relevant for humans and their diet.
Conclusion: The right diet helps
As a study by the Copenhagen University Hospital showed, carried out in 2017 on the International Congress of the European Society of Respiratory Diseases was presented, nutrition can have a positive effect on asthma diseases.
In connection with sports and exercise, asthmatics who eat consciously and avoid certain foods have a higher chance of leading a normal life. Shortness of breath, shortness of breath and chest pain are reduced and, in the best case, the consumption of required medication is also reduced.
References:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21662/
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11902/
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