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 Asthma Support: Be Proactive Not Reactive
"Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again." ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Asthma causes about 500,000 hospitalizations annually, the loss of 10 million work days, and is linked to 250,000 deaths worldwide each year. The rate of asthma has been steadily increasing over the last several years, particularly in children. The annual economic cost of asthma is estimated to be $20 billion, most of that being the cost of prescription drugs. While acute asthma is best handled by a physician, vitamins, herbs and other nutrients can go a long way toward reducing the incidence of attacks. As always, if you are on prescription drugs for any reason, you should always check with your pharmacist that there are no known negative interactions between suggested nutrients and these drugs.
Natural support for asthma is targeted toward a) reducing the symptoms of asthma by promoting lung function b) reducing the inflammation that accompanies asthma and b) preventing attacks that would require emergency care or hospitalization. In order to prevent attacks, it is important to pay attention to the factors that trigger your asthma. Attacks can be brought on by environmental or food allergies, with allergic reactions to dairy, wheat, peanuts and sulfites topping the list. Sulfites are used as a preservative in food and are most common in dried fruits and wine. If you react to either of these, sulfites may be a problem for you. A food diary or elimination diet can help identify foods that irritate your condition.
Pain killers like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen (Aleve and Naprosyn) and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are responsible for over two-thirds of all drug-related asthma attacks. Use these drugs with caution if you have asthma. About 20% of adults with asthma are sensitive to these drugs. Beta blockers, used for high blood pressure, can constrict bronchial muscles and cause issues for people with asthma. Exercise can induce asthma in some people and if this is the case for you pay attention to high sodium levels, which can aggravate this condition. You may want to remove processed foods from your diet to decrease your sodium intake. Pollutants and tobacco can also cause asthma attacks. Avoid tobacco and watch air quality reports especially on very hot days. Pay attention to your own particular triggers so that you can use the support below that best matches that issue.
Foundational support for asthma includes the following:
- Fish oils have been well-studied for their anti-inflammatory action. Taking fish oil on a regular basis can quell inflammation in the body, reducing flare-ups. A minimum therapeutic dose is 1200 mg per day for an adult, and up to 3000 mg per day. With fish oils quality is imperative and the higher the dose the more important that the oils are in their natural triglyceride form. Speak to your doctor before taking fish oil if you are on any medication that thins the blood (like Coumadin) or those that can cause excess bleeding like aspirin or NSAIDS.
- Magnesium relaxes the bronchial tubes and improves lung function. Take 250-400 mg per day to ward off attacks. Even conventional medicine protocol sometimes administers magnesium intravenously for acute attacks.
- Vitamin C levels have been found to be low in those with asthma. Vitamin C is a good antioxidant, promotes healing and protects lung tissue by preventing infection. It also increases air flow and fights inflammation. A non-acidic form such as calcium ascorbate is preferred, up to 1500 mg per day. If you have a tendency toward oxalate-type kidney stones, you may not want to exceed 1000 mg of Vitamin C in supplemental form as the research on this varies. My favorite vitamin C is a whole food C made by Health Force Nutritionals. The whole food form is gentle on the body and very well absorbed. Prescription for Nutritional Healing suggests that a 2000 mg dose of Vitamin C one hour before a workout can reduce exercise-induced asthma.
- Other antioxidants can be helpful in preventing asthma attacks. A diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables provides antioxidants for this purpose. Antioxidant products can also be found that contain a variety of antioxidants. Read More
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