A PSA to all asthmatics: here are the foods and dietary patterns with the scientific seal of approval to help you better control your asthma – and the ones that will worsen it.
With one in every ten Australians (equating to a whopping 2.7 million people) suffering from asthma, it's no surprise that we're looking into the impact our diet may have on the chronic disease. In fact, the link between what we eat and how our asthma behaves is becoming increasingly clear.
Asthma is primarily an inflammatory disease. Triggers, such as respiratory viruses, dust, or even light exercise, cause the airways leading to our lungs to inflame and narrow, making breathing difficult. This is referred to as an asthma attack.
According to research collated by the Conversation, what we put into our bodies can affect how well our lungs function, the frequency of asthma attacks, and even the effectiveness of our inhalers.
From what you should pile on your plate to what you should limit, here are some pointers to help you breathe a little easier and make your next meal a little more mindful.
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Several studies have linked the Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables and oily fish, to fewer cases of wheezing in kids. And it doesn't stop there; research has found that adults who eat fewer fruits and vegetables have poorer lung function and are twice as likely to have an asthma attack as those who eat a more fruit and vegetable-rich diet.
So what is the secret to this fruitful fact? Researchers believe that consuming more antioxidants and soluble fibre, which have anti-inflammatory properties, plays a critical role. Antioxidants counteract the effects of free radicals, which are harmful molecules produced due to inflammation and can cause further inflammation.
Soluble fibre, on the other hand, is fermented by our gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate. These compounds aid in the reduction of inflammation.
What won't do your asthma any favours are saturated fats in highly processed foods like pastries, chocolates, sausages, biscuits, fast foods, sugar, and red meat.
According to one study, eating these foods can increase the number of that a diet rich in these foods can increase the number of asthma attacks in adults. Even more surprising, foods high in saturated fat can immediately impact lung function – in as little as four hours. Yep, it works quickly.
Another study compared the lung function of adults with asthma who ate a meal high in saturated fat (think two hash browns, a sausage and egg muffin, and a sausage muffin) to those who ate a meal low in saturated fat but high in calories.
The end result? Those who consumed high-fat meals experienced a significant decrease in lung function within four hours, making their puffers less effective. This shift was most likely caused by an increase in inflammation. Researchers noticed an increase in the number of immune cells known as neutrophils, which are key players in the inflammation process, around the four-hour mark.
Before you throw up your hands in despair, remember that a pizza or burger is perfectly acceptable on occasion. But knowing the potential effects of these foods on your asthma may inspire you to make healthier choices that improve your quality of life.
And if you're concerned about dairy products, don't be! According to one study, adults with asthma who drank milk had better lung function.
Maintaining a balanced diet can positively impact your overall health and wellbeing, including keeping those asthma symptoms in check.
