The Best Nutrition for Asthma and Lung Disorders

Asthma is a chronic disease in which a person’s airway and breathing are constricted due to inflammation in the lungs and increased mucus production. Well-known triggers for asthma include environmental inhalants (pollen, dust, mold, animal dander, and cockroach droppings), chemical irritants (fumes, gases, tobacco smoke), acid reflux, medications (aspirin and ibuprofen), anxiety or stress, upper respiratory infections (sinusitis, bronchitis, or the common cold), exposure to cold, dry air, and for some people, physical activity.

But many foods—and food additives such as histamines and sulfites found in wine, fruits, and fermented and smoked foods—also can cause or exacerbate an asthma attack. While it’s important to avoid trigger foods to prevent acute symptoms and exacerbations of symptoms, certain dietary choices also can be helpful in reducing symptoms over the long term.

Key Foods to Consume

Many studies support the consumption of a Mediterranean diet for asthma and lung disorders. Based on the types of foods that people in countries around the Med­iter­ranean Sea eat, “The Mediterranean diet is known to be anti-inflammatory and to reduce the overall systemic and chronic inflammation that can be a feature of asthma,” says Jenna Rosenfeld, a registered dietitian at NewYork-­Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell.

The Mediterranean dietary plan is built on a foundation of fresh fruits, veg­e­tables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and omega-3-rich seafood with smaller portions of animal proteins and low-fat dairy. Lastly, the Mediterranean diet includes low-to-minimal intake of sweets, potatoes, and red and processed meats.

Key Foods to Avoid

In contrast, the Western diet has been shown to worsen symptoms and inflammation in the body. The Western diet, in comparison to the Mediterranean diet, flips the food groups upside down: There is a high intake of sweets, processed foods, red and processed meats, dairy and potatoes and low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

“There are many ways to steer your diet toward the Mediterranean-style eating pattern,” says Rosenfeld. “Start with choosing a piece of fresh fruit in place of a packaged baked good. Try replacing butter or other cooking fats with olive oil. Implement a ‘meatless Monday’ in your home with new vegetable and legume recipes (example: vegetarian chili or vegetable stir-fry with soybeans) in place of a meal with red meat. Or, replace white pasta with quinoa or brown rice,” Rosenfeld suggests.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Key Foods to Consume:

Fruit: Fresh and unprocessed (exclude strawberries or cherries if sensitive to histamines)

Vegetables: Fresh and unprocessed; make a salad, or roast or sauté them in olive oil

Fish: Especially those high in omega-3 fatty acids such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines

Foods high in vitamin E: Wheat germ and oil, green leafy vegetables, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds

Whole grains: Whole wheat, oats, quinoa, brown rice, rye, spelt, millet, freekeh, barley, bulgar, buckwheat, couscous, corn

Foods known to reduce inflammation: Dark, leafy greens, broccoli, berries, beets, salmon, nuts, seeds

Key Foods to Avoid:

High-fat meals: These can increase airway inflammation; avoid fast food and processed foods (such as microwave pizza), cookies, cakes, refrigerated doughs like biscuits and cinnamon rolls

Histamines: Alcohol, pickled/canned foods, chocolate/cocoa, nuts, beans, pulses, berries, strawberries

Sulphites: Used as a preservative, a small amount can be in almost any packaged food; key foods include grape juice, bottled lemon and lime juices, dried fruits, and sauerkraut

Food allergens: These are known to cause an asthma attack in a subset of asthmatics: gluten (wheat and cereal products), shellfish, eggs, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, and soy

Nightshade vegetables: Peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes are thought to cause inflammation

The post The Best Nutrition for Asthma and Lung Disorders appeared first on University Health News.

Read Original Article: The Best Nutrition for Asthma and Lung Disorders »

Powered by WPeMatico