Did you know that you can also fight asthma with your diet? Proponents of the raw food diet say that their way of life is a good way to treat asthma. A raw food diet is more about lifestyle than a weight loss program. It’s something that you dedicate your life to. About 75 percent of your dietary intake will be fruits and vegetables and things like alcohol, refined sugars, and caffeine are off limits.

Raw foodists often tend to be vegans, but some will eat cheese or eggs. All of them avoid cooking foods. The belief is that the cooking process depletes food of essential nutrients.

Raw Food as Asthma Treatment

While peer-reviewed research has yet to support any diet as an absolute cure for asthma, there are first-hand reports of following a raw food eating plan easing asthma symptoms. Whether you follow a raw diet or any other healthy eating plan, you can see improved asthma symptoms. That’s because being overweight often exacerbates asthma symptoms.

Here are a few other ways raw foods can help with your asthma:

According to James T. Li, M.D., avoiding saturated fats found in red meat and butter can help with asthma. That’s because saturated fats may cause an immune system response that triggers asthma symptoms. Foods with saturated fats are not included in a raw food diet.

A raw food diet will naturally be low in sodium. This is good for many reasons, including the fact that sodium levels may aggravate the immune response that causes asthma symptoms.

Acid reflux may possibly damage the airways in your lungs and worsen asthma symptoms. Besides medications, this may also be remedied by avoiding rich foods. A raw food diet rarely, if ever, includes items that would cause acid reflux.

Antioxidants Key to Fighting Asthma Symptoms

The cornerstone of a raw food diet is fruits and vegetables in their purest form. When you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, your body is inundated with antioxidants such as beta carotene and vitamins C and E. They also contain other nutrients that boost the immune system.

Studies show that antioxidants can reduce asthma symptoms. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E can reduce lung and bronchial damage brought on by asthma. They can also reduce the risk of narrowing airways associated with asthma.

When it comes to keeping asthma under control, no diet is a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by your doctor. If you suffer from asthma, always consult a medical professional to consider your best options.

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Treat Asthma with the Raw Food Diet

“National recommendations from the Food and Nutrition Board are 400 to 600 International Units (IU) a day,” says Neil Binkley, MD, an Associate Professor in Geriatrics and Endocrinology at the University of Wisconsin.

The Food and Drug Administration currently recommends between 400 and 600 International Units (IU) a day. Experts are recommending between 1500 to 2600 IU daily. And there’s no concern for overdoing it since it’s safe to take 40,000 IU a day or even a little more.

Vitamin D is essential for bone health and improves muscle function. And there’s also evidence that shows it’s essential in warding off asthma symptoms.

Doctors from Harvard Medical School studied over 600 Costa Rican children with asthma. They found that children with lower vitamin D levels were significantly more likely to have been hospitalized for asthma. They were also more likely to have airways with increased hyper-reactivity and were likely to have used more inhaled corticosteroids.

“To our knowledge this is the first study to demonstrate an inverse association between circulating levels of vitamin D and markers of asthma severity and allergy,” wrote Drs. Juan Celedón and Augusto Litonjua.

(via: Science Daily & News-Medical.net)

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Vitamin D Deficiency Makes Asthma Worse

After 10 weeks of yoga, people with asthma found relief from their symptoms.

The study followed 20 people between 20 and 65. They were all beginners at yoga. The subjects did yoga with an instructor for an hour, twice a week. They were also asked to do a half-hour session at home each week.

The key point came when poses were practiced during deep breathing. According to lead researcher Amy Bidwell, M.S., this replicates the stress of an oncoming asthma attack.

“I have a number of friends with asthma,” says Bidwell. “Many have side effects from taking medications such as corticosteroids. The main question was whether or not we could reduce their need for medication and improve their quality of life.”

“Modern medicine carries many side effects,” she said. “This is especially true with corticosteroids, which many asthmatics take for quick relief. Yoga is an excellent alternative because there are no side effects. It’s a natural, holistic discipline that can benefit a person’s body in many ways.”

(via: Medical News Today)

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Do Yoga, Breathe Easier