More than seven percent of adults and nine percent of children suffer from asthma. Most people treat their asthma with two types of medications: long-term and quick relief (such as inhalers). You can also take preventative measures, such as avoiding the items that trigger your symptoms.
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.