UK Edition
Suffer from asthma? Eating these foods could help
Leading asthma charity Asthma UK has cautiously welcomed new research that shows children of mothers who eat salmon during pregnancy are up to five times less likely to develop asthma by the age of three.
The study by Southampton University has raised new hopes that diet might play a key role in halting or reducing the symptoms of asthma, which now affects 10 per cent of the UK population. Researcher Professor Philip Calder tracked the health of 123 pregnant women, half of whom ate salmon twice a week while the remainder avoided the fish. He found that by the age of three, one in ten of the children born to these women had been diagnosed with asthma – almost all to mothers who ate no salmon while pregnant.
But some experts have urged against reading too much into the study. “It seems that there could be a protective effect from eating salmon indicated in this study, but it’s not statistically significant,” according to Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at Asthma UK. “It may indicate an important trend that we need to do more research into.”
Asthma UK has joined a European-wide campaign to prioritise research and funding into the causes and treatment of asthma, which kills three people per day in the UK. “Sometimes we can look for links so hard you can almost find an association between anything,” she says. “What we need is a co-ordinated approach because at the moment the research is all over the place. I don’t think any of the data out there tells a consistent story.”
But there are many promising areas of research into preventing and reducing the symptoms of asthma. These are just some of the foods that are thought to help - plus three to avoid.
Foods that could help asthma
Oily fish
In his study, Professor Calder concluded that exposure in the womb to the fatty acids in salmon (also found in mackerel, sardines, trout and herring) may improve the programming of the immune system to prevent it from over-reacting to asthma triggers like animal fur and pollen later in life. Vitamin D in oily fish might also be helpful; other research has linked Vitamin A deficiency to children with asthma.
Breast milk
Some studies suggest that breast milk helps promote healthy gut microbes, which are now linked to a reduced risk of asthma and some other allergies.
Mediterranean diet
A 2008 study in the medical journal Allergy found that a Mediterranean diet, rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants and fibre, could reduce the severity of asthma in adults. It found that 300g of fruit per day could significantly reduce the risk of uncontrolled asthma and reduced wheezing. Nuts were also associated with better lung health. Other studies have found that pregnant women who eat a Mediterranean diet can help protect their children against asthma .
And what to avoid...
Dairy
According to Asthma UK, there is a link between dairy foods and asthma, particularly among children, although they often grow out of the allergy as their digestive system matures. This doesn’t mean that asthma sufferers should cut out dairy as a matter of course; they can be at greater risk of bone disease due to the steroid medications they are sometimes prescribed. People with asthma should only give up dairy under medical supervision and ensure that they replace the calcium in their diet.
Alcohol
Compounds in alcohol, not necessarily the alcohol itself, are widely believed to trigger asthma attacks. Histamine, found in especially high levels in red wine and some beers, is the same substance released in the body during an allergic reaction. In addition, preservatives called sulphites, added to some alcoholic drinks like white wine and cider, can also trigger potentially life-threatening asthma attacks in some people. Clear spirits like gin and vodka are better alcohol options, according to Asthma UK.
High fat diets
Fast food like burgers and fries can exacerbate asthma, according to some research. One study has found that patients with asthma who ate a high-fat meal had increased inflammation in their airways soon afterward and failed to respond as well to treatment as those who ate a low-fat meal.