Superfood for asthma

Asthma is a common disease of the lungs that causes your airways to shrink and expand. It may produce extra mucus, making it difficult to breathe and trigger coughing and wheezing. While it’s not a curable disease, it’s highly treatable using the right inhalators, nebulizers, oral medicines, biologics, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you suffer from asthma, it’s very important for you to have an active routine as it may help with your symptoms. It’s also very recommendable to watch your diet and consume foods that can help with your asthma, however, remember to watch your weight. Gaining excessive amounts of weight and becoming obese can actually cause asthma.

Magnesium

Studies have shown that people with low lung flow also have low levels of magnesium. Magnesium sulfate is used in asthma treatments. It’s a bronchodilator that’s found to relax bronchial muscles and expand the airways, allowing more air to flow in and out of the lungs. This can relieve shortness of breath. While Doctors only use magnesium sulfate to treat people with severe asthma flare-ups, many foods contain magnesium; almonds, cashews, spinach, dark chocolate, salmon, flaxseeds, edamame, cooked quinoa, and many more. If you’re an asthmatic, it’s highly recommendable for you to increase your magnesium intake.

Vitamin D

Starting off, foods rich in Vitamin D, such as milk, eggs, and salmon, are highly recommendable for asthmatics as they’ll help prevent asthmatic attacks. Studies have shown that low levels of Vitamin D can increase asthmatic attacks. If you increase your Vitamin D intake there’s a high chance that your asthmatic attacks will decrease.

Vitamin A

Another vitamin that helps is Vitamin A. This vitamin is found in beta carotene-rich foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, melons, and leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, kale etc. It can reduce lung inflammation and is good for your immune system.

Apples

An apple a day keeps asthma away! Studies have shown that apples increase lung function and decrease the risks of asthma. As they contain high levels of flavonoids, apples are a superfood for asthmatics.

Bananas

When it comes to children asthmatics, bananas are found to be helpful. Due to the fruit’s antioxidant and potassium content, it may decrease wheezing and improve lung function.

Avocados

Last, but not least avocados. They’re considered to be another superfood for asthmatics. Avocados have an anti-inflammatory effect that prevents bronchial inflammation (a very common symptom of asthma,) and are also a good source of monosaturated fatty acids and glutathione which helps prevent free radical damage. Above all, they’re extremely delicious and healthy!

Foods to avoid if you have asthma:

• Dried fruit; contains sulfites, which can trigger asthma attacks in some people,
• Beans; they may bloat your belly and make it harder to breathe, possibly triggering an asthma attack,
• Wine and beer; contains sulfites (used as a preservative,)
• Fresh and frozen shrimp; contains sulfites,
• Pickles; (contains sulfites.)