Asthma and it's Nutritional Connection

Asthma, a reactive inflammatory airway disorder, is becoming even more prevalent amongst our children. My own daughter suffers, and I do mean suffers, from this annoying disease, as did I when I was a kid. So when I recently picked up Bonnie Minsky's book, Our Children's Health, the chapter on asthma was my first stop.

Here's what Dr. Minsky says are three things you can do to help control asthma.

First, remove the triggers. These are different for everyone and it can be quite challenging to find yours. Some of the most common include mold, house dust, pet dander and saliva, cockroaches, dust mites, secondhand smoke, food additives, coloring agents (like red #40, etc.), sulfiting agents (often found in lunch meat amongst other foods), and food allergens/sensitivities.

Second, support the body with proper nutrition. The more nutrient-dense the food, the more health benefits your child will receive. Add foods rich in the omega-3 fatty acids to your child's diet, such as walnuts (if no nut allergies), pumpkin seeds, flax seed oil, salmon, tuna, mackerel, and cold water fish. Increase foods rich in bioflavonoids, especially high quercetin foods, because they help stop inflammation. These foods include onions, apples, kale, green beans, sweet cherries, and grape skins. Increase foods high in magnesium such as fatty fish, dark green vegetables, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and blackstrap molasses. LIMIT the consumption of red meat, dairy products, excess calcium, and bananas as all of these can increase inflammation. ELIMINATE completely foods containing MSG, sulfites, food colorings, white sugar, and artificial sweeteners.

Third, support with useful supplementation. Dr. Minsky always recommends the following to her asthmatic patients to help keep inflammation down and because asthmatics have been found to be deficient in these nutrients:
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
vitamin B12
vitamin C ~ the main antioxidant found in the fluid lining of the lungs
vitamin E
magnesium ~ many emergency rooms are now using magnesium IVs for acute asthma attacks
quercetin ~ has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. It should be noted that quercetin has a greater potency in pill form than from foods.

I have noticed in my own daughter's case that if she has too much sugar, her asthma will flare up. We also keep her off as much dairy as possible and offer raw fruits and veggies daily, though she usually only eats the fruit. She also takes the recommended vitamins, except for quercetin which I cannot find in kid friendly form. All this has helped her so far, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can continue to be diligent for her.