ASTHMA
is an illness from which about 5% of the population suffers in
Finland. It is an infection of the airways that makes breathing
difficult. Causes may include pollen and animal dust, environmental
pollution, certain foods, food preservatives, ample use of salt, and
stress. In addition, it is found five times more often in industrial
countries than in developing countries, so we can assume that the
Western and greatly refined food is one factor that may cause asthma.
How can we
prevent asthma or alleviate its symptoms? It has been found that some
ingredients in food are a bit more useful than others. Here are some
general observations:
Fatty fish
can protect from asthma according to some studies. For example, in a
study done in the Cambridge University (770 volunteers took part in
it), researchers found that
people who
hadn't eaten fish at least twice a week suffered from asthma.
However,
there were also people who had eaten at least this amount and who did
not suffer from asthma (Readers Digest 5 / 2004, p. 148). The reason
might be the omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, because they can
decrease the contraction and infection of the airways. Plant oils also
contain some fatty acids.
Vitamins
and minerals,
which we can get in abundance from fresh food, can be useful in
preventing asthma.
Important
nutrients include vitamin C (juice, oranges and citrus fruits,
potato, rutabaga, turnip, cabbages, strawberry, cloudberry, black
currant, sweet pepper...), vitamin E (plant oils, whole meal
grain, nuts, avocado, plant margarine, eggs...) and beta carotene
(carrot, tomato, cabbages, spinach, sweet pepper, parsley, apricot,
sweet potato...), which strengthen the immunity of the lungs and
the body and fight against free radicals that are the cause of many
diseases. We can get them from most fruits, berries, and vegetables.
In
addition, vitamins B6 and A and magnesium are useful in preventing
asthma:
Vitamin B6
can be beneficial for those who suffer from asthma. According to some
studies, it can alleviate asthma that is caused by an infection of the
bronchus. It can be obtained from salmon and other fish, banana,
avocado, milk, eggs, whole meal grain, potato, nuts, and beans.
Vitamin A
is
important, because its deficiency increases the risk of infection in
the airways and eyes. Generally, not much of it is needed, because the
daily minimum requirement can be obtained from one carrot (vitamin A
comes from beta carotene that a carrot contains). It can be also
obtained from certain milk products, eggs, margarine, and in the form
of beta carotene from sweet pepper, tomato, cabbage, and spinach. If
it is obtained in the form of beta carotene, there is no danger of an
overdose.
Magnesium
is an important nutrient (according to some studies, magnesium is
useful in the prevention of osteoporosis), because according to a
study made in the University of Nottingham in 1994, those people whose
magnesium level was low had the most asthma attacks.
There is
magnesium in whole meal grain, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, banana,
beans, peas, and blueberries.
