Coffee And Caffeine For Asthma

Bronchodilators and steroids used for the treatment of asthma can cause dangerous adverse side effects. Caffeine, a naturally occurring chemical in tea, coffee, chocolate and a few other plants, has a similar molecular structure to theophylline, a drug used to treat asthma. Caffeine has been studied for its potential use in managing symptoms of asthma and may offer promising results.

Airway Eosinophilia

High concentrations of eosinophils -- a type of white blood cell -- occur in the airways of asthmatics and caffeine has been known to decrease airway eosinophilia in adults, according to a study published in the 2010 "Pediatric Pulmonology." The study investigated the effect of caffeine on nitric oxide -- a marker for the presence of airway eosinophilia -- in exhaled air of children with asthma. Eleven participants, 10 of whom were on corticosteroid treatment, were given a cola drink with 0.7 mg/ kg body weight of caffeine and exhaled nitric oxide was measured after 30 and 60 minutes. Nitric oxide in exhaled air rose 19 percent after 30 minutes and returned to the pre-caffeine ingestion state after 60 minutes. The researchers suggested that caffeine may be useful in managing childhood asthma.

Caffeine Vs. Albuterol

A study in the 2010 "International Journal of Sports Medicine" compared the effects of caffeine with the asthma drug albuterol on exercise-induced asthma. Participants were given caffeine one hour before or albuterol 15 minutes before exercise. The researchers concluded that moderate doses of caffeine -- 6 mg/kg body weight -- had significant protective effect against exercise induced asthma.

Effective at Low Doses

A review of the literature on the effects of caffeine on asthma was published in the 2010 "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews." The study cites six trials in which caffeine, even at a low dose of less than 5 mg/kg body weight, improved lung function for up to two hours after consumption. The researchers suggested avoiding caffeine for up to four hours before lung function testing to avoid the possibility of caffeine interfering with test results.

Atrial Fibrillation

Caffeine intake through chocolate consumption in combination with the asthma drug salbutamol resulted in atrial fibrillation in a case reported in the 2009 "International Journal of Cardiology." The researchers reported that after two weeks of salbutamol therapy, there was a heightened responsiveness of the nervous system which, together with excessive chocolate consumption, resulted in the adverse heart rhythm effects.

Other Considerations

Caffeine can be effective at relieving symptoms of asthma and decreasing the need or dosage levels, for immune system-suppressing steroid medications. Caffeine is not without its own adverse effects, however. In children, side effects such as nervousness, jitteriness, stomachaches, and nausea have been reported and withdrawal symptoms can occur, such as headache and lethargy, according to a study published in the 1998 "Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology".