About 20 million Americans have asthma, a condition identified by temporarily obstructed airways. You can have either allergic or non-allergic asthma. As the names suggest, allergic asthma is caused by allergies and non-allergic asthma is not. They share similar symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and trouble breathing. Don't try to treat asthma without your doctor's advice, as asthma can have severe symptoms and you might need medication. Your doctor might suggest dietary changes to improve symptoms, although they may not cure your asthma.
Step 1
Eat an abundance of foods rich in antioxidants including a variety of fruits and vegetables. Beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and other antioxidants are believed to fight free radicals that are responsible for lung inflammation. Lung inflammation narrows airways, causing asthma symptoms.
Step 2
Avoid food additives that can cause symptoms of asthma. Sulfites are additives primarily related to the development of asthma; they are found in shrimp, dried fruit, wine and other foods. Work with your doctor to observe your reactions to various foods with additives to see if they trigger asthma symptoms.
Step 3
Lower the amount of saturated and trans fat in your diet. Foods high in fat can increase the inflammation in your lungs for hours after you eat, thus aggravating asthma symptoms. Further, high-fat meals seem to interfere with asthma medication. On the other hand, omega-3 fatty acids are thought to reduce symptoms of asthma, although more research is needed to back up this claim.
Step 4
Lose weight by eating a healthy diet because carrying extra pounds can aggravate asthma. You need to create a deficit of 500 calories a day to lose one lb. a week. The most effective way of achieving this goal is by reducing your calorie intake through diet and burning calories through exercise.
