Millions of children and adults suffer from asthma, a chronic lung disease. During an asthma attack, airways tighten, which causes difficulty breathing. Genetics or environmental factors can be the cause of your asthma, and common triggers for asthma attacks include stress, air pollutants and dust. Your diet also affects your risk, and oregano may be a component of a nutritious plan to help prevent asthma attacks.
Diet and Asthma
An asthma attack occurs when you try to breathe, but your airways constrict instead of relaxing and allowing your lungs to fill with air. You may begin to cough and wheeze, and you may need to go to the hospital. Foods that have caused allergic reactions are more likely to cause asthma attacks, and likely suspects include dairy products, food colorings and preservatives and artificial sweeteners, according to the Mayo Clinic. Oregano is not an allergen, and it does not contain potential asthma triggers such as trans fats and saturated fats.
Magnesium and ALA
A 100-g serving of dried oregano provides 270 mg of magnesium, or 68 percent of the daily value. Magnesium deficiency may contribute to asthma attacks, according to the University of Maryland. This same serving has 0.6 mg of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid that may lower your risk of asthma. Despite its high concentration of some nutrients, dried oregano is not as good of a source as some other foods, such as bran cereal for magnesium and flaxseed oil for alpha-linolenic acid, because it is difficult to eat more than a few grams of this spice at one time.
Sodium and Antioxidants
Dried oregano may be beneficial for you if you have asthma because it has only 25 mg of sodium per 100-g serving. Too much sodium in your diet can trigger asthma attacks, according to the Mayo Clinic. Oregano can reduce your risk if you use it instead of salt for flavoring your food. Plenty of antioxidants in your diet may prevent asthma symptoms, and some of the antioxidants in oregano are lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E.
Other Information
Obesity is a risk factor for developing asthma, and oregano can be part of a calorie-controlled diet to maintain or achieve a healthy body weight. Too many calories can lead to unwanted weight gain, and oregano can be an alternative to high-fat toppings for salads or meats, and you can use it to make vegetable dishes more interesting. Although a healthy diet may reduce asthma attacks, many other factors contribute to your risk, and your doctor can give you further advice about the best course of action for staying healthy.
