A well-balanced diet including a steady intake of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from fruits, vegetables and yogurt enables you to maintain a strong immune system that protects you from bacteria and virus-related conditions. A raw vegan diet provides significant amounts of nutrients. However, there are no clinical trials that demonstrate specific diets, such as a raw vegan diet, cures bronchitis.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is a respiratory disease characterized by inflammation of the primary air passages to your lungs, making it difficult to breathe. There are two types of bronchitis. Acute bronchitis is caused by a viral infection, such as from a common cold, that initially affects your nasal passage, sinuses and throat before spreading to your lungs. Acute bronchitis can involve a second infection from bacteria that affects your lungs. Infants, young children, the elderly and adults with heart or lung disease are vulnerable to acute bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is a long-term condition of at least three months that involves persistent coughing and mucus. Chronic bronchitis is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that occurs in smokers. Air pollutants, allergies and infections can exacerbate symptoms of bronchitis. People with bronchitis can experience a low fever, wheezing and swelling of the legs and feet. Pneumonia can develop as a result of acute and chronic bronchitis.
Treatment
The standard treatment for bronchitis includes drinking plenty of fluids, bed rest and aspirin or acetaminophen if you have a fever. Antibiotics are rarely useful in acute bronchitis since these drugs only work on bacteria, not viruses. Scientists at Ohio State University School of Medicine in Columbus reports that antibiotics are ineffective in patients with acute bronchitis and often have detrimental side effects and that appropriate treatment involves cough suppressants or expectorants or bronchodilators, according to research published in "American Family Physician" in May 2002. Physicians may prescribe corticosteroids to reduce inflammation in chronic bronchitis and N-acetylecysteine, a dietary amino acid that has antioxidant properties that relieve symptoms and reduce oxidative stress associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Raw Vegan Diet
A raw vegan diet consists of eating uncooked plant-based foods that include vegetables, fruits, sprouted legumes and grains, nuts and seeds. Compared to cooked foods, raw foods contain higher concentrations of nutrients. Heating reduces the amount of enzymes and nutrients in foods. Many raw vegans eat organic foods that are not genetically modified. Scientists at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona, report organic produce contain higher amounts of nutrients and lower amounts of pesticide residues and nitrates than conventional grown produce, according to research published in "Alternative Medicine Review" in 2010.
Nutrition and Bronchitis
An impaired immune system increases your risk of bronchitis, according to research by scientists at Thorne Research in Dover, Idaho, and published in "Alternative Medicine Review" in March 2007. The scientists report vitamin C and zinc reduce the duration and severity of cold viral infections and garlic shortens the duration. However, increased nutritional intake does not cure bronchitis.
References
- Medical News Today; Nutrition and the Immune System; September 2004
- National Center For Biotechnology Information; Bronchitis; April 2010
- American Family Physician; Diagnosis and Management of Acute Bronchitis; Doug Knutson; May 2002
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Bronchitis; December 2009
- Living Foods; Living and Raw Foods; 2010
- Alternative Medicine Review; Organic Foods Contain Higher Levels of Certain Nutrients, Lower Levels of Pesticides, and May Provide Health Benefits for the Consumer; J. Walter Crinnion; April 2010
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