A diet that is heavy in fruits and vegetables can help prevent asthma symptoms.
A new study from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, published in the journal Nature Medicine, finds that asthma can be prevented by changes to your diet. A diet that is high in fiber can prevent asthma as well as a range of other diseases, including Crohn’s disease, IBS and possibly even colon cancer. The fiber consumed can actually alter the way certain immune cells are produced in bone marrow.
The study first began as a hypothesis from immunologist Benjamin Marsland and his colleagues, who noted that by eating fruits and vegetables our inflammatory system is kept in check by the soluble fibers that are digested and turned into fatty acids by our bodies that then interact with immune cells. The fiber carries anti-inflammatory elements that Marsland believed could extend to asthma.
To test the theoretical link between fiber and asthma, Marsland put one group of mice on a low fiber diet and another group on a high fiber diet for two weeks. After the two week period, Marsland had the animals sniff dust mites, which is a common source of allergies and asthma in humans. The mice that had consumed little fiber displayed signs of having an asthma attack, including wheezing and shortness of breath. The mice that consumed a high fiber diet showed a greatly reduced inflammatory response.
In the mice who had eaten a great amount of fiber, the immune cells known as eosinophils – which are increased during an asthma or allergy attack – was almost halved, and the mice showed much less constriction of their airways. While this shows a strong link between fiber and asthma, Marsland believes more extensive research needs to be done.
In addition to changing your diet, invest in a home air purifier from US Air Purifiers to help you breathe easily and comfortably.