Foods that Effect People with Asthma - Research Paper Example

?Foods That Affect People with Asthma Proper and adequate nutrition is considered to be a necessary requirement for a healthy lifestyle. By good nutrition we mean selection of those healthy foods which helps in repairing the body and strengthening it by providing immunity against diseases. The notion of a proper nutrition becomes particularly more important when an individual suffers from a disease like asthma. The “chronic inflammation” of the “bronchial tubes” which results in the swelling and narrowing of the airways is known as asthma. It has now become a very common illness among the children. The major symptoms of asthma are tightness of chest, chronic coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. The disease can start as early as 2-6 years of age and it can be attributed to “allergens” exposure like dust mites, smoke of tobacco, etc. The maintenance of the level of nutrition in the cure of any disease is very crucial. It has been observed that reactions to food habits in case of people suffering from asthma are very severe. If proper attention is not given then it might enhance the incidence of asthma in the affected individual. When the immune system of a body reacts to an element in a food, particularly in cases of proteins, the probability of the occurrence of food allergies is higher. In such a situation, the presence of the protein proves to be harmful for the body. As a result a series of reactions tend to occur within the body. The reactions that occur on food intakes may be mild in nature or at times they can be life threatening as well. The development of allergies starts at an early stage and often most of this are hereditary in character. Thus if one is allergic to a particular type of food then it would be preferable for him to avoid iti. According to Schroeder et al food allergy is a “pediatric” condition. An association between food allergy and asthma was found in case of older as well as younger children. The association seemed to be more effective among those children who have food allergies. It has been observed that children who already had food allergies are more prone to asthmaii. There seems to be a growing number of people who are consuming fast foods. Asthma has become an epidemic because there has been a massive shift in the diet plan of the people especially in the West. Beckar et al carried a research on 246 children who were diagnosed with pediatric allergist asthma and 477 non asthmatic children. A close association was found between the consumption of fast food and pediatric allergist asthmaiii. Different types of IgE mediated, cutaneos, gastrointestinal, and respiratory reactions are basically induced by food. In case of asthma patients food additives can also lead to respiratory reactions. The occurrence of food induced asthma is rare but prevention of it is always recommendable. No clinical evidence has been found to prove the fact that avoidance of allergic food would lead to improvement in treatment of asthma. On the flip side the association of food allergy and occurrence of asthma has been found to be quite high. It is particularly more in case of children with “sensitization” to egg proteiniv. It is believed that dust mites or pollen triggers asthma more than foodstuffs. However as the incidents of asthma patients are raising individuals need to keep the significance of a proper nutrition in mind. Intake of foods which leads to food allergy might prove to be a risk factor for asthma patients in the future. Food products such as eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, soya, fish, and shellfish can lead to allergic reactions. So there is a need to maintain a proper diet to reduce the growing number of asthma patients. In fact those who are suffering from asthma are more prone to have a fatal or “near fatal” food reactionv. Allergic reactions were considered to be a common phenomenon among children and it was expected that it would eventually disappear with age. However it was found that the relationship between “total IgE and allergic reactions” has remained in case of elderly people as well. In fact allergens like dust mites were found to be more commonly associated in case of elderly populationvi. There seems to be an association between food allergy and asthma symptoms. However there is no particular treatment that can ensure complete cure against food allergy. The development of food allergy begins at an early stage and in many cases they “outgrow” with age. One can manage food allergy by avoiding the allergens, proper response in case of serious reactions and educationvii. According to the 52nd annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, children having Asthma and Immunology who experience respiratory symptoms along with allergy can be expected to have the allergy persisting in future. It has been predicted that children who are allergic to cow’s milk might have health problems in future. A study conducted with 153 children confirmed the fact that most of these children who were allergic to cow’s milk had developed symptoms of asthmaviii. However it has been pointed out that those who drink raw milk instead of “pasteurized” milk are less likely to develop asthma. This argument is based on the fact that in the process of pasteurization some essential milk proteins are lost which are crucial to the development of the immune system in the children. This finding does not immediately recommend consumption of raw milk because raw milk also contains harmful microorganismsix. It has also been found recently that low intakes of vitamin A and C particularly can lead to an increase in asthmax. Studies have reflected the fact that the coexistence of asthma and food allergy leads to an increase in the risk for “fatal anaphylaxis.” In this context peanut allergy among school children has led to an increase in the number of asthma patients. Data collected on 160 children showed that in a single hospital, children with both peanut allergy and asthma were admitted. The test showed that 28.8% of the children had both asthma and peanut allergyxi. The enhancement in the asthma disease can be explained with the help of three “dietary” factors: a change in the intake of antioxidant, an increase in the ratio of “n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) consumption” and a change in the status of vitamin D. During pregnancy it is very essential for the would-be-mothers to maintain a proper diet so as to prevent the possibility of asthma in the child. Hence dietary intervention is suggested to ensure safe public health at a low cost and prevention of asthma among children and adults. Children with an intake of the “Mediterranean Type” of diet are less likely to develop asthma symptoms. This is because the Mediterranean diet includes lots of vegetables, fresh fruits, and olive oil. This form of diet also implies consumption of beta-carotene, vitamins B and C and also selenium, flavonoids and polyphenols which are adequate and essential for the healthxii. Asthma patients have been increasing in the recent years and thus a huge amount of research is being done on it. Pollen, cat fur and dust mites have always been considered as the main triggers of an asthma attack. However recent findings have also highlighted the close association between food allergy and asthma symptoms. Thus to have a healthy life it is advisable to avoid the intakes of those foods which results in allergic reactions. A common cause for improper diet has been found to be the lack of consumption of vegetables and fresh fruits. These are in fact sources of vitamins which are crucial for the body. Thus instead of having processed food one needs to emphasize on the intake of vegetables and fruits. Dieticians should be consulted to avoid any complexity in the future. As we know that there are no proper cures in regard to food allergy, proper management is recommended to avoid symptoms of asthma. References Read More