There is no magical asthma diet that will help you manage your symptoms. However, there are certainly some ways to ensure you can effectively manage them. Here are some foods that you shouldn’t eat when you have asthma:
Avoid sulfites
Sulfites can worsen your asthma symptoms, which is why avoiding them is best at all times. Sulfites are found in numerous foods, including bottled lemon juice, dried fruits, shrimp, wine, bottled lime juice, pickled food, and maraschino cherries.
Avoid foods with artificial ingredients
You want to stay away from foods with artificial ingredients added to them because they are among the most common asthma triggers. These include flavorings, preservatives, and colorings, which you can often find in processed food.
Avoid gas-causing foods
Foods that cause gas can trigger your asthma symptoms. When you eat such foods, your diaphragm has to work harder, which is made worse when you have acid reflux. When this happens, asthma can get triggered. Hence, avoid foods such as garlic, beans, fried food, onions, cabbage, and carbonated drinks.
Avoid asthma triggers
Those with food allergies can also have asthma, so it is advisable to avoid any food that can trigger asthma. Most people are allergic to wheat, shellfish, tree nuts, and dairy products, among others. Sometimes exercising after consuming an allergic food item can lead to an asthma trigger.
However, asthma patients should incorporate these dietary tips into their daily diets:
Eat vitamin A foods
Foods rich in vitamin A should be eaten if you have asthma. Vitamin A can help improve lung function, which means it will keep you safe from frequent asthma attacks. Some of the best vitamin A sources include broccoli, cantaloupe, leafy greens, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
Eat fruits
Fruits rich in antioxidants should be included in your diet because they help reduce lung irritation and lung swelling. You should eat foods such as bananas and apples, among others. Apples and bananas help improve lung function.
Eat vitamin D foods
The vitamin D Council has stated that those children aged between 6 and 15 who get sufficient vitamin D are less likely to have frequent asthma attacks. You can eat foods such as eggs, salmon, fortified orange juice, fortified milk, and milk, good vitamin D sources.
Eat sufficiently and maintain weight
Your asthma symptoms will worsen if you are obese, which means you should eat healthy food to ensure you don’t become overweight or obese. This should be a long-term goal because it can help keep asthma symptoms in check.
Eat magnesium
Magnesium doesn’t get as much attention it deserves. However, it is quite essential if you have asthma. Eating foods rich in magnesium helps to improve the function of your lung. You can eat magnesium-rich foods such as dark chocolate, spinach, Swiss chard, salmon, and pumpkin seeds. You can inhale magnesium with the help of a nebulizer.
