5 Natural Remedies for Asthma
Over 2 million Australians have asthma – meaning 1 in 10 people in this country suffer from this respiratory condition. But did you know that many asthma symptoms can be managed naturally? Check out our five natural remedies to asthma.
Similar to eczema, asthma is caused by an immune imbalance, which is often inherited and then triggered by:
- Environmental factors like dust, pollen and pollution.
- Dietary factors like dairy, sugar, additives and preservatives.
- Stress
While it may seem like the condition is purely to do with your lungs, it’s actually much more complex than that. By taking a holistic approach, we can really get to the root cause of your asthma. There are many things we can do to help, but let’s start with these five natural remedies for asthma:
Here are 5 ways you can treat your asthma naturally:
1. Diet, diet, diet – they say it is the cornerstone to good health for a reason. 60% of your systemic immune system sits in the lymphatic tissue around your gut, making gut health critical to your overall immune balance (which as we discussed plays a role in developing asthma).
The first thing to do is to rule out any food allergies and intolerances – as these are often a trigger for asthma. Your doctor can organise allergy testing, while your naturopath can test for intolerances.
While you’re waiting to get tested, we recommend as a precaution cutting out common allergens or intolerances like cows milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soy to see if your symptoms improve. Once you get your results, you’ll know for sure whether these foods are having an impact.
Another dietary trigger for asthma in both kids and adults are food additives and preservatives – you’ll know these from the numbers on the backs of packets. Avoiding these can also impact the severity of your symptoms.
2. Balance your Omega 3/ Omega 6 ratio
As a society, we’re all about taking fish oil at the moment to boost our Omega 3s! However, it’s also important to reduce the amount of Omega 6 fats you consume, because it’s the ratio between these two that matters most for asthma sufferers. Having too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3 causes inflammation, which can be a driver for asthma. The main source of Omega 6 in Australian diets is vegetable oils, which you’ll find in almost all processed foods – so it’s best to avoid these if you’re trying to get your asthma under control.
3. Vitamin D
New research has confirmed the connection between a lack of vitamin D and an increase in asthma attacks in adults suffering from asthma. Another study in mothers has also found vitamin D deficiency, along with a poor diet, are two of the strongest determining factors in whether their child suffered from asthma. Since we live in one of the sunniest countries in the world, it’s hard to believe that vitamin D deficiency is so common. If you suffer from asthma, make sure to get your vitamin D levels tested, and if needed, start taking a high-quality supplement.
4. Magnesium
Magnesium can help to prevent the onset of an asthma attack by relaxing smooth muscle tissue in your airways, improving lung function and helping to treat stress. The type of magnesium and quality is important, though, so ensure you get the right practitioner-grade supplements.
5. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of my favourite supplements for a wide range of conditions. In asthmatics, it works as a natural anti-histamine, which reduces your body’s allergic reaction, and reduces the constriction of airways. Vitamin C has also been shown to reduce instances of exercise-induced asthma.
This is just a starting point for helping to get your symptoms under control. If you’re feeling like you need help or guidance to get to your individual underlying causes, please contact us – we’d love to help you with your natural remedies for asthma.
Do you want to get your breathing back under control?
Click here to download our free guide on the triggers of asthma as well as the super foods, exercise and lifestyle to enjoy to help keep it under control.
