Foods to Eat and Avoid in Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that is the leading cause of childhood deaths, especially among city dwellers. The rising toll of asthma has puzzled doctors, but many attribute it to a combination of factors, such as the cost of asthma medications, which may be beyond the means of low-income families, improper use of asthma medications, and exposure to environmental pollutants.

Take a look at the food that can help prevent an attack of asthma or provide benefit in other ways, and the foods that might trigger its attacks.

Eat plenty of the following if you have asthma:

1.    Fruits and vegetables (aim for 5 to 10 servings per day).
2.    Chicken soup, broth, and other fluids to help thin bronchial mucus.
3.    Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines to counter inflammation.

Avoid the following food if you suffer from asthma:

1.    Any foods, including additives that seem to bring on attacks.
2.    Mushrooms, cheese, soy sauce, and yeasty breads if molds trigger attacks.
3.    Salicylates, an ingredient in aspirin, tea, vinegar, salad dressings, many fruits, and a few vegetables.
4.    Any food preserved with sulfites.
5.    Foods containing tartrazine, or yellow food dye 5.