Asthma Alternatives, by James A. Duke, Ph.D.

[Guest guest]

Asthma Alternatives, by James A. Duke, Ph.D.

Jan 24, 2004 11:53 PST

 

Asthma takes your breath away. Asthma is a chronic respiratory

ailment that causes wheezing,

coughing, chest congestion, shortness of breath and often tremendous

anxiety about being unable to breathe.

 

More than 4,000 people die each year from complications of serious

asthma attacks, a number that's increased over 30 percent since

1980.

 

For reasons that remain unexplained, children are more likely to die

in summer, while people over 65 are more likely to die in winter.

 

Many people consider asthma a childhood illness, and there's

certainly no shortage of kids with this disease.

 

In 1995, some 3.7 million children and adolescents had it, up

sharply

from 2.4 million in 1980.

 

But asthma can develop at any age, and the fact is, most

people with asthma are adults. About 14 million Americans now have

asthma. The disease costs us more than $6 billion a year in medical

care and lost productivity.

 

Doctors don't know what causes asthma or why the number of people

who have it keeps rising.

 

Neither do I, but it seems that the closer we get to chemical

pollution

and the farther we stray from natural foods, the more asthma we see.

I

believe that outdoor air pollution and " sick buildings " with indoor

pollution are a big part of the growing asthma problem.

 

The symptoms of asthma are caused by bronchial spasms

(bronchospasms), a sudden narrowing of the branching tubes that lead

into the lungs.

 

While asthma and hay fever-type allergies are distinct conditions,

they

overlap, especially among those under age 15. Ninety percent of

children

with asthma also have allergies, and these allergies can trigger

asthma

attacks.

 

The reason that bronchospasms can be triggered by allergies is

that histamine, the chemical most responsible for allergy symptoms,

seems to play a role in asthma attacks as well.

 

But many other things besides histamine can trigger an attack;

strenuous

exercise, cigarette smoke, respiratory infections, industrial

chemicals,

 

aspiring, pet dander, indoor pollution and the sulfites added to

many foods!

 

Stress also plays a role in asthma. Severe anxiety can trigger

attacks, and stress generally aggravates asthma symptoms!

 

Green Pharmacy for Asthma

 

Doctors treat asthma with a variety of drugs—among them theophylline

(Aerolate, Theo-Dar)—that open up the bronchial tubes.

 

These drugs, known as bronchodilators, are often taken with an

inhaler.

But for my treatment, if my doctor suggested theophylline, I'd

prefer to get it from its many natural sources, chief among them the

organic natural plants containing caffeine.

 

Tea, green tea, natural cocoa and chocolate.

Actually, these plant substances have more than caffeine. All

supposedly contain two other major natural anti-asthmatic compounds,

theobromine and theophylline, which, along with caffeine, belong to

a family of chemicals called xanthines.

 

These chemicals help stop bronchospasms and open constricted

bronchial

passages.

 

Of course, caffeine and the other anti-asthmatic zanthines are not

entirely risk free. As any junkie knows, caffeine can cause insomnia

and the jitters. But in their natural state, the anti-asthmatic

compounds actually cause fewer side effects than pharmaceutical

theophyllline.

 

In one survey, 81 percent of pediatricians said that parents had

expressed concern about the side effects of their children's asthma

medication, particularly the restlessness and difficulty

concentrating that many children experience. At high doses,

pharmaceutical asthma medications may also cause headache, insomnia,

irritability, nausea, poor appetite, stomachache and even seizures!

 

*Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum), citrus fruits and other foods

containing vitamin C. A review of some 40 good studies revealed that

vitamin C---about 1,000 milligrams a day----helps prevent asthma

attacks, bronchospasms, wheezing, respiratory infections, nasal

congestion, watery eyes, and other allergy and asthma symptoms.

Why?

Vitamin C inhibits the release of histamine!

 

I advise eating more plants that are high in vitamin C—not just

citrus fruits and tomatoes, but also bell peppers and organic

strawberries.

 

You can also take a C supplement. The beauty of eating citrus

fruits,

however, is that in addition to vitamin C, they also contain

flavonoids!

 

These are substances that also block the release of histamine, in

turn

curbing allergy symptoms and allergy-related asthma.

 

Assorted Herbs-

 

I searched my database for anti-asthmatic compounds and came up with

quite a few herbs worth mentioning.

 

I found at least six anti-asthmatic substances in tea, fennel, and

cayenne. Onion, coriander, and bell pepper had five.

And a large group contained four: cabbage, cacao, carrot, cranberry,

currant, eggplant, grapefruit, orange, oregano, sage and tomato.

 

Looking for herbs with the largest amounts of anti-asthma compounds,

I found that licorice and tea were the big winners.

 

Cacao, cardamom, onion and purslane looked relatively rich.

 

You could whip up some interesting anti-asthma dishes with these

herbs,

 

How about orange-grapefruit-cranberry fruit salad with

fennel?

 

Or eggplant with onion, tomato and sage?

 

Finally, Japanese wasabi is worth a try. The Japanese enjoy wasabi

just as Americans enjoy horseradish. It certainly clears the

sinuses!

There's some research suggesting that a spoonful a day can relieve

asthma, allergies and hay fever.

 

If I had asthma, I'd try wasabi, You can buy it at any grocery store

that carries a specialty line of Oriental products.

 

You can use it just as you would horseradish. Try spreading it on

crackers or mixing it in a dip, or have it with sushi, as the

Japanese

do.

 

You should be aware however, that wasabi is extremely hot.

 

Vitamin B6—Melvyn Werbach, M.D., assistant clinical professor of

psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of

Medicine and author of several books on alternative medicine, cites

cases of children with asthma who reduce their dosages of anti-

asthma medications—bronchodilators and steroids—by taking a daily

dose

of 200 mgs of vitamin B6, in addition to their medication.

Adults have experienced decreased frequency and intensity of asthma

attacks by taking 50 mgs of vitamin B6 twice daily!

 

Taken from " The Green Pharmacy, "

by James A. Duke Ph.D.

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest