Drop the Inhaler, Diet May be the Key

By Gailon Totheroh

CBN News

December 27, 2006

CBNNews.com - There are more medications for asthma than ever before -- and they are more effective than ever. But there's a downside in addition to the high cost: side effects.

"I'm not knocking drugs at all, but they're not the tool that's going to correct the problem. And they're not the tool you want children to be locked into for the rest of their lives," said clinical Dr. Neil Levin.

Levin is a clinical nutritionist at Now Foods, a supplement company. He says diet can help heal the lungs and reduce the need for medication.

First, that means a healthy diet with lots of fresh produce. But to get healing levels of nutrients, Levin says supplements are required.

That would mean daily antioxidants such as vitamin C of at least 1000 milligrams and vitamin E of 400 international units or more - and plenty of protective minerals such as selenium, zinc, and magnesium:

"Both injectable and supplemental magnesium is very effective at reducing the bronchial spasms -- which opens up the pathways for oxygen to get into the lungs."

And they include the essential fats known as omega-three lipids - that is, refined fish oil.

"Asthma is an inflammatory response -- fish oils help tone down the formation of the short-acting hormones that make our bodies become inflamed," said food scientist Melissa Wilson of Carlson Labs, another supplement company.

She says research shows fish oil plus a multivitamin helps by reducing winter colds that trigger asthma.

Levin says common antibiotics kill off good bacteria in the gut. The remedy is good bacteria, also known as probiotics. They help fight the poor digestion which promotes asthma.

Levin says when you choose natural remedies, keep in mind that nutrients take a little more time. For instance, the herb boswellia could take six weeks to show benefits.

"Of all the herbs in the world, that's the one with the best clinical evidence that it can actually reduce the incidence and severity of asthma attacks," said Levin.

An adult dose is a daily 1,000 milligrams and half that for a child -one or two pills a day.

And there's beta carotene as well, 100,000 international units - half that dose for a child - can help reduce symptoms and repair cell damage from asthma.

"Everything I've said is documented in clinical studies, so this is not speculation. This is science," said Levin.

With more use of nutrition for the lungs, the outlook for kids and adults with asthma can often improve considerably.

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