Asthmatic lungs are oversensitive to triggers such as airborne allergens, exercise, cold air, emotional stress, and even certain foods. When an asthma attack hits, breathing passageways are narrowed, making precious oxygen scarce. Spasms in the bronchial tubes cause tightness in the chest and fits of coughing. And when inflammation lingers in the lungs, you’ll start wheezing. Chronic asthma is often treated with medications that are inhaled directly so the medicine reaches the air sacs in the lungs. If you have asthma, these drugs may help you breathe better. But they also offer their share of side effects.
If you use medication to control your asthma, supplements may help you gradually reduce the amount of medication you’re taking. Giving these supplements a try may restore healthy breathing in a safe and natural way, but get your doctor’s approval before taking supplements for asthma.
Try Magnesium for Immediate Relief
Quite a bit of research has linked magnesium with the improvement of asthma symptoms. One study at City Hospital in Nottingham, England, found that making an effort to take more magnesium can have a positive effect on asthma in a very short time.
Seventeen people took either 400 milligrams of magnesium or a look-alike supplement without magnesium (a placebo) for several three-week periods. Symptoms were significantly fewer when people in the study were getting the supplemental magnesium.
"Magnesium definitely has an antispasmodic effect on the smooth muscle of the upper respiratory tract," says Claudia Cooke, M.D., a holistic doctor in New York City. Since asthma is aggravated or worsened by spasms in the smooth muscles, which are involuntary muscles, magnesium’s antispasmodic effects can be beneficial.
For an asthma attack, Dr. Cooke recommends taking 600 milligrams of magnesium along with any medications that have been prescribed by your doctor. If you get relief, she suggests, continue with a daily supplement of 600 milligrams, but don’t take this much if you have any kidney problems or low blood pressure.
Keep Exercising—And Breathing— With Vitamin C
Asthma that’s brought on by bouts of exercise can be particularly troubling for folks who are trying to stay fit. According to a study at Tel Aviv University in Israel, vitamin C may be able to prevent attacks among people who have exercise-induced asthma.
In the study, some people were given 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C one hour before they stepped on a treadmill for a workout. When researchers compared those who got the vitamin C to those who didn’t, they discovered that those receiving the supplements showed less hyperreactivity in their airways. The results were probably due to vitamin C’s ability to squelch certain inflammatory substances that are produced by overreactive lung cells.
It’s smart to take vitamin C even if your asthma isn’t exercise induced. People with asthma who get the lowest amounts of vitamin C have significantly more bronchial activity in general. For this reason, Dr. Cooke urges anyone with asthma to take vitamin C supplements. Take at least 2,000 milligrams a day in divided doses, suggests Dr. Cooke. If you start to get diarrhea from a dose this high, you should gradually reduce the dose until this side effect goes away.
Keep Inflammation Down with Omega-3 Oils
One of the newest pharmaceutical weapons against asthma is a class of drugs called leukotriene inhibitors. They work by halting the actions of compounds produced in the body that cause bronchial constriction and other allergic reactions.
In an emergency situation, drugs like these are probably the quickest route to relief, but supplements of omega-3 fatty acids work by a similar anti-inflammatory mechanism. Moreover, they can be nearly as effective for long-term asthma control, says Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., N.D., president of Bastyr University in Bothell, Washington.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in the oils of certain fish, particularly cold-water fish such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon, and in the oils of some plants, including flax. Although our bodies don’t produce omega-3’s, and we have to get them from one or more of these outside sources, we normally get enough from our diets to ensure that we maintain good health.
A supplement of omega-3’s can improve the balance of fats, says Dr. Pizzorno. "Most of us eat way too many saturated fats and not enough of the omega-3 type. You do need both kinds, ultimately, but you need them in balance with each other."
Over time, supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids can dramatically reduce asthmatic wheezing. Some doctors recommend a daily dose of 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams of fish-oil concentrate or two teaspoons of cod-liver oil. If you want to use flaxseed oil, one tablespoon a day is reasonable, but it may not be as effective as fish oil, doctors say.
Breathe Easier with Bioflavonoids
The best food for helping asthma? Eat more fruits and vegetables, says Dr. Pizzorno. That’s because of the special "ingredients" found only in those types of foods. All of them contain bioflavonoids.
There are almost as many different kinds of bioflavonoids as there are colors in nature. "Basically, they’re the bright pigments that you see in produce," says Dr. Pizzorno. But they’re more than pretty colors.
Bioflavonoids are growth regulators in plants. When you eat bioflavonoids in foods, you get the benefit of their potent anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties.
Some of the bioflavonoids available as supplements include quercetin, pycnogenol, grapeseed extract, and ginkgo extract. You can take any of these singly or as a blended combination: Many mixtures and concentrations are available in drugstores and health food stores. For dosages, just check the label and follow the instructions on the particular bottle you choose, says Dr. Pizzorno.
Using Pollen Prevention
According to Dr. Cooke, bee pollen is a valuable supplement to consider. But not always. Some people are actually allergic to this substance. If you are among them, your asthma may get worse rather than better. So check with your doctor before you try this therapy.
"It works through a process of oral tolerization," says Dr. Cooke. By taking bee pollen regularly, you can actually enhance immunity to the airborne irritants that stimulate some asthma attacks. It may sound complex, but Dr. Cooke says respiratory symptoms can really improve.
Take up to two tablespoons of pollen a day, she says. You can sprinkle pollen granules over cereal or yogurt. Or you can make your own supplements by buying empty gelatin capsules at a health food store and simply filling them with premeasured amounts of pollen.
