Introduction
Asthma is a paroxysmal syndrome that affects the respiratory system, characterised by severe breathing difficulty. These episodes are often described as a tight feeling across the chest and a heavy feeling of imminent suffocation, happening in the absence of fever or limited inflammation.
In many cases, asthma or an asthmatic episode is often followed by several days of symptoms related to gastrointestinal disturbance. These can include:
- The symptoms are reduced appetite,
- Acid regurgitation, excessive hunger,
- Abdominal bloating,
- Heartburn,
- A feeling of pressure over the eyes,
- Anxiety in the precordial area, and
- Skin itching.
The patient always demands that doors and windows be left open, and the need for fresh air becomes overwhelming. There is also an increase in the need to move from bed to an open window, and the patient finds it difficult to remain in a lying position. The pulse may look frequently irregular.
Asthma commonly develops in childhood, but it can occur at any age. Is also influenced by a complex mix of genetic, environmental, and predispositional influences and is often linked to different symptoms.
Asthma researchers continue to identify the risk of different models on individual risks of asthma. Healthcare professionals diagnose asthma through a combination of patient history, lung function testing, physical examination, and relevant lab work.
Many treatments focus on continuous patient education, regular symptom management treatment, and quick relief inhalers when required(Varraso et al., 2007).
Immune Responses, Respiratory Health and Dietary Fat Intake
The Role of Diet and Nutrients in Asthma Food Control
Researchers have identified how diet influences asthma risk, focusing on both dietary patterns and nutrients. Dietary pattern analysis examines how individuals consume food, including its frequency, combinations, and diversity.
These nutrients are consumed as part of a complex food matrix, and this approach offers important advantages when studying the relationship between diet and health.
Therefore, the most frequently studied dietary patterns include the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet emerged in the 1950s and 1960s in the seacoast regions of southern Europe, particularly in Greece and Italy. This diet has been linked to a lower rate of heart disease.
The guidelines for the Mediterranean diet highlight meals rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grain cereals. Vitamin D intake during pregnancy has been linked to a reduced risk of childhood wheezing. Despite these findings, researchers have shown that neither vitamin D nor vitamin E intake has been clearly demonstrated to have a consistent effect on the development of childhood asthma(Guilleminault et al., 2017).
Although no particular recommendations to prevent asthma during pregnancy have been discovered, the guidelines for vitamin D should be followed by respiratory medicine specialists.
The Beneficial Effects of Fruits and Vegetables
Clinical respiratory researchers suggest that consuming fruits and vegetables appears to be associated with a lower risk of Asthma. Consuming vitamin C at a dose of 0.2 g per day has demonstrated modest improvement in Asthma control.
Vitamin D can significantly reduce the risk of asthma exacerbations among school-aged children. Therefore, vitamin D supplementation in preschool-aged children has not shown a significant impact on subjective asthma control and needs further clinical trial research (Guilleminault et al., 2017).
Minerals for Respiratory Health
Some minerals have an important role in respiratory health, particularly in children.
Higher intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium has been associated with a lower incidence of asthma. Although due to the high number of experimental studies, the observations have been inconsistent, findings indicate that reduced dietary sodium did not improve bronchial responsiveness in adults with asthma.
Magnesium has been viewed as a bronchodilator in asthma. Low dietary magnesium is linked to harm to bronchial smooth muscle function in severe asthma and reduced lung function in children.
According to experts, Selenium intake has been considered to be lower among individuals with asthma. Higher maternal plasma selenium concentrations have been inversely associated with asthma risk in the outcome.
Other studies show that in large, well-controlled trials, selenium supplementation has not shown any sagnificant benefits. Furthermore, minerals tend to influence respiratory health, and the evidence does not support supplements(Berthon and Wood, 2015).
Medical Plants for Respiratory Disease Treatment
Herbal medicine commonly used to treat respiratory disorders indicate a wide range of biological activities, such as: antiallergic, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and also antiviral effects.
Although people suffering from respiratory health conditions, including cold, cough, bronchitis, and asthma, are largely on plant-based remedies.
The benefits of herbal treatment may help relieve symptoms through multiple mechanisms:
- Anti-inflammatory combinations reduced disease severity.
- Antiallergic agents prevent pathogen-induced allergic responses.
- Immunomodulators build up host immune defences.
- Antioxidants counteract free radicals at sites of infection.
- Antimicrobial properties may help to limit respiratory pathogens.
The remarkable expertise of plants to provide novel bioactive combinations is reflected in the global pharmaceutical market. Medical plants represent more than half of all medical products in the medical world.
In the world, approximately 80% of the population relies on traditional plants based on traditional therapies for primary health care. The support has also come from the World Health Organisation, which encourages the consolidation of traditional and modern medicine, while supporting the integration of medicinal plans.
Herbal remedies are well known for demonstrating favourable, toxicological, pharmacological and clinical profiles. Several plants are well documented in ethnomedicine, such as thyme, peppermint, eucalyptus, liquorice root, ginger, and turmeric, and those are supported by clinical and pharmacological evidence(Idreis, 2025).
Thyme
Thyme is a therapeutically and nutritionally valuable herb that has been used in ancient times for both culinary and medical purposes. Its essential oils and spices contain compounds with antibacterial, antispasmodic, expectorant, antifungal, and antioxidant properties that contribute to respiratory health.
Peppermint
Peppermint belongs to the Lamiaceae family. It is a fast-growing perennial herb and rich in menthol and essential oils. Peppermint oil is widely used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, because of its antiseptic, analgesic, antipruritic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities.
Liquorice Root
Liquorice Root continues to play a crucial role in treating respiratory disorders and as a supplement to conventional therapies. It is often used for inflammatory and infectious conditions and neurodegenerative diseases.
Ginger
Ginger is a valuable rhizomatous herb, and it is used for medicine and food. Ginger was first used in southern Asia, and it is widely used in the kitchen. It may help to manage gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic diseases, inflammatory ailments and cardiovascular conditions.
Turmeric
Turmeric is used for many treatments, including conditions of the lower and upper respiratory tracts and for its anti-inflammatory properties. Its expectorant action helps in the removal of mucus from the respiratory passages, and it reduces congestion, linked with respiratory infections(Idreis, 2025).
Indoor Humidity for Asthma Prevention
Fungal spores and dust mites are extremely significant. The relative humidity is maintained below around 45% at temperatures of 20-22 °C, where under these conditions house dust mites are difficult to survive.
Although clinical research indicates that higher humidity levels promote a rapid rise in mite populations, this contrast means reaching a few thousand mites per gram of household dust. Increased indoor humidity also supports fungal growth.
Approximately 60% of identified cases may be linked to house dust mites. Preventive methods may include increasing ventilation and reducing the moisture generated indoors.
Ventilation should be easy and flexible, but not fixed, and therefore, all humidity levels should always be controlled. Higher humidity levels may lead to a rapid increase in mite populations and may also encourage fungal growth (Andersen and Korsgaard, 1986).
Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) can be picked up from certain foods, including some of the cheeses, butter, and cow milk, and these are at a point produced through the fermentation of complex bacterial polysaccharides present in dietary fibres.
Short-chain fatty Acids have been examined for their inflammatory effects in vitro. Short-Chain Fatty Acids and high fibre diets have been recognised to reduce inflammation in animal models of diseases, including peanut allergy, airways inflammation, colitis, and allergic airways inflammation.
The procedures through which Short-Chain Fatty Acids exert their effect are varied. Short-Chain Fatty Acids can contribute to regulatory T helper cells, and decrease the capability of dendritic cells to activate effector T cells and start the inflammasome.
Pro-inflammatory is generally considered both Saturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Wypych, Marsland and Ubags, 2017)
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Further Reading
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Medical Disclaimer
This article is only for informational and educational purposes. I am not a medical professional and nothing on this site constitutes medical advice. Always consult a qualified medical healthcare provider before making any dietary or health changes.
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References
- Andersen, I. and Korsgaard, J. (1986) ‘Asthma and the indoor environment: Assessment of the health implications of high indoor air humidity’, Environment International, 12(1–4), pp. 121–127. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-4120(86)90022-X.
- Berthon, B. and Wood, L. (2015) ‘Nutrition and Respiratory Health—Feature Review’, Nutrients, 7(3), pp. 1618–1643. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7031618.
- Guilleminault, L. et al. (2017) ‘Diet and Asthma: Is It Time to Adapt Our Message?’, Nutrients, 9(11), p. 1227. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9111227.
- Idreis, N.E.M. (2025) ‘Medical Plants for Respiratory Diseases’, 7 Issue 1 2025, p. 95.
- Varraso, R. et al. (2007) ‘Prospective study of dietary patterns and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among US women’, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86(2), pp. 488–495. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/86.2.488.
- Wypych, T.P., Marsland, B.J. and Ubags, N.D.J. (2017) ‘The Impact of Diet on Immunity and Respiratory Diseases’, Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 14(Supplement_5), pp. S339–S347. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201703-255AW.