Vitamins and supplements for asthma

What is Bronchial Asthma?

If you suffer from shortness of breath and wheezing, experience tightness in the region around the chest or have a chronic cough producing clear or white mucus, you may be part of the 3% of the global population suffering from bronchial asthma. In the course of an asthma attack, small bronchial tubes narrow causing a spasm which impairs the motion of air into the body. A slight spasm in the airway may provoke tightness or wheezing, but sometimes the attacks result in an acute spasm, and bronchial asthma can become life threatening if medical attention is not sought in time. Oftentimes, individuals suffering from acute bronchial spasms must be under vigilant medical supervision.

Levels of asthma severity fluctuate considerably and an attack may be induced by a variety of different events. For some individuals, an attack may arise from an allergic reaction to pollen, house dust, pet dander or certain foods and drugs. Wheezing may result from physical exertion for some people, while in others it may be triggered by a respiratory infection.

Most medical prescriptions provide basic treatment to alleviate the symptoms of asthma. However, there are vitamins and inorganic elements that may be just as good or better. We will consider some of them below.

How can I make it better?

Caffeine in coffee and its analog in tea, theobromine, are effective bronchodilators, that help relax the airways and broaden the bronchial lumen. In fact, for a long period a drug generically named theophylline had been prescribed as bronchodilator used to treat asthma, although the drug was nothing but a form of caffeine that was had merely twice the strength of an average cup of coffee.

Recommendation: when not contraindicated due to a heart condition, a mild asthmatic episode of wheezing or shortness of breath may be controlled by caffeine contained in three or four cups (160-180g ground coffee per cup) of coffee, drunk throughout the day, every cup containing about 150mg caffeine.

An asthmatic stridor condition may be exacerbated by a Niacin deficiency. When a shortness of breath is triggered by allergies, the histamine inhibiting effect of Niacin may relieve the symptoms of asthma.

Recommendation: use 100mg of Niacin daily.

In some asthma sufferers the level of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) has been found to below average, especially in those using theophylline-based bronchodilatory medication. Administrating this vitamin seems to relieve shortness of breath, sometimes noticeably.

Recommendation: start with 50mg once or twice a day. If in two or three weeks you experience fewer asthmatic episodes and they seem to be milder, you should continue with the same dose. If the dose is ineffective, it can be increased up to 100mg daily. The dose should not be increased beyond 100mg per day, and should be reverted to 50mg per day, immediately, if numbness or tingling in hands or feet occurs. A large dose of vitamin B6 is likely to cause agitation which may become persistent if the high dose is continued. The 200mg dose which some researchers have prescribed to treat adult as well as children is unlikely to cause any complications; nevertheless, use caution not to deviate from the range of a safe dose. Since in some people this vitamin provokes an undesirable response, while in the others it does not, any one individual’s reaction may be unpredictable.

Monitoring of patients of all ages, including infants, has validated the effectiveness of vitamin B12 to be an as an agent to relieve episodes of wheezing. It is not well understood how this vitamin relaxes the airways, however it is effective in suppressing the asthmatic response to allergens or physical exertion, two major causes for the symptoms of asthma.

Recommendation: provided that you are under medical supervision, inject 1000mg of vitamin B12 weekly for four weeks. After that, the same dose is to be injected monthly, for three or four months, until no symptoms persist. The same drug dosage is possible in the sublingual form (absorbed under the tongue), though it may be a little less effective if taken this way. Experimental observation has shown that the same dose may be administered for patients of all ages.

A vitamin C deficiency may exacerbate the symptoms of asthma, including shortness of breath, especially when asthma is triggered by physical exertion or allergies. Vitamin C may help relive these symptoms by reducing histamine production or by stimulating the body to increase production of “good” eicosanoids. Individuals suffering from asthma of this type generally respond to Vitamin C supplementation with fewer attacks and milder symptoms although it should be mentioned here that this therapy does not work for all patients.

Recommendation: if you suffer exercise-induced asthma, take 500-1000mg of vitamin C before working out.

The combination of vitamin C with Niacin strengthens the efficacy of both supplements in alleviating shortness of breath. When used together, comparatively lower doses can relieve the symptoms.

Recommendation: take 90-110mg of nicotinic acid together with 500-1000mg of vitamin C daily.

Blood tests taken from subjects experiencing an asthma attack often show a magnesium deficiency. Although it is not well understood how this deficiency may provoke breathing problems, researchers see a high correlation. In spite of the absence of direct recommendations, magnesium may be used to prevent the complications arising from a deficiency.

Recommendation: take 200-400mg of magnesium daily. For best results magnesium is to be taken together with calcium in a proportion of approximately 2mg of calcium for every 1mg of magnesium. The minimum daily dose of calcium taken with magnesium is 600 to 800mg.

Molybdenum deficiency often occurs in the individuals who are sensitive to sulfites contained in wine, eggs and other consumables. Molybdenum helps reduce the toxic impact of sulfites, explaining why a molybdenum deficiency can make one more sensitive to the allergen. To reduce the severity of asthma symptoms triggered by foods that contains sulfites, molybdenum supplementation is recommended.

Recommendation: start with 250mg of molybdenum twice a week, and then increase the dosage up to 500mg twice a week; if necessary, the dosage may be eventually increased up to 750mg twice a week to achieve best results. Keep to the smallest dose that may relieve your symptoms.

Inhaling N-acitylcysteine, a modified amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of protein), can be used to dilute the viscous mucus common to asthma sufferers. Inhalation of this medication has produced consistently good results. Although it may be less effective than oral medication like pills or capsules, it may still be quite beneficial for individuals who suffer viscous mucus production. Despite the fact that N-acitylcysteine taken alone is unable to control all (or any) of the symptoms, it may enable you to reduce your dose of bronchodilators.

Recommendation: start with 200mg twice a day; within a week, begin to take the same dose three times a day. If you feel no relief, try increasing the dosage up to 400mg twice a day. If your symptoms still do not respond, the dosage may be increased up to 500mg twice a day. If this dose does not alleviate some of the asthma related symptoms you are experiencing any further increase is not recommended, and most likely will not be effective.

Essential fatty acids, which are indispensable in regulating inflammatory prostaglandins, may suppress swelling and spastic hyperactivity of the airways, especially in allergy-induced asthma.

Recommendation: one meal per day should include one or two tablespoons of cold extracted vegetable oil. It may be any sort of oil, such as corn or olive oil, and can be added to salad dressing; for best results, lower starch and refined sugar intake as much as possible. If cold extracted vegetable oil is unavailable, substitute one capsule of cod-liver oil mixed with vitamin E (to prevent the fat from oxidation and spoilage). Take 500mg of evening primrose oil one to three times a day, 1000mg of cod-liver oil, and at least 100IU of vitamin E. Diabetes sufferers must bear in mind that cod-liver oil may cause variations in blood sugar levels. It is important to continue to monitor your blood glucose—and stop using the abovementioned medications if blood sugar levels get out of control.

What makes it worse?

In some asthmatics L-tryptophan, an essential amino acid, may trigger constriction of airways and wheezing.

Recommendation: lower and maintain tryptophan intake to 300mg daily or less for two weeks to check whether your symptoms respond. Generally, 60g of animal protein found in milk, eggs or red meat contain 600mg of tryptophan. Therefore, the intake of protein from these products should be limited to no more than 30g daily. This level is too low for adults, but vegetable protein, such as that found in tofu or soy-based cheese, contain enough protein to maintain healthy muscle tone and maintenance. If in two to four weeks you have no evidence that your symptoms are relieved the diet may be discontinued and you may return to your usual diet.

Pure alcohol is effective as a mild bronchodilator, and thus may relieve an asthmatic episode. However, drinking pure alcohol is not very common. It is mostly a constituent of alcohol drinks, such as beer, wine or various distilled alcohol-based drinks. If you are food-allergic, your asthma symptoms may be triggered by an allergic reaction to some other ingredients in alcoholic drinks, e.g. hop, malt, barley, grape, wine sulfites or corn (such as that used to produce liquor).

Recommendation: despite the fact that a moderate amount of alcohol, e.g. a glass of wine, 30g of liquor or a beer daily, is unlikely to be have adverse effects and may, moreover, may help you relax, imbibe with care. Just as with any other food, monitor your reactions and avoid experimenting to ensure the drink does not trigger cough or short breath.

A high-sodium diet may exacerbate spastic airways constriction caused by histamine.

Recommendation: do not add too much salt to your food. For best results, restrict the use of salt completely. This should produce a significant improvement on your overall respiratory health.