Updated April 25, 2014.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

When you consider your diet and asthma, you may ask yourself if there are any benefits of healthy eating: does what I eat really matter in terms of my asthma control? Your diet will certainly not cure your asthma, but choosing good foods to eat may provide some benefit. Additionally, maintaining a healthy weight may have a positive impact on your asthma, and the following foods may also positively impact your asthma symptoms and control:

Fruits and Vegetables Are Good For Your Asthma And Diet

Your momma likely told you that you need to eat your fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are a great source of antioxidants: nutrients that help protect healthy cells from damage.

Fruits and vegetables contain the antioxidants vitamins C, E and beta carotene. These antioxidants have been shown to decrease inflammation, which may also decrease inflammation associated with the pathophysiology of asthma. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated improved clinical outcomes in a randomized controlled clinical trial. Interestingly, patients who were randomized to receive actual fruits and vegetables improved, while patients receiving antioxidant supplements did not. This implies that whole food interventions may be most effective for supplements in asthma.

Get Enough Vitamin D

Numerous studies have demonstrated a relationship between Vitamin D and asthma. Asthmatics have been found to be Vitamin D deficient.

Patients with low levels have increased asthma symptoms, increased airway hyperreactivity, and poorer asthma control.

Guidelines do not currently recommend supplementation to treat asthma, but it is very reasonable to get your Vitamin D level checked and consider treatment if your levels are low. Good foods to eat if you are worried you may have low levels include:

• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Mushrooms
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese Finally, you can also make sure that you spend some time in the sun to get your Vitamin D levels up.

Stay Away From Sulfites

Sulfites are a common food additive and preservative, but also occur naturally in some foods. Sulfites serve as an asthma trigger in some patients. If sulfites worsen your asthma, you probably need to stay away from dried fruits, pickles, shrimp and other shellfish. Additionally, some alcoholic beverages such as wine also contain sulfites

Food Allergy

Studies have demonstrated as many as 1 in 4 asthmatic children may also have a food allergy. If your child develops asthma symptoms after eating certain foods, you probably need to have them tested by an allergist. Once you identify what foods cause asthma symptoms, you will need to try to avoid them. This may include learning to read food labels and asking about how food is prepared when you eat out.

Lose Some Weight

Your asthma and diet are also linked through your weight. Obesity is thought to be related to asthma through increased inflammation, mechanical changes leading to airway hyper-responsiveness, and certain lifestyle changes that leave patients predisposed to asthma.

The benefits of healthy eating may not only help you get better asthma control, but will also just provide you with better health overall. If you are not sure about what types of food will improve your diet, talk with your healthcare provide or seek out a nutrition counselor.

Sources

1. Rance K. The emerging role of Vitamin D in asthma Management. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract. 2013
2. Wood LG, Garg ML, Smart JM, Scott HA, Barker D, Gibson PG. Manipulating antioxidant intake in asthma: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Sep;96(3):534–43.
3. Rasmussen F, Hancox RJ. Mechanisms of obesity in asthma. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Dec 2.