If you suffer from asthma, turns out, what you eat might play a bigger role in worsening your symptoms than you might have realized. Here are 10 foods you should avoid as they might trigger attacks, while these 10 have great health properties that can alleviate the symptoms.

1. Artificial Additives

While that rainbow-coloured cake or blue-frosted cupcake looks good, you might want to think about your health and asthma first. In some special cases, studies have found that artificial additives like food colouring, flavourings, or preservatives can cause a rare allergic reaction. As an unsuspecting asthma attack trigger, you might want to be more careful about the colour of your food moving forward.

Alexander Grey on Unsplash

2. Shellfish

It's not uncommon to hear about someone having a shellfish allergy, which means these people might be in more danger if they also have asthma. Ranging from shrimp to crab and lobster, even when eaten in very small amounts, the allergens found can cause a serious reaction that'll trigger bad asthma symptoms.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

3. Dairy Products

Dairy is another common allergy that you likely know many people have. Can you imagine being allergic to some of your favourites like milk, cheese, or ice cream? Not only do you miss out on these tasty foods, dairy allergies can trigger asthma symptoms like coughing and wheezing.

Photo by Gabi Miranda on Unsplash

4. Peanuts

Do you remember bringing a peanut butter sandwich to school only to find out you can't eat it because someone's allergic to peanuts? It's a childhood memory we all share, demonstrating just how prevalent this allergy is. Coming into contact with peanuts if you're both allergic and have asthma can lead to some seriously dangerous symptoms. In the worst case scenario, you might even have a anaphylactic reaction!

Photo by Vladislav Nikonov on Unsplash

5. Eggs

Turns out, even if you have the smallest, most slightest egg allergy, eating it can be dangerous enough to trigger an asthma attack. It's incredibly important that you always proceed with caution, knowing the risks and doing your best to avoid them. 

Photo by Morgane Perraud on Unsplash

6. Soy

Everything from tofu, soy milk, and soy sauce can be a tricky area to navigate for those who are either allergic or have intolerances to soy products. Eating these foods will trigger bad asthma symptoms, meaning you should always be wary of checking the label to look out for this ingredient. 

Photo by Thomas Kinto on Unsplash

7. Wheat

Wheat and wheat products contain certain compounds and amino acids that might cause seemingly unexplainable asthma attacks. While the connection is still being researched, some might say that it's because some proteins in wheat also irritate your airway, creating the start of a reaction.

Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash

8. Fish

While we already mentioned shellfish which includes seafood more like crab and lobster, certain types of fish unfortunately also might trigger asthma. Containing proteins that sensitive individuals might be more prone to, it can lead to extreme reactions like an asthma attack.

Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash

9. Sulfite-Containing Foods

Found in dried fruits, canned goods, and wine, sulfites are preservatives that might cause your airways to swell up, leading to bad asthma attacks, especially in more sensitive individuals. It's a good idea to learn what foods contain this preservative so you can be more careful in the future to avoid eating it. 

Photo by Fati Mohebbi on Unsplash

10. Tree Nuts

Supposedly, tree nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and cashews, are one of the leading asthma triggers in America! As one of the more common food allergies around, you definitely want to avoid eating these nuts if you're suffering from an allergy and asthma combined.

Photo by Jocelyn Morales on Unsplash

1. Apples

Fresh fruit, such as apples, are incredibly good for helping alleviate and managing asthma. The nutrients found in this popular fruit have been shown to reduce inflammation and allergic reactions, relieving you of the symptoms. Furthermore, regularly eating apples might help with improving lung function which can help decrease the number of asthma attacks you face in the future too! Talk about a win-win.

Photo by Shelley Pauls on Unsplash

2. Bananas

Here's another commonplace fruit that can do wonders for your asthma symptoms: bananas! Eating one banana a day can really help you control your asthma attacks by strengthening your immune system and reducing any wheezing. 

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

3. Ginger

Thanks to the well-known anti-inflammatory properties that ginger is known to have, doctors were able to realize ginger can help reduce asthma symptoms too. Relaxing your airway muscles to help you breathe more effectively, you simply have to drink some ginger tea regularly to see these benefits.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

4. Spinach

If you're looking to decrease your risk of asthma, one way to do it is by loading up on fruits and vegetables. One vegetable you definitely should be consuming regularly is spinach. Loaded with magnesium which has been studied to ease the symptoms of asthma, you can't go wrong with adding this to your diet.

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

5. Turmeric

Often celebrated for its anti-inflammatory properties like garlic and ginger, turmeric is a special one; it contains a compound called curcumin which has an incredibly important role in reducing inflammation. It's great at helping asthma by improving your airway function. 

Photo by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash

6. Carrots

Thanks to the beta-carotene and vitamin C found in carrots, this crunchy vegetable can play a big role in helping manage your asthma attacks. Maintaining your passageways and improving air flow, it can potentially reduce the severity of your symptoms.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

7. Avocado

Everyone's favourite trendy fruit, avocado, is here to save the day again! Full of antioxidants that improve your respiratory system's health, avocadoes also contain healthy fats that are great for your lungs. Those are two beneficial ways to combat your asthma symptoms!

Photo by HaYaTT ZW on Unsplash

8. Berries

From what it seems, berries can never do you wrong. And whether you love strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries, you can get a great deal of benefits from any of them! When it comes to asthma, these fruits are loaded in vitamins and antioxidants which are a good for your overall immune system; there's no one better than berries to have on your side to fight off inflammation. 

Photo by Karoline Stk on Unsplash

9. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have been said to be one of the best foods for sensitive individuals - supposedly, they're one of the least likely vegetables to cause a reaction! That's probably because sweet potatoes are loaded with goodies like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and magnesium, all of which work against asthma to enhance your body's immune system.

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

10. Garlic

If we've mentioned ginger and turmeric already, how could we end off without mentioning garlic first? Garlic has always been touted for its amazing health benefits and anti-inflammatory properties. With all of its nutrients working toward helping your body in every way that it can (including helping with asthma symptoms), what's not to love about garlic?

Photo by Ryutaro Uozumi on Unsplash