We"ve all heard the saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." But is it really true? Do eating apples and other fruit give our bodies more than just nutrition? Can something as simple as fruit actually prevent and treat diseases and medical conditions? The answer to that question is yes. Eating certain fruits can help prevent cancer, Alzheimer's disease, eye disease, heart disease, stroke, and can help to control blood pressure. Recent research has also shown that you can prevent and control asthma by eating fruit as well.
Asthma and Fruit
Asthma is a medical condition that affects millions of American's every year. Asthma sufferers can be male or female, young or old. About 20 million of American's do have asthma and it is estimated that close to 5,000 sufferers do die every year from their condition. (1) Asthma affects the respiratory system and happens when inflammation in the air ways prevents air flow to and from the lungs. Air pollution, tobacco smoke, allergens, excessive exercise, stress, and infections are very common factors that can trigger an asthma attack. (2) Researches are now finding that a lack of fruit and vitamin C can actually cause asthma or trigger an attack as well. Recent studies show that people with asthma also have lower levels of certain nutrients like selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, and potassium. People that eat diets low in fresh fruits and vegetables and high in fast food have also been found to have higher instances of asthma. Researchers suggest that by adding onion, pungent spices, garlic and antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and flavonoids to your diet can actually reduce asthma symptoms. (2) Another study done in Italy by the Department of Epidemiology tested studied more than 18,000 children between the ages of 6 and 7 years old. The parents were asked to monitor their fruit intake and the amount of wheezing done by their children. Researches also wanted to know how many times a week the children had eaten oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, or kiwi. After the study was completed the researchers found that eating citrus or kiwi fruit greatly reduced the amount of wheezing and incidents of an asthma attacks. The researchers followed up with 4000 of the study participants one year later and found that all the children that ate fruit once or twice a week on a regular basis still had a decrease in occurances of asthma attacks and a decreases amounts of symptoms. (4)
Treating Asthma Naturally
There are plenty of over the counter medications available to treat asthma, however, research is now proving that there are more natural and safer ways to control the disease. In addition to eating more citrus fruits and kiwi asthma sufferers have also found a lot of success with taking natural supplements.
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