Asthma-Prevention and Treatment with a Plant-Based Diet

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood. A plant-based diet can reduce the risk of asthma and can also be a step in the stepwise treatment of asthma. There is evidence of the influence of food on asthma treatment outcomes, regardless of allergic status. Levels of inflammation, oxidative stress, and exposure to advanced glycation end products all contribute to the development of an asthmatic response and can be reduced with a plant-based diet. Plant-based diet intervention studies on asthmatic patients have been shown to be effective at reducing symptoms and clinical measures. A plant-based diet should be prescribed for all asthmatic patients. Medications used to treat the asthma patient may need to be titrated down as the treatment effects of a plant-based diet become evident.