Janet Zand, L.Ac., OMD

"Certain food additives, especially metabisulfite, can be dangerous for the child with asthma. Sulfites are commonly found in commercially prepared foods such as dried fruits. They are also used by many restaurants to keep fruits and vegetables at salad bars looking fresh and attractive. If your child has asthma, it's best to avoid salad bars and to buy only unsulfured dried fruits. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can also cause problems for some asthmatics, so avoid food products prepared with this additive. You should also be aware of "hidden" sources of MSG. These often show up on food labels as "hydrolyzed protein," "autolyzed yeast," "sodium caseinate," and "calcium caseinate." Dr. Zand offers valuable information in the following categories

Mark Stengler ND 

Many studies have verified the connection between food sensitivities and asthma. Children can have various reactions by their immune systems to different foods. Some of the more common food sensitivities are milk and eggs. Not all food reactions are easy to identify. It is now known that food reactions may occur a day later after ingesting a food one is sensitive to. Many of my asthmatic patients are able to control their susceptibility to asthma by avoiding or limiting their food sensitivities. We test these sensitivities at our clinic with a state of the art blood test. This helps to quickly identify foods that are cross-reacting with the immune system.

Certain nutritional supplements have been shown in clinical studies to significantly reduce the susceptibility to asthma attacks. Two of the more well researched supplements include Vitamin B12 and magnesium. These vitamins are inexpensive and non-toxic when used properly. They act to balance the reactivity of the respiratory tract.

In my experience, homeopathic medicine offers the most comprehensive and effective treatment of childhood asthma. Homeopathic medicines are composed of specially diluted substances(usually plant or minerals) that have a balancing and repairing action on the immune system.

Arsenicum album. Arsenicum can be used in Asthma, in complete lack of anxiety with the asthma, which is uncharacteristic of Arsenicum cases. Some cases, however, do not have mental or emotional pathology, and must be prescribed for based on the physical symptoms alone.