Guest Author - Amy Anaruk

While eating a diet heavy in foods with anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties may help reduce flares, some problematic foods can actually trigger flares for a small group of asthmatics.

Food triggers are rare. Asthmatics tend to have the most problems with respiratory illnesses, airborne pollutants, and environmental triggers, but those with true food allergies experience severe side effects like skin rashes and/or eczema, gastrointestinal problems like vomiting or diarrhea, and swelling in addition to trouble breathing. In severe cases, asthma sufferers (and non-asthmatics, too) can suffer life-threatening anaphylactic shock with a severe allergy.

However, asthmatics may also experience food intolerance, a more subtle problem. Food intolerance is not the same as a food allergy. Usually the reaction is less severe and can take several days to show up. More people have intolerances to chemicals like preservatives or dyes used in food preparation than in actual food.

If you keep a journal to help you figure out a child's asthma triggers, keep an eye out for reactions to the following common food culprits:

1. Eggs
2. Peanuts and tree nuts
3. Soy
4. Fish
5. Milk
6. Shellfish
7. Seeds
8. Wheat
9. Sulfite, a preservative
Sources:
---Dried fruits and vegetables
---Packaged potatoes
---Wine, beer, and cider
---Bottled juices, especially citrus
---Shrimp
---Pickles and pickled foods
10. FD&C Yellow 5 (tartrazine), a food coloring
Sources:
---Numerous packaged and convenience foods
---Most condiments
---Shampoo, lotions, and other personal care products
11. Sodium benzoate, a preservative
Sources:
---Jams and jellies
---Salad dressings
---Soft drinks
---Soy sauce
12. Monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer
Sources:
---Package soups and stocks
---Frozen dinners
---Fast food
---Some soy sauce, steak sauce, and worcestshire sauce
13. Aspartame sweetener
14. Salicylate, a compound
Sources:
---Aspirin
---Skin-care products
---Pepto-Bismol

For more articles in the Eating for Asthma series, please see the links below.


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"Smile, breathe and go slowly." -Thich Nhat Hanh



This article is not written by a medical professional, and information on this page should never be substituted for your physcian's advice. If you have any questions about your asthma and/or allergies, you should always contact your physician first.