GSE
Safe, effective asthma therapies
Safe, effective asthma therapies
Some simple strategies will virtually eliminate
your need for conventional medications .
Optimize your vitamin D levels
Vitamin D can be a very powerful immune modulator.
Vitamin D is best obtained by
exposing a significant amount of your skin (more than just hands and face) to appropriate
amounts of sunlight. Alternatively you can use a safe tanning bed.
• Turn
your skin slightly pink. This can produce up to 20,000 units
of vitamin D per day. At slightly pink, a feedback system in your body halts production
of any more vitamin D. In fact, longer exposure can damage your skin.
• Ingesting
vitamin D
does not have the advantage of the inherent feedback in the skin.
Presenting the possibility of harmful overdose.Vitamin D can be found in
some quality cod liver oils and can be carefully supplemented by those in non-sunny
areas of the country.
Vitamin D
SUNSHINE
-"Let There Be Light"
You can monitor
vitamin D
in your blood with an accurate test. 25-hydroxy vitamin D
(aka CALCIDIOL or 25(OH)D) level
• Check
at your highest and lowest times. Typically in the US this
is respectively in August and February.
• Aim
to get your health levels to about 60 ng/ml. In addition, combine
with exercise and balancing the Omega 3
and Omega 6 fats (described below),
and hopefully your asthma symptoms will be history
Ensure body is not short of magnesium
Magnesium relaxes
muscles, calcium contracts them. In developed countries, we are
not usually short of calcium, but to avoid airway constriction, it is important
that we have enough magnesium to counter calcium's contraction of bronchial smooth
muscle cells.
Magnesium regulates
and suppresses histamine production. Asthma attacks are often
brought on by the immune system's production of antibodies in response to various
triggers, such as perfumes, pet dander, dust, pollen etc.
• Magnesium
reduces inflammation of the airways and lungs by stabilizing mast cells
(produce
inflammation-causing mediators, incl. histamine) and T-lymphocytes
(immune system T-cells, B-cells and natural killer cells). A rat study
found that severely magnesium-deficient rats had higher blood levels of histamine
when exposed to allergens than magnesium-sufficent rats. Another study found that
magnesium-deficient rats had raised levels of histamine and white blood cell counts.
NishioA, Ishiguro S, Miyao N, Specific change of histamine
metabolism in acute magnesium-deficient young rats. 1987. 5(2):89-96
PubMed
Claverie-Benureau S, Lebel B, Gaudin-Harding F. Changes
in histamine and white blood cells in the blood, spleen and thymus of magnesium-deficient
rat.Reprod Nutr Dev 1981; 21(4):591-600
PubMed
Magnesium treatment for
asthma
• In
an acute asthma attack. The most effective methods are intravenous
magnesium (in a hospital/clinic) or
nebulizing magnesium chloride ;
• To
prevent asthma attacks. The best methods are
transdermal magnesium chloride ,
nebulizing magnesium chloride or taking an
oral bioavailable magnesium supplement
Consume foods that act against inflammation (and that
do not promote it)
(1) Moderate consumption of fats that cause inflammatory action
Reduce dietary
intake of Omega 6
fatty acids. The balance
between dietary Omega 3 and
Omega 6 fats is crucial for your health,
especially for controlling inflammation . Compared to 100 years ago, Americans
have increased Omega 6 intake from plant-based fats from 1-2 pounds /year to 75-80
pounds/year, primarily by consuming such as corn and soy vegetable oils in processed
foods. At the same time consumption of Omega-3
fat is now almost negligible. This imbalance ofOmega
3 and Omega 6 fats induces inflammation
and can lead to asthma.
(2) Consume fats
that have anti-inflammatory action
Increase dietary marine-based
Omega 3 fats.
This author recommends wild salmon or krill oil; most of those with health problems
or older people do not possess the needed enzymes to rapidly convert the
Omega 3 ALA in plants to the needed, potent
anti-inflammatory DHA and
EPA fats, which are inherently present in
marine oils.
Whilst avoiding an
Omega 3 / Omega 6
fat imbalance, you should still however, ensure sufficient
anti-inflammatory Omega-6 Gamma-linolenic Acid (GLA) fat
(E.g. in pine nuts, evening primrose oil, blackcurrant/borage oils,
nuts, seeds, legumes, wheat germ, lean meat). Omega-6
GLA fatty acids have a pronounced anti-inflammatory
effect.
For in-depth information on consuming the right kind of healthy fats, see:
EFAs - The Fats of Life
The "O3-Fix"
(3) Avoid foods / substances
to which you may be allergic.
Allergic reactions to certain foods or substances to which you are allergic
will produce inflammation.
Dairy products are
a common dietary culprit
• Milk allergies
may be the underlying problem linking milk and asthma. The milk
protein is the likely cause of allergy-related asthma, but according to Dr. Frank
Oski, chief of pediatrics at the John Hopkins School of Medicine, some children
and adults may not be allergic to the milk itself, but rather to the small amount
of antibiotics passed into the milk from the cows(usually given to treat their mastitis).In
a study of 25 patients that followed a diet free of milk and meat for 4 months,
71% of the patients experienced an improvement in their asthma symptoms. After
a year, asthma improved in 92% of the patients .
[Reported in Jean Carper's book, Food: Your Miracle Medicine] ,
On a larger scale, Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, President Emeritus of
Bastyr University ,
found that 25% of respiratory patients experienced long-term improvement after following
a vegan diet (no dairy, eggs, meat). You may do well to avoid dairy products and
see if your condition improves.
• Dairy products
are also notorious for producing mucus involved in asthma.
"In all respiratory conditions, mucus-forming dairy foods, such as milk and
cheese, can exacerbate clogging of the lungs and should be avoided," writes Professor
Gary Null in his Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing .
Type A's naturally produce copious
amounts of mucus, further increased when they eat mucus-producing foods.
This can exacerbate respiratory problems. When Type A's avoid mucus-producing
foods and positively address stress, their asthmatic condition is usually improved
or eliminated. "Eat Right for
Your Type"by Dr Peter J D'Adamo, page 253
• Unpasteurized
(i.e. made from raw milk)dairy products may not cause inflammatory
reactions. Pasteurization decreases the amount of the enzyme
lactase used to break down lactose in milk. Dairy with high lactose content has
been shown to worsen asthma. Also, use whole milk - e.g. a 6oz portion of yogurt
made with skimmed milk contains ~13 g of lactose, compared to only 8g when made
with whole milk.
• A
milk allergy may also manifest as eczema, bronchitis, sinusitis, autoimmune disorders,
frequent colds and ear infection
• Almond or coconut
milk is a good alternative to cow's milk
Do not be a clean freak (especially with children)
Being overly zealous about cleanliness, especially
with children
The "Hygiene Hypothesis" theorizes that exposure
to common bacterial and viral infections as a child can be instrumental in providing
the
stimulus to your immune system to naturally prevent asthma .
Get regular exercise
Exercise helps increase
INSULIN receptor sensitivity.
Optimizing INSULIN levels
by requiring your body to produce less INSULIN .
Exercising outside
in fresh air is especially important for asthmatics
Research indicates
that asthmatics who exercise tend to show improvement in:
• Maximum ventilation
• Maximal oxygen uptake
• Work capacity
• Maximum heart rate
Cordyceps Sinensis
Cordyceps sinensis
(commonly
called Caterpillar Fungus) is an oriental medicinal
fungus which has recorded lung health-related uses dating back to the 15th century
in Tibet. Today, it is proven to inhibit tracheal
contractions and has been used effectively to treat Bronchitis, Asthma, and Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by promoting increased airflow to the lungs.The
main modus operandi of C. sinensis seems to come from its ability to make more efficient
use of available oxygen in the lungs. Additionally it has anti-inflammatory
properties, which helps reduce swelling in the bronchial pathways due to allergic
reactions, which may otherwise obstruct airways. C. Sinensis extracts have also
demonstrated an ability to inhibit tracheal contractions.
In an unpublished clinical trial at Beijing Medical University involving
50 asthma patients, Cordyceps averaged 81.3% effectiveness against asthma symptoms
in 5 days (Halpern, G. Cordyceps,
Chinas healing mushroom. Avery Publishing 1999: 63-70)
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
Take 1 Tablespoon Raw ACV 3 times/day in 8-12oz.
juice. You can also add a teaspoon of
local raw honey to make a pleasant-tasting drink. This remedy is also successful
against acid reflux.
ACV
Do not smoke
Does this need saying?
