Breathe easy
A healthy vegan diet may combat asthma
A review of current evidence looking at the links between diet and asthma in children and adults found that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, grains and pulses, with little or no animal products, may reduce the risk of asthma. Antioxidants, fibre, vitamin D, saturated and polyunsaturated fats are all likely, they say, to affect how asthma might develop. Plant foods may protect against asthma via their effects on inflammation, oxidation and microbial composition – it’s that microbiome again! Additionally, increased fruit and veg, reduced animal products and weight management could mediate free radical damage, cytokine release and other immune responses involved in the development and course of asthma.
Clinical trials identifying the mechanisms involved could lead to the potential use of nutritional therapy in the prevention and management of asthma.
Alwarith J, Kahleova H, Crosby L et al. 2020. The role of nutrition in asthma prevention and treatment. Nutrition Reviews. 78 (11) 928-938.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
View author page | View staff profile
