If you’re wondering what asthma and allergies have in common, they can occur together. The same substances that trigger hay fever, like pollen and pet dander, may trigger the symptoms of asthma, but certain dietary habits can help prevent these conditions from developing. Here, let’s look at some helpful diet tips for managing asthma and allergies:

• Go low-cal to lose weight: Being obese or overweight can worsen the symptoms of asthma, so maintaining healthy body weight is necessary to keep the symptoms of asthma under check. If one weighs too much and experience asthma attacks, they must make certain dietary changes and adjustments to their eating patterns. One can also consult a nutritionist to plan a healthy diet to alleviate the symptoms.
• Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits: Both fruits and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants, and they also contain vitamins C and E and beta carotene, which helps decrease inflammation and swelling in the lungs. They also help eliminate free radicals from the body and reduce the intensity of asthmatic symptoms.
• Avoid foods that trigger an allergic reaction: Allergic reactions can lead to severe symptoms of asthma. Many a time, eating raw foods, especially during peak allergy season, can bother people with asthma. So, it’s advisable to avoid raw fruits and other foods and stick to well-cooked meals. Undercooked food can also make people prone to developing allergies and other asthma symptoms, so one should ensure that the food they eat is properly cooked.
• Avoid the consumption of sulfites: Sulfite is a preservative found in a variety of food products, including pickles, dried fruits, fresh and frozen shrimp, and wine. It can trigger serious asthmatic symptoms.
• Take in vitamin D: People with severe asthma have very low levels of vitamin D, so they must consume foods like eggs, milk, and fish that are rich in this vitamin. Also, spending some time outdoors in the sun can help increase vitamin D levels in the body.
• Consume yogurt and other probiotics: One of the most important diet tips for asthma and allergies, probiotics are a must in the daily diet. Many medical practitioners recommend probiotics to people with severe allergy symptoms, as they contain good bacteria that improve digestive function and boost the immune system. Some good sources of probiotics are yogurt, fermented milk, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh.
• Stick to a low-salt diet: A diet rich in salt can be associated with severe asthma. On the other hand, a low-salt diet improves the functioning of the lungs and decreases the need for asthma medication. A healthy way to reduce daily salt intake is by consuming plenty of fresh vegetables and cutting down on canned and processed foods.

These are some of the simple yet most effective diet tips for managing asthma and allergies. If following these dietary tips does not alleviate the symptoms, one must seek medical help.