The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005; 59(12): 1335-46) published an article that reviewed the research involving asthma and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. The authors stated that fish oil supplementation may act to reduce inflammation and help to open airways. Other research appearing in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (2007; 11(1): 103-9) looked at fish consumption, and the relative consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in 1,002 pregnant Japanese women. Increased fish consumption and consuming more omega-3 fatty acids (in relation to omega-6 fatty acids) reduced the chance of having a child with asthma. Another study that appeared in Clinical and Experimental Allergy (2007; 37(11): 1616-23) looked at the dietary habits of 16,187 subjects between the ages of 23 and 54 years. It found that a small amount of fish in the diet reduced the chances for developing asthma. The subjects who never ate fish during childhood had an increased risk of developing asthma at an early age. Pregnant women, who had an increased risk for having a child with asthma were involved in research that appeared in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (2004;15:517-522). The 616 women were instructed to give the newborn either 500 mg/day of fish oil or a placebo. Breast-fed infants were not given a supplement until the age of six months (there is a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids in breast milk). The children were evaluated a 18 months of age (376 of the original group participated in the evaluation). Omega-3 fatty acid levels were measured and it was found that asthma symptoms, nocturnal coughing and doctor visits (for asthma), were reduced in those with high levels of omega-3 fatty acid in the blood. Click here to link to a local practioner and a website that is loaded with more health information
COPD stands for "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease". Two lung diseases fall under the category of COPD: bronchitis and emphysema. Both conditions are largely caused by smoking and often occur together. A placebo-controlled study, appearing in the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research (2006; 39(4): 465-74,) looked at the effect supplementation with L-carnitine had on patients with COPD. It found that supplementation for six weeks with L-carnitine (2 grams per day) improved the strength of the muscles involved with inspiration and increased exercise tolerance.
The relationship between supplementation with a combination of CoQ10, vitamin C and alpha tocopherol and asthma symptoms was examined in an open, crossover, randomized study that was published in Biofactors (2005; 25(1-4): 235-40). The subjects of the study were 41 patients, between the ages of 25 and 50, with bronchial asthma. For the first four months of the study, one group received supplementation with antioxidants (vitamins E and C) and CoQ10, as well at their standard asthmatic therapy. The second group received standard asthmatic therapy alone. During the second four months of the study, the therapies were reversed for the two groups. The control group received the supplements and the original supplement group received only standard asthma therapy. Those patients who were dependent on corticosteroids had low levels of CoQ10 in their plasma; this confirms earlier research. Taking antioxidants and CoQ10 reduced the need for corticosteroids in the subjects. The researchers concluded that supplementation with CoQ10 and antioxidants may be beneficial to patients with asthma.
FEV stands for "forced expiratory volume". It is a respiratory test that measures the amount of air exhaled in a set amount of time. FEV1 means the amount of air forced out of the lung in one second. It is the most frequently used measure for evaluating airway obstruction in diseases like asthma.
Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is a non-invasive way to measure the amount of inflammation in the airways. It is an early indicator of asthma because eNO levels increase significantly in individuals with asthma before they are diagnosed. Exhaled nitric oxide levels decrease when steroids are given--indicating that eNO is a measure of inflammation.
