What are the dietary taboos for asthma patients?

There are no universal absolute dietary taboos for asthma. The core principle is to avoid foods that you are clearly allergic to. The other various "taboo lists" posted online are not universal and can be flexibly adjusted based on personal tolerance.

When many people are first diagnosed, the first thing they do is to search around for a list of taboo foods. Seafood, eggs, milk, raw and cold food, and spicy food are all listed on it. They wish they could eat plain porridge with vegetables for the rest of their lives. In fact, there is really no need to be so nervous. In fact, the academic community has always had different views on these common "taboos". Some clinicians will recommend appropriately reducing the intake of such irritating and allergenic foods during acute attacks and when the airways are in a hypersensitive state. Some experts believe that as long as there is no discomfort after eating, there is no need to deliberately avoid foods. On the contrary, blind avoidance of foods can lead to malnutrition, reduced immunity, and more easily induce asthma attacks.

I have been in contact with a 12-year-old patient before. His parents heard from relatives that he should never touch seafood with asthma. It has been almost ten years since he was diagnosed at the age of three and he has not even dared to give shrimp crackers to his child. As a result, he did an allergen screening last year and all seafood was negative. On the contrary, he was severely allergic to mangoes and pineapples that he often eats. He has not mentioned it for so many years. Because he did not eat a lot of high-quality protein, the child is half a head shorter than his classmates. There was also a female patient in her thirties who was even more exaggerated. She was told that she should not touch "hairy things" and did not even dare to eat pork or cabbage. She lost more than 20 kilograms in half a year. Her immunity was so weak that she would get sick when she was exposed to the slightest wind. When she was hospitalized for treatment, a nutritionist tested her for allergens. She did not have any food allergies at all. She had been eating normally for two months, but she had not had an asthma attack in a long time.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to pay attention to your diet. After all, although food-induced asthma accounts for less than 20%, it’s still uncomfortable if you encounter it. For example, when the seasons change, your airways are sensitive, and you will cough for a long time when exposed to cold wind, just like a child who has just had a tantrum. At this time, if you have to drink half a bottle of ice soda just taken out of the refrigerator, or eat a bunch of spicy snacks with more than a dozen flavors added, it will easily cause spasms in the airways and make you unable to breathe. There are also pickles and vacuum-packed processed cooked food that have been stored for more than half a month. Many of them are added with excessive nitrites, which can easily induce airway contraction. If you always feel that your throat is tight and you want to cough after eating, just eat less in the future.

If you really are not sure what food you are allergic to, going to the hospital for a specific allergen screening is much more reliable than searching around for a general list. After all, everyone’s body is different. The mango that others cannot touch may be your favorite non-allergenic fruit. Others may eat milk that is fine and make you gasp when you drink it. There is no universal taboo.