It's no secret that eating lots of fruits and vegetables can yield numerous health benefits, and recent data suggests that a diet rich in these high-fiber foods could even reduce symptoms related to asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases.
According to Science Magazine, high-fiber diets have been shown to decrease inflammation in the gut, which can help with digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
"When we eat plentiful fruits and vegetables, the bacteria that occur naturally in our intestines help us digest the fiber," explains the source. "The microbes take 'soluble' fiber such as pectin — found in apples, pears, berries, citrus fruits and onions — and ferment it into specific types of fatty acids that interact with immune cells, helping keep inflammation in check."
With this in mind, scientists have begun hypothesizing that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables could reduce inflammation in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, too.
The news outlet reports that one immunologist from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland recently tested this theory on mice, and found that those who were given foods that contained large amounts of pectin for two weeks were less likely to suffer from asthma symptoms.
If you're one of the millions of Americans who have been diagnosed with asthma, there are simple changes you can make around the house to significantly improve your quality of life. At Allergy Be Gone, we sell a number of effective products, like an allergen air purifier and allergy bedding, which can help keep your symptoms at a minimum.
