Dr. Weeks’ Comment:
Magnesium and vitamin B12 are typically deficient in people with asthma. Replenishing these essential nutrients often helps to reduce asthma symptoms. Sugar, refined foods and soda pop (which is high in phosphates) also lower these nutrients. Why drug the issue when you can fix it? Eat well! Drink good water.
Drinking Large Amounts of Soft Drinks Associated With Asthma and COPD
ScienceDaily (Feb. 7, 2012) ”” A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that a high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Led by Zumin Shi, MD, PhD, of the University of Adelaide, researchers conducted computer assisted telephone interviewing among 16,907 participants aged 16 years and older in South Australia between March 2008 and June 2010 inquiring about soft drink consumption. Soft drinks comprised Coke, lemonade, flavored mineral water, Powerade, and Gatorade etc.
Results showed that one in ten adults drink more than half a liter of soft drink daily in South Australia. The amount of soft drink consumption is associated with an increased chance of asthma and/or COPD. There exists a dose-response relationship, which means the more soft drink one consumes, the higher the chance of having these diseases.
Overall, 13.3% of participants with asthma and 15.6% of those with COPD reported consuming more than half a liter of soft drink per day.
The odds ratio for asthma and COPD was 1.26 and 1.79, comparing those who consumed more than half a liter of soft drink per day with those who did not consume soft drinks.
Furthermore, smoking makes this relationship even worse, especially for COPD. Compared with those who did not smoke and consume soft drinks, those that consumed more than half a liter of soft drink per day and were current smokers had a 6.6-fold greater risk of COPD.
“Our study emphasizes the importance of healthy eating and drinking in the prevention of chronic diseases like asthma and COPD,” Zumin concludes.
Journal Reference:
- Zumin Shi, Eleonora Dal Grande, Anne W. Taylor, Tiffany K. Gill, Robert Adams, Gary A. Wittert. Association between soft drink consumption and asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults in Australia. Respirology, 2012; 17 (2): 363 DOI:10.1111/j.1440-1843.2011.02115.x
Approaching the study from a different aspect, but sadly not having read the article itself, only reports on it: it sounds like it was an epidemiological study of association. Was there any separation of behaviors before and after asthma began? I ask because after beginning asthma I have noticed that adding carbonated drinks better clears my throat and cuts post nasal drip, reducing a cause of coughing. I personally usually use unsweetened carbonated seltzer for that and find it especially useful in the morning. The reason i mention that is because i am wondering if they separated people who added carbonated drinks later due to the increase in comfort they can help attain from those whose soda pop drinking preceded the onset of asthma.