Good news! Researchers have discovered an easy solution for asthma, particularly for those who are prone to attacks while exercising: Cutting back on dietary salt.
The study is the first to show that changing salt intake over just two weeks can ease airway inflammation and better facilitate the flow of oxygen to the bloodstream. According to the study's author, high-salt diets have a number of physiological effects, such as increased blood pressure and blood volume that can cause pulmonary swelling that, in turn, results in airway obstruction.
Salt Study
Twenty-four patients with asthma and exercised-induced asthma were divided into two groups: Some followed a low-salt diet of some 1,500 mg. of salt, while others were put on a high-salt diet of nearly 10,000 mg. (the usual amount many Americans consume daily).
After two weeks, results showed:
High-salt dieters demonstrated a dramatic decline in lung function after exercise; the standard measure for lung functioning -- forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) -- taken 20 minutes after high-salt dieters exercised dropped by 27.4 percent, compared with a 7.9 percent decline experienced by the low-salt group.
Those on the high-salt diet were also found to have more airway cells (another indicator of asthma) and pro-inflammatory mediators that spur airway constriction.
In light of these findings, researchers believe that adjusting one's diet has the potential to adjust a disease state.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise June 2005, Volume 37, Issue 6: 904-914
Forbes June 17, 2005
While there is little doubt the average American eats too much salt, there are some important points to consider when making a decision about your salt intake.
First of all, the majority of salt that Americans consume comes from processed and restaurant foods. Cutting out processed foods from your diet and reducing how often you eat out will almost certainly decrease your salt intake.
Secondly, if you eat a balanced, healthy diet, based on the foods your unique biochemistry is designed for, you will likely be getting all the sodium you need to sustain health. However, keep in mind that, while salt was not nearly as readily available in Paleolithic times, it was consumed. It's also unlikely that, when it was available, humans would have ever denied their natural taste for salt and discarded it.
Finally, when the topic of salt intake is discussed, very few people consider the type of salt being consumed. There are some major differences between the standard, refined, table salt most of you are used to, and unrefined, sea salt, or "real salt."
Conventional Salt vs. Sea Salt: What's the difference?
Conventional table salt contains approximately 97.5 percent sodium chloride and 2.5 percent chemicals, such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Unrefined sea salts, like Real Salt™, contain approximately 84 percent sodium chloride and 16 percent additional minerals. Some of these minerals, such as magnesium, can actually be helpful in cases of asthma.
Conventional salt is dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit -- this amount of heat changes the chemical structure of the salt.
Conventional processing adds harmful additives and chemicals to salt.
Salt Precautions
Please be aware that not everyone should use salt. The best index I have found to determine if one needs salt is to look at a fasting chemistry profile, which shows the serum sodium level, from a good reference lab. The sodium level should be 139 with an ideal range of 136 to 142.
If it is much lower, you probably need salt; if it is higher, you probably want to restrict salt intake. Additionally, salt is sodium chloride so you will also want to look at your chloride level. The ideal is 102, with a range of 99 to 105. Just like sodium, lower levels suggest you should add salt and higher levels suggest you should restrict its use.
Asthma Tips
If you suffer from asthma there are some very simple changes you can make that will profoundly improve your ability to breathe:
Eat a healthy diet, being especially careful to reduce or avoid sugar, fruit juices, most grains and pasteurized dairy products.
Replacing commercial milk with raw milk from grass-fed cows is also usually well tolerated and highly health promoting.
Include generous amounts of omega-3 fats in your diet. I find Carlson fish oil and cod liver oil to be one of the most superior brands available as it conforms to the strictest guidelines for purity and freshness. It is available in most health food stores, and also in our online store.
For more severe and resistant cases of asthma, allergy skin testing can be appropriate. Traditional allergy treatments are one of medicine's safer and better approaches, however it has great room for improvement.
My experience with conventional allergy testing, whether done through the blood (RAST) or skin is that only 20 percent to 30 percent of patients do exceptionally well with it. It is also highly inconvenient, as patients need to go to the doctor's office every week for months or years. It clearly does not work for the majority of patients.
The system is time consuming and expensive, though. A course of PN treatment and testing can run about $1,000 to $2,000. However, this is less than many patients are already spending on one year's worth of allergy medicines, and it is a long-term solution that will, in most cases, provide a permanent treatment. There are also virtually no side effects with the treatment, unlike with conventional drugs.
Finally, it is important to remember that the allergy desensitization program is in addition to, not a replacement for, a comprehensive nutritional approach.
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