Botanical extracts alleviate asthma symptoms

Asthma is a chronic lung disease in which the airways become blocked or narrowed, making it difficult to breathe. This disease affects nearly 20 million Americans, and the numbers keep rising. Asthma is divided into two types: allergic (extrinsic) asthma and non-allergic (intrinsic) asthma.

In healthy people the airways to the lungs are fully open, allowing air to move in and out freely. But asthmatics have inflamed, super-sensitive airways. Allergic triggers cause the following airway changes, which in turn cause asthma symptoms:

• The lining of the airways swell and become more inflamed
• Mucus clogs the airways
• Muscles tighten around the airways (bronchospasm)

As a result, the airways narrow until breathing becomes difficult and stressful.

The following remedies have been shown to help alleviate allergic asthma:

Pine Bark Extract

Pine bark extract inhibits the release of histamine from mast cells¹⁴, and may prove to be a key player in the relief of asthma symptoms.

Four to five million children under the age of 18 suffer from asthma in the United States. A 2004 clinical trial at the School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, CA, found that children and teens suffering from mild to moderate asthma had improved pulmonary functions after taking pine bark extract for just one month.

The effectiveness of pine bark extract was based on four factors: the ability to breathe, the severity of asthma symptoms, frequency of rescue inhaler use, and the amount of inflammatory molecules in the child's body. The study showed that breathing improved after only one month of using the supplement, and that it continued to improve with further use.

The double blind and placebo-controlled study followed 60 children ranging from 6 to 18 years for three months. The children who took pine bark extract were able to reduce their need for rescue inhaler use and in some cases stop inhaler use altogether more often than the placebo group.¹⁵

Previous studies have shown pine bark extract to be effective in decreasing asthma symptoms among adults, without any adverse effects.¹⁶¹⁷

Luteolin

Luteolin is a flavonoid found in parsley, thyme, artichoke, basil, celery, and rosemary. It inhibits oxidative damage to cellular DNA, and suppresses excess levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and interleukin-1B, which play a major role in allergic diseases.

Luteolin is commonly found in Chinese herbal asthma medicines. A study at the College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, found that luteolin inhibited the release of histamine in laboratory animals, and relaxed the animals' tracheas.¹⁸

Two other studies on laboratory animals found that luteolin was an effective asthma¹⁹ and allergy preventative.²⁰

Rhus Punjabensis Extract

Rhus punjabensis extract is a source of anti-allergic flavonoids. Studies have shown that it suppresses excess levels of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4 and interleukin-13²¹, and interleukin-5²², which play a major role in allergic diseases.

Take the sneezes out of hay fever (allergic rhinitis), without the side effects of antihistamines.

Rosemary Extract

Rosemary extract is a source of rosmarinic acid which prevented inflammation of the airways in laboratory animals after they were exposed to house dust mites, leading researchers to suggest that it might be helpful to asthmatic patients.²³

Hesperidin

Hesperidin is the predominant flavonoid in lemons and oranges. Sweet oranges and tangelos are the richest dietary source of hesperidin, which is purported to relieve allergy and hay fever symptoms. Hesperidin is also found in rosemary leaves.²⁴

Conclusion

Although conventional drugs are effective for many hay fever and allergy sufferers, botanical extracts offer a safe and effective way of alleviating symptoms, while avoiding the unpleasant side effects of those drugs. And for asthmatics who must rely on inhalers, rhus punjabensis extract, luteolin, pine bark extract and rosemary extract all offer an opportunity to decrease use of corticosteroids, and/or complement their use.

Let's face it, allergies make you miserable. This time around, instead of relying on over-the-counter or prescription medicines that provide temporary relief and add different symptoms to the mix, why not try these proven extracts? They have impressive studies to back them up, and because atopic dermatitis, asthma, and hay fever all result from an excess of inflammatory mediators, you can take any or all of them to relieve your hay fever, dermatitis and/or asthma. 

Tips for Reducing Your Allergy Symptoms

• Avoid contact with cats, dogs, birds and horses.
   
• Take an excellent vitamin C supplement.
   
• Essential fatty acids—fish oil, or flaxseed oil—help promote healthy skin and are beneficial to those suffering from dermatitis.
   
• Support your adrenal glands with a supplement containing licorice, Siberian ginseng, vitamin C, vitamin B-5, adrenal extract, and ashwagandha.
   
• Take a nutritional supplement containing extracts of persimmon leaf extract, apple polyphenol extract, luteolin, hesperidin, rosemary leaf extract, pine bark extract, and rhus punjabensis extract.
   
• Eat lots of brightly colored fruits and veggies, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.
   
• Drink plenty of water in order to flush out toxins and stay hydrated.
   
• Avoid sugar, white flour, and refined carbohydrates.
   
• Keep windows and doors closed during your worst allergy seasons. Use an air filter to help remove pollen and dust from indoor air, but be sure to change the filter frequently.
   
• Limit your outdoor activity in the early morning hours during allergy season to avoid exposure to high pollen concentrations.
   
• Use hypoallergenic soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, and pillows.
   
• The filter screens of air conditioners get filled up with dust and mold. Be sure to clean them at least every six weeks.
   
• Dust mites live in bedding, upholstery, and carpets, so:
   
• Remove rugs or carpeting, and go with wooden floors. If you must have carpeting, have it cleaned professionally at least once a year.
   
• Keep your bedroom as dust-free as possible.
   
• Replace down-filled pillows and comforters with hypoallergenic ones.
   
• Encase your mattress and pillows with special dust-proof plastic or fabric covers. (Bedding covers made of 3M™ Propore™ fabric create an effective barrier against dust mites and allergens.)
   
• Wash your sheets often and your bedspread every other month.
   
• Vacuum frequently (consider purchasing a special air filter for your machine or an allergy-proof HEPA vacuum) and damp-mop after each vacuuming to remove lingering mold, mites, and pollen.
   
• Replace any dust-trapping venetian blinds and pleated curtains with roll-down shades.
   
• Install an air purifier.

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References

Articles of Interest from Smart Publications Health & Wellness Update

• Get Relief From Allergies with Adrenal Gland Support!
• The Allergy Answer That Works BETTER, SAFER, and LONGER Than Drugs
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids Proven Effective for Children and Adults with Asthma