By Dr. Joseph Mercola
A plant-based compound significantly improves lung
function in patients with moderate to severe asthma,
producing results comparable to those of the steroid drug
prednisone.ASHMIThe mixture consists of the extracts of
three herbs, and is called the anti-asthma herbal medicine
intervention (ASHMI). ASHMI is a simplified version of a
14-herb medication used to treat asthma in Chinese
hospitals.First Controlled StudyIt is the first time a
controlled study has shown Chinese herbal medicine proving
as effective as a corticosteroid for aiding asthma
patients. The study was conducted on over 90 patients who
were given either oral ASHMI, prednisone, or a
placebo.After four weeks, both the ASHMI and prednisone
groups showed significant lung function improvement. There
was a slight, but still measurable, greater improvement in
the prednisone group.Doesn't Impair Adrenal FunctionASHMI,
however, unlike prednisone, also has the benefit of having
no negative effects on adrenal function. Journal of Allergy
and Clinical Immunology September 2005; 116(3):
517-524MSNBC October 17, 2005 Dr. Mercola's Comment:There
aren't many things that are important to do in life, but
one of them for sure is breathing and when you can't get a
full breath it is a major problem.That is in large part why
asthma can be such a frightening and frustrating condition,
it's no wonder people will try anything -- including a
toxic drug -- to stop it. Although steroids clearly work
for asthma and many other conditions, they do so at great
risk to your health.Aside from their considerable
toxicities though, steroids in no way shape or form treat
the underlying cause which, if left untreated, will
continue to devastate your health.Although most supplements
also fall into the category of not treating the underlying
cause, especially herbs, they are typically far less
toxic.It appearsthis novel natural, plant-based
compoundwill prove to befar saferthan dangerousthe
corticosteroid drug prednisone.But if you're looking to
reduce your dependence on any asthma crutch, here aresome
simple lifestyle changes you can make:
- 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. However, even raw milk may
worsen asthma so you will need to be careful here.
- 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.
Please remember that for most Americans we are now in
the cod liver oil time of year, as we simply don't have
access to enough sunshine on our bare skin to help us
produce vitamin D.Important NEW Information About Cod Liver
Oil CapsulesYou have to be VERY cautious about using cod
liver oil capsules. If for some reason you are not using
the more economical liquid you need to understand that most
brands of cod liver oil capsules can provide excessive
doses of vitamin A (unlike the liquid) that can cause you a
problem if you take dose in the 10-15 capsules per day that
you will need to meet your omega-3 needs.I reviewed this
issue with Carlson and they were able to develop a low
vitamin A cod liver oil capsule that won't get you into
trouble. Interestingly they also taste great if you chew on
them, almost like candy and I frequently chew them as a
treat in the winter.SO when you take cod liver oil if you
feel you need to take the capsules the choice is very
clear. Get Carlson's low vitamin A. If you can't find them
we do have them in our store for your convenience.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. Additional Asthma
AlternativesMy 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.For the past several years, I have
been using a much improved version of this testing, which
is taught by the American Academy of Environmental
Medicine, called Provocation Neutralization (PN). The
success rate for this approach is in the 80 percent to 90
percent range and patients can receive their treatment at
home.
