Nutrition Stop - Vitamins and Minerals - Antioxidants for Asthma

Antioxidants for Asthma

If you suffer from asthma, taking antioxidant vitamins may ease your breathing when the air is smoggy. A study of adults with asthma found that vitamin C and natural vitamin E could improve lung function when the air is filled with ozone and sulfur dioxide, two common pollutants. The research, performed at the University of Washington School of Public Health, examined the lung function of 17 people with asthma. For five weeks, scientists gave these people vitamins C and E and then had them breathe in amounts of ozone and sulfur dioxide similar to that found in the average polluted afternoon. The result: breathing was more efficient and sensitivity to pollutants was healthfully reduced. The researchers who presented their findings at an American Lung Association/American Thoracic Society International Conference, noted that many people, not just those with asthma, may benefit from these antioxidant nutrients. According to the scientists, these vitamins may be especially important for those exposed to cigarette smoke and industrial toxins.