Herbs That Can Help Asthma

       Proponents of raw food diets claim that the elimination of most cooked or processed foods and the substitution of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables can cure asthma or at least reduce its most severe symptoms. Green beverages such as freshly pressed wheat grass or barley juice and the supplementation of green or blue-green algae and similar foods may also bring relief.

     Herbs have a vital place in asthma therapy. The most frequently prescribed include echinacea, horsetail, juniper berries, licorice root, mullein and Ma huang. Lobelia tincture may be helpful during asthma attacks, as it relaxes bronchial muscles. Ginkgo, which contains the active ingredient ginkgolide B, has shown good results in many studies.

      The Chinese herb Ma huang (Ephedra vulgaris) has been used to treat asthma for more than 5,000 years. It stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and relieves bronchial spasms, making it among the most widely used herbal asthma medications. However, its common side effects include rapid pulse, increased blood pressure, nervousness and irritability. These can be reduced by taking the herb in small doses several times a day in combination with calming herbs.

     According to the herbalist Christopher Hobbes in the September 1992 issue of Natural Healing, teas or extracts of the expectorant herbs grindelia and yerba santa are best for asthma accompanied by a heavy white sputum, while the moisturizing herbs coltsfoot, marshmallow root, mullein and licorice are better for dry types of asthma.

Supplements

     For many asthma sufferers, relief comes from nutrition. In addition to vitamins and mineral supplements that repair tissues and boost immunity, many physicians recommend bioflavonids, quercetin, bromelin and coenzyme Q10, all of which may help reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Vitamins A, B complex, C and E are considered most important, along with magnesium, selenium, and beta carotene. In fact, vitamin C may be more significant than previously realized.
     In 1995 The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a report showing that a diet low in vitamin C is a risk factor for asthma, particularly in environments containing tobacco smoke and similar oxidants. According to this article, 7 of 11 studies on vitamin C have shown significant improvement in respiratory measurement within two hours after the patients took 1 to 2 grams of vitamin C. These studies are the first to show such a positive correlation and the first to use large doses of the vitamin. Previous trials using 500 mg or less were less conclusive.
    Vitamin C has been shown to have antihistamine properties; it inhibits experimentally induced bronchial constriction in normal and asthmatic subjects, and in double-blind controlled studies, doses of 1 gram per day have been shown to be an effective, though not curative, preventive measure for some patients with bronchial asthma.

The Allergic Connection.

       No matter what conditions trigger an asthma attack, naturopathic physicians believe that asthma's underlying causes are food sensitivities or food allergies, insufficient hydrochloric acid (even among children), leading to incomplete digestion, and exposure tofood additives and other chemicals that overburden the immune system, causing it to malfunction. Diets that eliminate common allergens have been effective in treating asthmatic adults and children. Double-blind food challenges in children have shown that sensitivities resulting in immediate symptoms are most likely to involve eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts and peanuts, while those resulting in the delayed onset of symptoms are most likely to involve milk, chocolate, wheat, citrus fruits and food coloring. Of course, every person is different, and the best way to tell what foods may be triggering your or your child's symptoms is to keep a food diary, experiment with food groups and rotation diets, try applied kinesiology's muscle testing or see a health care professional who specializes in nutrition. In someone whose production of hydrochloric acid is insufficient for complete digestion, discovering the causes of food allergies and eliminating them is only part of the solution, for unless the low stomach acid is corrected, new food sensitivities will develop as new foods replace old ones. According to Jonathan Wright, M.D., one of the diseases associated with low stomach acid is childhood asthma. This deficiency is easy to diagnose and the cure is inexpensive. Digestive supplements containing hydrochloric acid are sold in health food stores.
      In 1993, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reported on a respiratory technologist who developed occupational asthma after being exposed to sterilizing agents in her work. Whenever she cleaned bronchoscopes, her asthma worsened.

      The sterilizing agent glutaraldehyde may be unusual, but most American homes have their own share of asthma-aggravating allergens. In 1993 The American Journal of Epidemiology reported on a study of 457 asthmatic Canadian children ages 3 to 4, which compared them to 457 control subjects. Independent risk factors for asthma included heavy smoking by the mother, the use of a humidifier in the child's room and an electric heating system in the house. Less important but still significant were the presence of other smokers in the home, a history of pneumonia, the absence of breast-
feeding and a family history of asthma. Other studies have shown that smoke from a fireplace or wood stove can aggravate asthma, as can a host of common household cleansers, paints, paint thinners, perfumes and some types of incense.

      The problem with humidifiers, which are supposed to help relieve respiratory congestion, is that they are breeding grounds for molds, bacteria and other germs. To prevent these problems, add liquid grapefruit seed extract to your humidifier's water reservoir. Grapefruit seed or citrus seed extract, which kills viruses, bacteria, yeasts, molds, parasites and other pathogens on contact even when greatly diluted, is sold in health food stores.

      Tea tree oil has similar properties, in addition to a sinus-clearing antiseptic fragrance reminiscent of eucalyptus oil and turpentine. In fact, some people relieve sinus congestion by placing a drop on the upper lip, just under the nose, at bedtime. Unlike liquid grapefruit seed extract, tea tree oil is not water-soluble, so for best results, dissolve a teaspoon of tea tree oil with an equal or larger amount of vodka or other alcohol before mixing it with water.

     To disinfect a humidifier that is used daily, add 1/8 teaspoon of liquid grapefruit seed extract or tea tree oil/vodka solution to the water reservoir once a week, and add several drops of either solution to the reservoir daily. 

Asthma

       A full-blown asthma attack is a nightmare: you can't catch your breath. Add coughing, rattly wheezing, a choking sensation and the light-headed feeling that accompanies a lack of oxygen and you get the idea. Asthma is worse than inconvenient; it can be fatal. In the United States, asthma has become an epidemic, especially among children.

    Orthodox physicians treat it with steroids, antihistamines, bronchiole dilators and other drugs, all of which have adverse side effects and none of which address asthma's cause.

 "Extrinsic" or "atopic" asthma is related to allergies and brings a characteristic increase in the blood serum immunoglobulin IgE. ''Intrinsic" asthma does not involve allergies; it is triggered by chemicals, exposure to cold air or water, active physical exercise, infection or emotional upset.

      Recent research by Michael Burr at the Center for Applied Public Health Medicine in Cardiff, Wales, found that industrial pollution with sulfur dioxide and smoke does not cause asthma but appears to increase its severity. The study blamed diesel exhaust fumes and ozone for increasing the allergic effects of inhaled allergens and noted a rise in asthma cases in areas with decreasing industrial pollution but increasing automobile traffic. Until hydrogen replaces petroleum as a fuel, large cities and busy roads will make life more difficult for asthma patients.
 

Other Approaches

      The food supplement quercetin, a bioflavonoid, has been shown to relieve or prevent hay fever and allergy symptoms, and the nutritional support offered by vitamin/mineral supplements is important as well. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, and large doses during hay fever season may bring relief. Orothomolecular physicians recommend as much as 5 to 20 grams of vitamin C taken in 4 to 8 doses over 24 hours for this condition.
      Salt is another decongestant. To treat hay fever symptoms, drink an 8-ounce glass of water followed by a pinch of salt on the tongue every 15 to 30 minutes until symptoms subside. The same strategy will work for asthma.
     Mechanical aids make a difference, too. Breathe Right nasal strips are a familiar sight in professional football games, where players use them to keep nasal passages clear when plastic mouth guards interfere with normal respiration. Advertised as a drug-free way to relieve snoring as well as nasal congestion due to allergies, colds and deviated septums, these strips are sold in drugstores and in health supply catalogs.
    A simple way to break the hay fever cycle without drugs is to go on a week-long cleansing juice fast, drinking only water and freshly prepared raw fruit and vegetable juices and eating no solid food at all. If you're like most hay fever sufferers, your sneezing symptoms will diminish or disappear, suggesting a link to food sensitivities.

Herbs That Can Help You

      If you don't have high blood pressure, the Chinese herb Ma huang (ephedra vulgaris) may be helpful. The active ingredient in most commercial allergy preparations made from herbs, Ma huang or Chinese ephedra is a powerful decongestant. It clears bronchial passageways, dries sinuses, helps relieve sneezing and makes breathing easier. It also speeds the pulse, raises blood pressure, makes it difficult to relax and feels like caffeine. The more you take, the more dramatic these side effects, so start with a small amount, don't take Ma huang in the evening (it may keep you awake) and, if brewing a tea with this herb, make a weak infusion to start.

      Nettle (Urtica dioica) may sting when you touch it, but nettle tea soothes the system. In "A Randomized Double-Blind Study of Freeze-Dried Urtica dioica in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis," published in the journal Planta Medica (February 1990), P. Mittman reported significant hay fever relief from capsules containing freeze-dried nettle. The therapy had few side effects and improvement came within a week for those who found the treatment effective. Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Spontaneous Healing, controls his own hay fever with this therapy. Nettle tea and fresh nettle juice are used in Europe for a variety of conditions, including several respiratory problems.

      Echinacea and goldenseal are a favorite combination for hay fever therapy. In fact, many herbalists consider goldenseal the most effective botanical treatment for acute sinus infections because it fights bacteria and viruses while soothing mucous membranes. Both herbs support the immune system. Teas and tinctures made with red clover, sage, burdock root or licorice root are often recommended for hay fever prevention and treatment and all have much to recommend them.

     Gail Ulrich, herbalist and director of the Blazing Star Herbal School recommends an infusion of dried mullein leaf (2 tablespoons or 1 ounce by volume of the dried herb per quart of boiling water) steeped 2 to 4 hours and given in [1/2] cup doses 4 times daily for 6 weeks to eliminate allergies to pet dander and relieve other allergy symptoms.

     Rosemary Gladstar has an unusual recipe for garlic-ginger syrup that helps prevent allergies and hay fevers.

Homeopathy

      The bee pollen approach to hay fever resembles homeopathy, for both strategies introduce small amounts of allergenic substances in hopes that the body will respond and overcome the illness. The difference is in the dosage. Homeopathic hay fever preparations are extremely dilute solutions of the yeasts, molds, grasses, tree pollens, fungi, animal dander, dust mites and other airborne allergens that typically cause reactions. Respiratory illnesses such as hay fever are among the conditions homeopathy is best known for treating.

      A similar strategy is used by people who take rag weed tincture in the spring and early summer, before this plant flowers. The Heritage Store in Virginia sells products recommended by Edgar Cayce, the American psychic whose well documented medical insights cured thousands during the 1930s and '40s. Edgar Cayce recommended rag weed to over a hundred individuals as a liver tonic and nonhabit-forming laxative and prescribed it to help desensitize pollen-sensitive systems when taken ahead of pollen season. Users have reported relief from other allergies after taking rag weed tincture for several weeks.

      The Heritage Store's product contains only rag weed and grain alcohol. Inspired when I read this at the peak of rag weed season as I was sneezing my head off, I gathered blossoms from the inconspicuous common rag weed (Artemesia artemisifolia) and the tree-tall great or giant ragweed (A. trifida), covered the pollen-rich flowers with vodka and made my own tincture. The following spring I began taking half a dropperful daily. All through ragweed season, which lasts to the end of October, I continued the ragweed experiment and seldom sneezed, even when pollen counts hit record highs.

Honey and Bee Pollen.

      Honey contains pollen, and some hay fever sufferers swear by honey from local bees. Their strategy is to eat comb honey or raw, unheated, unrefined, unfiltered honey from local bees in three-day cycles for several weeks before hay fever season. This exposure acts like a vaccination and makes the local pollens less irritating.
     Bee pollen is a popular food supplement, but I have misgivings about recommending it to those who have hay fever. Some seriously adverse reactions have been reported among people with severe allergies who took bee pollen, probably because the dose is so concentrated compared to what you would ingest in a spoonful of honey. A better approach is to start with a single grain per day three to four months before hay fever season and slowly increase the dosage, adding one grain every three days.
Discontinue if you experience any adverse symptoms, such as sinus congestion, throat irritation, fatigue, headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, itchy skin or memory problems, all of which may occur when someone allergic to pollen takes bee pollen capsules daily for several weeks. The physician who reported these symptoms noted that bee pollen capsules, despite manufacturer's claims, do not contain only pollen from plants that are pollinated by bees but also contain allergenic airborne pollens such as ragweed. For best results, never experiment with more than a single grain of bee pollen or a tiny amount of raw honey if you are trying this approach for the first time. Of course, for honey "vaccinations" to work, the raw honey or bee pollen must come from local hives and contain local pollens.

Allergies and Hay Fever

    The word "allergy" did not exist in Shakespeare's time or even a hundred years ago. It's a modern term for a modern illnessor, more accurately, an assortment of illnesses. Allergy is a catchall word for a variety of reactions made by the body when it detects something foreign. The offending substances may be foods, animal dander, house dust, pollens, mold, smoke, air pollution, medicines or chemicals. The ability of the immune system to identify individual substances and react to them is crucial, but overreaction creates uncomfortable symptoms such as sneezing, sinus congestion, itching or watery eyes, headaches, indigestion, skin rashes, hives and other symptoms.

     At any time of year, it can be hard to tell the difference between allergies and cold symptoms. Either can produce sneezes, a runny nose, nasal congestion, an itchy throat and irritated cough. If a "cold" lasts for several weeks, and if your symptoms seem more severe in certain locations (less intense outdoors in winter, for example, and worse in certain rooms or buildings), it's probably hay fever.

    According to allergy researchers, indoor or year-round allergies are almost always due to three sources of irritation: the droppings of microscopic dust mites that live in house dust, mold spores and animal dander. In many households, the causes may also include cockroach parts, rodent urine or the smoke from a wood-burning stove or fireplace. All of these irritants are associated with asthma as well. 
    The orthodox treatment of allergies includes the use of decongestants, antihistamines and steroid drugs. Some allergists specialize in desensitization shots, in which small quantities of allergenic substances are injected into the body over a period of time. Desensitization therapy for bee stings and other insect venoms is generally effective, according to Philip S. Norman in his 1980 overview of immunotherapy published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, while scientific studies on the effectiveness of desensitization to pollen, molds, house dust and animal danders are "generally inconclusive or lacking."
     The link between diet and allergies is important, and anyone hoping to relieve hay fever symptoms and allergic reactions to dust mites, pet dander and other common irritants will do well to explore food sensitivities.

Stop Smoking

      For many Americans, this is easier said than done. Smoking is a chemical addiction that those who don't smoke find incomprehensible. It takes more than will power, resolutions, good intentions, pleas from friends and relatives, public ordinances, medical problems and high cigarette prices to stop smoking.

     If you have a respiratory illness, smoking will make it worse. If you live with someone who does, secondhand smoke will do the same. People still argue about the links between smoking and heart disease or breast cancer, but the links between smoking and emphysema, asthma, lung cancer and other respiratory problems are well-documented. Chewing tobacco, which has gained in popularity in recent years, has its own adverse side effects, including cancers of the mouth and throat.
    Of all the approaches to quitting, and there are many, two of the most effective may be acupuncture and orthomolecular medicine. Acupuncture has an impressive record in treating all kinds of addictions, not just smoking, as does orthomolecular medicine, which treats illness with nutritional supplements.

      In the Winter 1993 issue of The Herb Quarterly, herbalist Elizabeth Phillips reviewed plants that help smokers quit. "These herbs will regulate a smoker's mood (no more irritability)," she wrote, "and the accompanying urge to overeat as nicotine intake stops, and they will cleanse the system of nicotine and the lungs of tar sediment. And they will do all that simply, easily and safely."

      The herbs in Phillips's program are the sedative herbs valerian root, chamomile and skullcap; licorice root and comfrey, which reduce the symptoms of drug withdrawal; black cohosh, burdock root and red clover for blood cleansing; slippery elm bark and fenugreek, which help remove mucus from the lungs; catnip, magnolia and peppermint, which aid the smoker in quitting; and echinacea to support the immune system. These herbs are alternated during the program so you use slightly different combinations every day.

       To brew each tea, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small, pan (the recipes are for 4-ounce teacups), add the required amount of dry herbs, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain and serve.

    Phillips advised starting the day with a 4-ounce cup of tea made with 1/2 teaspoon each of chamomile (or scullcap) and valerian root. At mid-morning, mix 1/2 teaspoon licorice root with 1/2 teaspoon comfrey leaf. At noon, brew 1/2 teaspoon black cohosh with 1/2 teaspoon burdock root or red clover. In the early afternoon, combine 1/2 teaspoon slippery elm bark with 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek. Discontinue this tea when you stop coughing up mucus. In the late afternoon, mix 1/2 teaspoon magnolia with 1/2 teaspoon peppermint or catnip. Just before dinner, brew a cup of echinacea tea using 1 teaspoon echinacea leaf. Sweeten any of these teas with honey or add a pinch of the herb stevia, a popular alternative to sugar. In addition, Phillips recommended taking 500 mg of vitamin C, a vitamin E capsule and one tablet of goldenseal root daily, although goldenseal, like untreated licorice root, is not recommended for those with heart disease.
     Since Phillips's article was published, comfrey has been removed from many health food stores because of its alleged toxicity (see page 65). I would not hesitate to take the small amount of comfrey called for here, but you should study the evidence and make your own decision. If you decide not to use comfrey, substitute burdock root or red clover.

    In addition to the herbs recommended above, here are three that can be real friends to anyone who is trying to quit smoking. The first is lobelia or Indian tobacco; the second is calamus root. Because both of these herbs come with FDA warnings, please read their descriptions carefully before using. The third helpful herb is oat grass or oatstraw, a tonic for the nerves.

    It is easy to become discouraged if you try to quit smoking and fail. But there are so many approaches to this project that if you really want to stop, you will find one that works.