Month: June 2014

June 30, 2014

Study: Consuming Broccoli Benefits Asthmatics

broccoli

The University of Melbourne recently carried out a study testing the benefits of broccoli as it relates to asthma. Results showed that consuming one to two cups of steamed broccoli prevents asthma symptoms and potentially reverses lung damage. However, the benefits are not only limited to broccoli but are also found in other cruciferous vegetables.

These vegetables alter the airway formation making it easier to breath. This study is among others that aim to discover the benefits of dietary changes for various illnesses and will be presented at the 2014 Undergraduate Research Conference in Shanghai.

Broccoli could help asthma patients to breathe easy, a new study suggests.

According to researchers at the University of Melbourne, eating one to two cups of lightly steamed broccoli could prevent asthma from worsening.

Other vegetables belonging to the cruciferous family such as kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and bok choy also help reverse lung damage, the study found.                  

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June 23, 2014

Self Reported Asthma Rate Drops

The Center for Disease Control conducts an annual survey to discover the self-reported U.S asthma rate. Results indicate a significant drop in asthma to a nine year low. 7.4% of the U.S population reported an asthma diagnoses compared to a fairly consistent rate at approximately 8.5% since 2009. The CDC is not completely convinced, having surveyed 47,000 people last year, and they are hesitant to declare its decline. Asthma is a chronic illness affecting around 3 million children and adults in the United States. One of the leading causes of asthma deaths is attributed to a lack of medication adherence.

(Reuters) – Self-reported U.S. asthma rates have fallen significantly for the first time in four years to a nine-year low, according to a survey released on Thursday, but researchers cautioned that the numbers may not mean the disease is dwindling.

About 7.4 percent of the U.S. population reported having asthma in 2013, down from a level that has hovered around 8.5 percent since 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey found.

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June 9, 2014

Study: Early Exposure to Dust Prevents Asthma Development in Newborns

(Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

A recent study conducted by Dr. Robert Wood, of John Hopkins Children Center in Baltimore concluded that keeping a home too clean can potentially cause future allergy and asthma flare ups in children. The study was published on June 6th in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. It specifically stated that in the first year of an infants life, it is important to expose the child to a certain level of germs and bacteria in order to develop their immune system and prevent asthma.

The study tracked 467 newborns in urban communities from womb to birth and years down the road. Results showed that 41% of the children, who were allergy free, were exposed to a significant amount of bacteria in their household.

Atlanta, Ga. (CBS Atlanta) – You may want to think twice before breaking out the ole’ duster.

In a recent study out of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, keeping your home too clean may lead to asthma and allergy complications later in life for children.

In the study published June 6 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers found that infants are far less likely to suffer from asthma or allergies later in life if they are exposed to household germs and bacteria as well as allergens from rodents, roaches, and cats in their first year of life,according to Healthy Day.

Dr. Robert Wood, co-author of the study and chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, looked at 467 newborns in inner-city communities across Baltimore, Boston, New York City, and St. Louis and tracked their health from the womb, to birth, and through the years.

Dr. Wood found that about 41 percent of children in the study without allergies grew up in households rich in allergens and bacteria.

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