About fifteen million Americans suffer from asthma, a serious chronic disease of the respiratory tract.  Over the last ten years, the number of asthma patients has increased more than 40%, and deaths from asthma also have risen an astounding 40%.  Although the field of medicine has come through with a number of major advancements, asthma has been a difficult problem to solve. 

Traditional Treatments

A doctor will usually prescribe steroid and bronchodilating agents.  For children, Cromolyn sodium is usually recommended to form a protective membrane for the patient’s allergic cells.  This helps to prevent more attacks but isn’t a cure.  There is a newer medication called Singulair which is a leukotriene receptor antagonist.  This medicine blocks leukotriene production and can be used to prevent asthma attacks.  But all of these medications only ease the symptoms of asthma.  They can not cure the disease at the source.

Side Effects of Traditional Treatments

Some of the traditional treatment such as steroid might affect children’s growth.  Side effects of Bronchodilator include tremor, headache, insomnia, hypertension, palpitation and arrhythmias. Cromolyn sodium also has side effects such as transient cough, headache, laryngeal edema, joint swelling and urticaria. Side effects of leukotriene receptor antagonist involve fatigue, abdominal pain, dizziness and liver enzyme increase. 

New Drugs on the Horizon

• Advair: a combination of bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory agent effectively treats both the inflammation and the bronchoconstriction of asthma with a single product, which provides a high level of asthma control and is easy for patients -–only one inhalation twice a day.
• Anti-IgE Treatment: asthma patients have too much IgE in their system.
• Gene Therapy: asthma patients have certain defective genes.
• Nuvance: binds to Interleukin 4 and renders it inactive.

Alternative Medicine – a Better Way

• Antioxidants - Antioxidants can lower the oxides in the blood to protect our cells. 
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1995, 61.6255: Increasing Vitamin C intake can reduce
asthma attack. 

    Biological Trace Element Research, 1996, 52: 241-248:
 22 intrinsic asthma patients and 33 controls were assessed for their plasma Selenium levels and glutathione peroxidase.
 Results show that asthmatic patients have significant lower plaxma Selenium level and GPX activities.

• Co-Enzym-Q10 - Co-Enzym-Q10 enables your body to use oxygen efficiently and completely. 

• Ginkgo Biloba - Ginkgo Biloba is a natural bronchodilating agent which relaxes smooth muscle.
Pharmacological Research Communications, 1988, 20(7):573-589: Animal studies show that Ginkgo Biloba extract (GBE761) can relax trachea smooth muscle in vitro.

• Green Barley - Green Barley can improve allergies by enhancing the immune system. 

• Omega-3 Fatty Acid - Omega-3 Fatty Acid works as the natural Singulair to block leukotriene production and can be used to prevent asthma attacks. 
 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997, 65:1011-1017:
 LTC4 and LTD 4 leukotrienes are the mediators which can cause the asthma syndrome.
 Fish oil can improve asthma syndrome by lowering the concentration of LTC4 and LTD4.
 Clinical trials demonstrate that after taking fish oil (3g/day, EPA:DHA=0.5:1) for 4 weeks, >40% asthma patients improved their asthma syndrome.

< Daily Suggested Regimen >

 Green Barley                 4 teaspoons
 Antioxidant                   4 tabs (Vitamin A, C, E, Selenium, Grape Seeds, Zinc,  & Green Tea )
 Co-Enzyme-Q10           120mg ~ 180mg
 Ginkgo Biloba                240mg ~ 360mg
 Omega-3 Fatty Acid     4g