Are your asthma patients missing out on the nutrients they need?

Asthma reactions to dairy foods are unlikely.^{1 - 4}

Food is not commonly a problem in asthma. Controlled studies indicate that less than 5% of all people with asthma have an attack because of certain foods.5 Patients probably do not need to give up any foods unless they have a proven allergy.

Study finds no link between dairy foods and bronchoconstriction in the absence of recognised food allergy.¹

Inhaler A randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial enrolled 20 patients with asthma, 10 of whom believed that dairy foods exacerbated their asthma and 10 who did not. Symptoms and spirometry results were recorded before and after challenge with milk or placebo, representing both objective and subjective evaluation. The results:

No subject reported an increase in cough or sputum production following dairy challenge.
Symptom scores showed no statistically significant differences in outcomes of dairy and placebo challenges.

The authors concluded that they could not demonstrate that dairy foods induce bronchoconstriction. They recommended that health care professionals ensure their patients are not unnecessarily risking nutritional deficiencies by restricting their dairy consumption.

Study finds dairy foods do not stimulate mucus production.⁴

In a prospective study to determine the effect of dairy foods on mucus production, data were assessed on 51 volunteers aged 18-35 infected with the common cold virus. Their response to dairy foods was evaluated by both objective and subjective means. The authors found:

No increase in mean nasal secretion with milk intake.
No delayed effect following milk consumption.
No association between milk intake and cough, nose
symptoms or congestion.

Overall, the authors concluded that no statistically significant association can be detected between dairy foods and mucus production.

Patients risk health by limiting dairy food.

Calcium deficiency has been demonstrated in children due to dietary modification.¹

"...many people with asthma may be unnecessarily depriving themselves of a rich and important source of nutrients, a situation that could lead to malnutrition and osteoporosis."¹

Dairy foods are a primary source of essential nutrients in both adults and young children...

3 serves of dairy foods provide*:

110% of calcium
50% of protein
45% of vitamin A
95% of vitamin B12
75% of riboflavin.

*based on the RDI for an adult male

National Asthma Council recommends dairy foods as part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Rich in calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B12, riboflavin.
No demonstrated association with bronchoconstriction.
No demonstrated increase in cough or sputum production.

Dairy. Every day for life.

AUSTRALIAN DIARY CORPORATION.

References:

1. Woods RK. Weiner J. Abramson M. et al. Do dairy products induce bronchoconstriction in adults with asthma?. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1998;101 45-50

2. Ontario J. Merland N. Terral C, et al. Placebo-controlled double blind food challenge in asthma. J Allergy Clin immunol. 1986;78:1139-46.

3 Nguyen MT. Effect of cow milk on pulmonary function in atopic asthmatic patients. Ann Allergy Asthma immuol. 1997;79:62-64

4. Pinnock CB, Graham NM, Mylvaganam A, Doug as RM Relationship between milk intake and mucus production in adult volunteers challenged with rhinovirus-2. Am Rev Repir Dis.1990;141 352-356.

5. National Asthma Council 1999