Manipulating Antioxidant Intake in Asthma

Question: Discuss about the Manipulating Antioxidant Intake in Asthma. Answer: Introduction: Agree. Diet plays an important role in the management of asthma and it has to be modified to decrease the risk of asthma- exacerbations. National-Asthma Council-Australia (2016) has stated that nutrition presents as a vital conditioning factor in various illnesses especially asthma. They hypothesized that some constituents of diet seems to increase or decrease exacerbations. The nurses are indented to provide a patient- centered care depending on their individual needs as well as understanding their preferences, values with beliefs (including dietary aspects). A nurse has to develop a framework for identifying, solving, evaluating the problem (nutrition) and improving the practice (Brown, 2015).Hence, nurses have to identify the triggering factors in certain diets that could lead to asthma exacerbations and plan accordingly. Various studies suggest that unsaturated fats could treat allergies and decrease asthma exacerbation. There are two types of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as omega-3 PUFAs which is present in animals and fishes and omega-6 PUFAs that is present in plants (sun-flower, olive canola oil) (Weichselbaum, 2013). Un-saturated fats are essential for reducing the inflammatory as well as severity of asthma. Fish oil is rich in omega-3 PUFAs especially ei-cosapentaenoic as well as do-cosahexaenoic acid that protects the asthmatic patients from inflammation and exacerbation. A study conducted by Weichselbaum (2013) suggests that increased intake ofomega-3 PUFAs has reduced the risk for asthmatic features in children and adults.When fish oils are consumed by pregnant, lactating and early-postnatal mothers with asthma, it is found to have improved their respiratory function (DAuria, 2014). Intake of omega-3 PUFAs with vitamin-D and folic acid at the time of pregnancy has showed to promote fetal development and neonatal immune-modulatory efficiency with reduction of allergic diseases. Breast milk helps to reduce the risk for getting asthma in children as it contains airborne-antigens, IgA, tolerogenic factors, etc that alters the immune- responses to allergens. According to Lisa (2012), antioxidants as vitamin- C, E with selenium are observed to prevent oxidative injury that in-turn reduces inflammation triggered by an allergen. Supplementation of Vitamin- C in diet has shown to reduce the severity and frequency of asthma and exercise-induced broncho-spasm. At-least an increase in intake of 100mg of Vitamin-C per day is found to increase 10-50 ml of forced expiratory-volume in 1 second and hence vitamin-C act as a preventer of asthma exacerbation. Selenium acts as a co-factor for the synthesis of anti-oxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase) that is required for counter-oxidation as well as to decrease the synthesis of leukoritine-B (inflammatory mediator), thus reducing exacerbations. According to Health-Direct Australia (2013), various types of fibre from different plants has to be consumed to prevent exacerbations. In Australia, a man is recommended to consume 30g of dietary fibre/day and a woman to take 25g/day. A study conducted by Smith (2015) concluded that a high-fibre diet is found to change gut bacteria of expectant mothers that might prevent the development of asthmatic symptoms in fetus. The nurses should conduct a dietary assessment and work along with dieticians to prepare an individualized menu plan by considering the foods that could prevent and reduce asthma exacerbation. A nurse has to educate the asthmatic patients about the importance of diet modification to prevent complications. Reference Brown, D et al. (2015). Lewiss medical-surgical nursing: assessment and management of clinical problems. Chatswood, NSW: Mosby/Elsevier DAuria, E et al. (2014). Omega-3 fatty acids and asthma in children.Allergy And Asthma Proceedings: The Official Journal Of Regional And State Allergy Societies. 35(3): 233-240.doi:10.2500/aap.2014.35.3736 Health Direct Australia. (2013). High Fibre foods and diet. Retrieved fromhttps://www.healthdirect.gov.au/high-fibre-foods-and-diet Lisa, G. W. (2012).Manipulating antioxidant intake in asthma: a randomized controlled trial: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Retrieved from https://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/3/534.long National Asthma Council Australia. (2016).Healthy Living Fact Sheets. Retrieved from https://www.nationalasthma.org.au/publication/triggers-house-dust-mites Smith, M. (2015). Could eating a high-fibre diet during pregnancy stop your child from developing asthma?. Retrieved fromhttps://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE %7CA419376838v=2.1u=acuniit=rp=ITOFsw=wasid=08c2c6cd9083b6e993f6eb50ecc2c275 Weichselbaum, E. (2013). Fish in the diet: A review:Nutrition Bulletin. 38(2): 128-177. doi:10.1111/nbu.120