Asthma

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Asthma - General information

Asthma and Food Additives

Some asthmatics are sensitive to foods containing certain additives. Ingestion of such food may result in asthmatic symptoms. The major asthma provoking agents include:

Sulphur Dioxide and Sodium Metabisulphite
Tartrazine
Monosodium Glutamate (620-625)

Most processes foods contain one or more of these additives. Hence, it is difficult to determine the exact additive which may be provoking symptoms just by associating the intake of a certain food with asthmatic symptoms.

When food sensitivity is suspected, the best approach is to follow a diet which is free from all the additives. This is the basis of the Low Additive Diet . It is a well-balanced healthy eating plan which excludes all processed foods containing preservatives, artificial colours and flavourings.

It is always important to check the label of a product for added preservative and as a general rule - AVOID the product.

The additives.

Sulphur Dioxide and Sodium Metabisulphite (220-228)

Sulphur Dioxide and Sodium Metabisulphite are preservatives used to reduce spoilage and discolouration of food. They are also utilised as sanitising agents for food equipment. The major food sources include:

Pickled onions and vinegar
Dried Fruit
Preserved fruit juices and drinks
Brewed products, eg. wine, beer, cider
Cordial, soft drink
Dried vegetables and instant potato
Sausages, frankfurts, minced beef
Essences, dessert toppings, cheese spreads.

Onset of symptoms is usually immediate (within 1 to 2 minutes).

Tartrazine (102)

Tartrazine is an azo dye used as a food colour or colour enhancer in many commercial products. It is also widely employed in the pharmaceutical industry in the preparation of capsules, tablets and medications. Common food sources include:

Commercial biscuits and cakes
Commercial pastries, eg. pies and sausage rolls
Commercial breakfast cereals, eg. fruit loops and coco pops
Commercial snack foods, eg. cheezels and twisties
Flavoured/coloured soft drinks, cordials, ice blocks, milk drinks
Jam, lollies, chocolates .

Ingestion of such foods would usually evoke a response between 30 min to 1-2 hours.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (620-625)

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavour enhancer used in a wide variety of savoury food. In addition, it also occurs naturally as free glutamate and can be found in foods such as:

Tomatoes and tomato paste/sauce
Mushrooms
Matured cheeses, eg. parmesan and stilton
Meat extracts such as Bonox
Yeast extracts such as Vegemite
Soy sauce - a very concentrated source of MSG.

MSG is almost always present in Asian and Chinese food either directly added or via the soy sauce content. Restaurant and takeaway foods will also often contain added MSG. Other potential sources of MSG occur in commercial foods such as:

Canned soups
Stock cups
Savoury biscuits and seasoned chips, eg barbeque flavoured
Mixed seasoning, sauce mixes
Ready to eat packed meals.

The onset of symptoms is usually delayed up to 12 hours after ingestion of the food containing MSG.

The Low Additive Diet

Follow the diet strictly for a few weeks
During the initial strict period of the diet, record in detail any asthma symptoms which occur, their time of onset and duration.
Be sure to check the labels of all products, for the presence of those indicated additives. When in doubt, DO NOT experiment, leave that food item out of you diet.
Due to the difficulty in obtaining many foods which are free from such additives, it is necessary to prepare many food items at home. A suitable recipe book can be obtained from a book shop.
After the initial strict period on the diet, you will revisit your Dietician and/or Doctor. Your food diary and symptoms will be assessed. At this stage it may be possible to ease up the diet by adding a few foods cautiously, one at a time, and checking for symptoms. Eventually your Doctor/Dietician should establish the most suitable Low Additive Diet Plan for you.

Food	Food Allowed	Foods to Avoid	-
Bread	White, brown, wholemeal, rye bread and bread rolls (no preservative added)	Bread or buns containing dried fruit, eg. raisin bread, sultanas. Commercial breadcrumbs, coating or stuffing mixes.
Flour	Self-raising flour, plain flour, corn flour, arrowroot, plain pasta, homemade pastry, "Pampas®" puff pastry	Gravox®, Coloured spaghetti, Commercial pastry/products, e.g. meat pies, sausage rolls, frozen pies.
Cereal	Wheat, corn, rye, barley, oats, rice, millet, tapioca, semolina, commercial breakfast cereals, e.g. Kellogg's® - Allbran, Corn flakes, Frosties, Rice bubbles, Special K. Sanitarium®- Puffed wheat, Skippy cornflakes, Weet-bix	Avoid cereals containing dried fruit, e.g. muesli, Sultana bran, Just Right, Crunchy granola. Avoid cereals containing colouring, e.g. Nutrigrain, Fruit loops, Coco pops
Biscuits	Home made biscuits using the allowed ingredients. Suitable commercial biscuits with allowed ingredients, e.g.: Arnott's® - Arrowroot, Milk coffee. Ryvitas	Home made biscuits or commercial biscuits/crackers that contain: . mixed fruit . cream filling . colouring . flavouring
Puddings	Homemade puddings using allowed ingredients, e.g. steamed pudding, plain junket, home made apple pie.	Commercial pudding mixes, jelly, instant pudding, commercial custard powder, flavoured junket tablets, frozen pies, cheesecakes.
Fruit	All fruits - may be fresh, frozen or tinned (must be preservative free)	Dried fruit, maraschino cherries, glazed fruit and imitation fruit.
Fruit juices	Freshly squeezed fruit juice, canned juice (no preservatives).	Fruit juice or drinks which contain preservatives
Vegetables	All vegetables - fresh, frozen or canned in brine (except mushrooms and tomatoes)	Canned tomatoes/mushrooms, tomato paste/sauce. Dried vegetables, instant potato mix. Commercial hot chips, Chips, Pickles, Pickled onion, chutneys.
Soup	All soup - homemade from allowed ingredients	Commercial canned or instant soup
Eggs	Eggs cooked in any way
Meat	Meat - beef, lamb, chicken, pork, turkey, veal, rabbit, duck, offal	Sausage, sausage mince, sausage rolls, meat pies, meat pasties. Bacon, ham, corn beef, luncheon meats, salami. Seasoned take away chicken, frozen/take away pizzas, hamburgers, commercial crumbed meats.
Fish	Fresh, smoked fish, canned in oil/brine. Shell fish all except prawns	No seafood in commercial breadcrumbs or batter, e.g. fish fingers/cakes. Fish canned in tomato sauce, fish marinades, pickled fish. Prawns.
Legumes and Nuts	All legumes, e.g. split peas, soy beans, chick peas, lentils All nuts, peanut butter (no preservative)	Baked beans Dry, roasted nuts with seasoning (may contain MSG)
Milk and Dairy Products	Milk - full cream, trim, skim or buttermilk, condensed/evaporated milk, powdered milk. Cream - fresh, sour/reduced cream Yoghurt - plain or with real fruit (no preservative or colours) Ice cream - plain or with real fruit (no preservatives or colours) Cheese - cheddar, most varieties, low fat.	Flavoured milk, milkshakes, thickshakes, and coffee whitener. Artificial cream. Frozen yoghurt, fruit/flavoured yoghurt with preservatives/colours. Flavoured ice cream with colour/ preservatives added Flavoured cottage cheese, cheese containing preservatives, cheese spreads, parmesan cheese or blue vein cheese.
Fats	Butter, dripping, lard, hydrogenated vegetable oil, olive oil, copha, home made salad dressing.	Margarine, commercial salad dressings, commercial mayonnaise (check ingredients)
Beverages	Water, tea/coffee, milk, cocoa, Milo, Ovaltine, mineral water, soda water, tonic water, allowed fruit juices.	Flavoured milk drinks/mineral water, cordial, soft drink, beer, wine, cider, liqueurs. Fruit juices with artificial colours and preservatives.
Lollies and Chocolates	Homemade sweets with allowed ingredients. Milk and dark chocolate (check label may contain tartrazine). Plain marshmallows	Coloured lollies especially mint flavoured, licorice or chewing gum. Chocolate with soft filling/fruit or nut filling. Marzipan, food bars.
Snacks	Nuts Homemade hot chips, plain corn chips (no preservatives or colours)	Nuts with seasoning, all snacks food especially potato chips, commercial hot chips, cocktail onions and gherkins.
Seasoning, Sauces and Soups	Parsley, garlic, salt and pepper, herbs and spices. Vanilla essence, coconut, honey, homemade sauces using allowed ingredients.	Mixed seasonings, e.g. lemon pepper, seasoned salt, chutney, mustard, pickles, flavoured essences and syrups, vinegar. Tomato sauce/paste, commercial sauce mixes, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Gravox®. Commercial salad dressings, vegemite, stock cubes.

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The material on this website is for your information only. Whilst we have taken all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy and completeness of contents of this website, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the author accepts no responsibility for loss suffered as a result of any reliance on any part of its contents. Any medical information on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice. Prof. Roger Allen is not responsible for the content of any linked site, changes or updates. Links are provided for your convenience inclusion does not imply endorsement.

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