Are you an Asthma Vegetarian / Vegan?

[Matman]

I'm NOT a vegetarian NOR a vegan, BUT would love to know how many long term (Min 2 Years) 'genuine' vegetarians / vegans on this Forum are 'DAILY' using (at least) either 2 INHALERS or a DUEL INHALER (i.e. Duel = Two Drugs in one Inhaler).

If you're a Veggie or Vegan, please say whether you use Two Inhalers (or a Duel Inhaler) on 'most' days, or if you use just a 'Single Constituent' Inhaler (containing one Drug Only).

If you've NOT been a 'full' Vegetarian / Vegan for at least two years, but seem to be gaining serious improvements from what amounts to a diet that is 'ALMOST' entirely Vegetarian / Vegan, could you please 'make that known' if leaving a Comment.

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Sorry for the Capital letters above, but this is (kind of) a modest attempt to try and figure out if there is any Respiratory Advantage in becoming a Vegetarian / Vegan, and I wanted to try and 'limited' the response by drawing close attention to the Respondents I'm most interested in hearing from.

If Respondents turn out to be on similar levels of Medication as the Omnivores, then (perhaps) there's little advantage in being a Veggie / Vegan - as far as Asthma, at least, is concerned.

For anyone curious about why I'm interested, there are two areas I'm wondering about. First, Genuine Veggies / Vegans almost always get more Potassium in their diet (main reason we're told to eat 5 to 10 portions of Veg / Fruit a day) and it's dangerous to get Potassium from Supplements, particularly over 100mg a Day. Second, especially if 'avoiding' (a) process meat (bacon, sausages etc) and also (b) meat that is NOT Organic, then Food Industry Chemicals and Farmer Antibiotics / Chemicals (in food processing and animal feeds respectively) should - hopefully - be 'mostly' missing from the Veggie / Vegan diet.

If Asthma UK has any Data on whether Vegetarians / Vegans tend to get 'less serious' Asthma (as evident from use of less / lower dose Medication revealed in Research Records held within the Org's Vaults) perhaps they could Comment too. (Maybe they could also do a Poll on this, as I don't think Forum Members can create a Poll / Vote 'type' Post(?)

One obvious flaw in all this is Vegetarians / Vegans seem to fall into a Group of Folk who generally take better care of themselves anyway. For example, they are (probably) less likely to be over-weight, less inclined to drink booze to excess, more likely to take activity / exercise and - I imagine - pay closer attention to resolving health issues 'quickly', as they arise. IF it turns out that their Asthma IS 'less severe', then those 'additional factors' (rather than 'just' the Diet they're on) need to be taken into account. Still, interesting to understand if they generally fare better than the omnivores among us.

[Thompson_2009]

I turned Vegan last July and my asthma virtually cleared overnight and not used a blue inhaler since. Changed my life, do not even think about having asthma any more.

[Matman in reply to Thompson_2009]

Thanks

[Hidden]

Well I haven't eaten meat for 47 years though I do eat fish so I am a pescatarian. I don't know if this counts? I have been a lifelong smoker which triggered asthma in my 30's. It has always been mild and I have never had any real problems with it.

I do have mild copd now which has stayed mild for the past 8 years. For someone in my early 60's I do not have arthritis or anything like that and am pretty healthy. I gave up the evil weed around 3 months ago now. x

[Matman in reply to Hidden]

Cheers

[MMBJI]

Hi, I am a lifelong asthmatic, am now 43. I have been a strict vegetarian since I was 14. I didn't notice any improvement in my asthma. I just got duff genes. Where I live seems to have more of an effect -rural makes my hayfever much worse which eventually affects my chest. Urban improves asthma but makes asthma worse, coastal much improves both. I have been on 2 inhalers then dual inhalers since I was about 5.

[Hidden in reply to MMBJI]

I live by the coast after living in London for many years. I have ok lung genes considering how much I smoked and how heavily for 44 years. I should be severe and not mild. x

[Matman]

Appreciated

[mutleyjay]

suffered with Asthma since the age of 8 or so. Severe enough to put me into hospital repeatedly, colds would put me off work for weeks and spent life without being able to breath despite being on steroid tablets, blue inhaler and purple. After going vegan I went from daily inhaler use to only using when climbing above 8 thousand feet in the states or during a chesty cold and even at those points my usage is well bellow normal daily usage from pre vegan times. I would suggest to any asthma sufferer to try veganism for a month and see if it helps... if it doesn't help then no harm no foul, if it works it can give you a new life like it has for me

[Matman]

Thanks for that. Did you simultaneously implement other changes (lifestyle / meds)? Just wondering if your positive outcome might have resulted from multiple factors, or if you’re convinced it was all down to going vegan. Were you quite young (under 30) when you got better, as my Asthma improved from early teens for many years (without any real lifestyle change) then got worse again in late 2015. Delighted to hear you’re so much better.

[Thommie]

Hi Matman,

I was a vegetarian for 16 years and have been a vegan for the past 4 years. Personally, I have seen no improvement whatsoever in respect of my asthma symptoms. I use Seretide, duel steroid inhaler, 2 puffs twice a day and a Ventolin inhaler when needed.

Everyone is different, I would suggest giving it a try for a couple of months to see if it benefits you.

All the best

[Matman]

Much appreciated. Thanks.

[Rye-mg2420]

Hi I’ve had asthma since I was 4 and work with timber with timber which isn’t the ideal job, but in January I went vegan after being part time vegi. Since may I noticed I didn’t need to take my seritide 250 as much. I now only take it once 3 time a week and no blue inhaler.

[Matman]

Cheers. There seems to be new interest in healthy eating to reduce Asthma. Guess Vegetarianism is an extension of this, and veganism a further refinement. This Healthy Eating thing with Asthma may simply be due to Healthy Eaters being less lightly to be Overweight, as being Overweight is, it seems, now considered an Asthma Phenotype in its own right. At present I’m only in the Healthy Eater category, but eat hardly any red meat. I know that eating the righ ‘nuts’ daily are now consider a strong tip for most Asthma Suffers if they don’t have Nut Allergies.