Author’s note: This article is over eight years old, so the statistics are old. The new numbers are even worse.

Approximately 20 million Americans have asthma, and nine million of them are under the age of 18.¹˒² More than 70% of people with asthma also suffer from allergies,³ and roughly 10 million patients have asthma that is directly related to allergic triggers.⁴

The number of asthma patients has risen dramatically over the past several decades. The prevalence of asthma increased by 75% between 1980 and 1994, with a 160% increase in children under the age of five during that same period.⁵ In 2003, asthma accounted for 12.7 million physician office visits and 1.2 million outpatient department visits. In 2002, there were 1.9 million asthma-related emergency department visits, and asthma is responsible for approximately 5,000 deaths each year in the United States.

The economic burden of asthma is substantial. Direct health-care costs exceed $11.5 billion annually, while indirect costs, such as lost productivity, add another $4.6 billion, bringing the total annual cost to more than $16 billion. Prescription medications represent the single largest direct medical expense, accounting for over $5 billion each year.¹

The financial cost, loss of quality of life, reduced productivity, and preventable loss of life underscore the need for effective and natural strategies to help manage asthma. Nutrition—particularly antioxidant intake—may play an important role.

Research has consistently shown that low antioxidant status is associated with increased asthma risk and severity. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a diet low in vitamin C is a risk factor for asthma, and that exposure to oxidants worsens asthma symptoms. Low plasma concentrations of antioxidant nutrients have also been associated with more severe asthma, according to research published in the European Respiratory Journal.

Additional studies have shown that asthmatic individuals consume fewer antioxidant-rich foods, including foods high in vitamin C, compared to healthy controls. Research published in Thorax supports this finding, while other studies suggest that higher fruit and vegetable intake is associated with fewer asthma symptoms. Vegetables, in particular, are an important dietary source of antioxidants and phytochemicals that help protect against oxidative stress.

  1. American Lung Association. Epidemiology & statistics Unit, Research and Program Services. Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality May 2005.
  2. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2002. Series 10, Number 221.2004-1549
  3. National Library of Medicine. Understanding Allergy and Asthma. National Institutes of Health.
  4. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Fact Sheet #9: Asthma and its Environmental Triggers: Scientists Take a Practical New Look at a Familiar Illness . www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/asthma.htm
  5. Centers for Disease Control. Surveillance for Asthma – United States, 1960-1995, MMWR. 1998; 47 (SS-1).