A new research led by one of an Indian-origin, has showed that people who have asthma are more likely to become obese. Asthma is an inflammatory condition in which a person's airways become inflamed, narrow and swell and produce extra mucous making it difficult for the person to breathe. According to the study, those who develop asthma as adults and those who have non-allergic asthma are at the greatest risk of obesity.
Previous studies have pointed at links between asthma and obesity, but the researchers say that the relationship between asthma and obesity is more complex than previously thought. It is a subject that may need more research, to come up with ways to tackle these two growing health challenges. The results were presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Paris.
"We already know that obesity can be a trigger for asthma, perhaps via a physiological, metabolic or inflammatory change," said Subhabrata Moitra, research student at the ISGlobal - the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain.
Researchers said that they do not know the exact reason why having asthma increases the risk of developing obesity or whether different asthma treatments have any effect on this risk. But there is a strong association between the two which needs further studies and investigation.
For the study, 8,618 people from 12 countries were followed for 20 years.The findings revealed that 10.2 per cent of people with asthma at the start of the study had become obese ten years on. Among people who did not have asthma, 7.7 per cent were obese ten years later.
The increase in the risk of obesity was even greater in people whose asthma began in adulthood.
Ayurveda for Asthma
According to the Book The Complete Book Of Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Dr. Vasant Lad, Bronchial asthma is characterised by sudden attacks of short, gasping breaths accompanied by wheezing. The underlying cause of all asthmatic conditions is increased kapha dosha in the stomach. Ayurvedic treatment for asthma aims to bring the kapha lodged in the lungs and bronchi back to the stomach, from which it can be eliminated. Here are a few herbal remedies that Ayurveda suggests in order to manage asthma:
1. Mix one teaspoon cinnamon and one fourth teaspoon trikatu into a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes and add one teaspoon of honey before drinking. You can take this tea twice a day.
2. You can also take one fourth cup of onion juice with one teaspoon honey and one eighth teaspoon black pepper. This remedy will help alleviate breathlessness and relieve congestion.
3. Also try taking half teaspoon bay leaf and one fourth teaspoon pippali mixed into one teaspoon honey at least two to three times a day.
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(With inputs IANS)