If you’re one of the 26 million Americans who live with asthma, your diet has a big effect on the management of your condition. The most important thing is simply to eat healthy; obesity is known to exacerbate asthma. And of course, don’t eat any foods you’re allergic to as they can act as asthma triggers. In addition to those two vital practices, here are some foods that may help ease your asthma symptoms--

  1. 1. Apples

    For asthmatics, an apple a day may truly keep the doctor away. One study found that people who eat between two and five apples a week have a 32% lower risk of asthma. This could be a case of correlation rather than causation (the apple-eaters may just have a healthier lifestyle). Or the flavonoids in apples may help open up airways. More research is needed to know for sure.

  2. 2. Oranges

    Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that’s good for your immune system, and oranges are chock-full of it. A study in Japan found that the students with the highest Vitamin C intake were also the least likely to suffer from asthma.

  3. 3. Carrots

    Carrots contain another antioxidant-- beta-carotene. Some preliminary research suggests that beta-carotene may help reduce exercise-induced asthma.

  4. 4. Caffeine

    In many ways, caffeine can be bad for your body, so don’t go overboard. However, it is a bronchodilator and can improve airflow for up to four hours after drinking it.

  5. 5. Ginger

    A study by the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology found that ginger helped reduce inflammation and swelling of respiratory passages in mice. There’s reason to think it does the same in humans as well.