I was looking over the last 2 issues of Galen's Watch and L-carnitine improves the asthma control in children with moderate persistent asthma was one of the most popular studies I reported on. There was also an issue earlier Massage Therapy and Pulmonary Function in Children with Asthma. Both of these alternative/complementary therapies would be simple to implement. Looking at asthma and children I searched for other alternative/complementary therapies in older issues and also did a search and found a few studies that show some simple alternative/complementary therapies that can improve asthma in children. Could implementing these measures improves asthma attack frequency? It would certainly be worth trying.
From Galen's Watch Issue #2 2012
L-carnitine improves the asthma control in children with moderate persistent asthma.
One hundred children's (50 with moderate persistent asthma and 50 healthy controls) serum carnitine levels were measured and the asthma group was divided into 2 groups. One group was given 350mg L-carnitine tid and the other group was given a placebo for 6 months. Total and free carnitine levels were significantly lower in the asthma group than the control group. Both pulmonary function tests and childhood-asthma control test showed a significant improvement in the L-carnitine group.
J Allergy (Cairo). 2012;2012:509730. Epub 2011 Nov 23.
L-carnitine improves the asthma control in children with moderate persistent asthma.
From Galen's Watch Issue #1 2012
Massage Therapy and Pulmonary Function in Children with Asthma
Sixty children with asthma were randomly assigned to either 20 minutes of massage by their parents before bed each night for 5 weeks in addition to standard treatment or standard treatment alone. The massage groups mean FEV1 was significantly higher than the control group. The FEV1/FVC ratio was also significantly improved. There was no significant improvement in FVC or PEF. Pulmonary function was improved in the massage group.
J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Nov;17(11):1065-8.
Pulmonary functions of children with asthma improve following massage therapy.
From Galen's Watch #2 2011
Serum Vitamin D Levels Are Associated with Reduced Lung Function in Asthmatic Children
Forty-five children with intermittent asthma were evaluated for 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and baseline forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and the percentage fall in FEV1 after a standardized exercise challenge. Only 11% of children had serum levels of at least 30 to 40 ng/mL. A positive correlation was found between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and FVC and FEV1. Subjects with a positive response to the exercise challenge had lower serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels than subjects with a negative challenge, 16.2 versus 23.4 ng/mL.
Eur Respir J. 2010 Nov 11. [Epub ahead of print]
Vitamin D serum levels and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in children with asthma.
Other Research:
Acta Paediatr. 2009 Apr;98(4):737-42. Epub 2008 Jan 11.
Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn supplementation in asthmatic children: a randomized self-controlled study.
AbstractOBJECTIVES:Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory airways disease. Nutritional intervention is an important tool to decrease the severity of many chronic inflammatory diseases including asthma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn in children with moderately persistent asthma.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:Randomly assigned, placebo-self-controlled 60 children with moderate persistent asthma completed the study, were subjected to alternating phases of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn either singly or in combination separated with washout phases. Childhood asthma control test (C-ACT), pulmonary function tests and sputum inflammatory markers were evaluated at the beginning of the study and at the end of each therapeutic phase.
RESULTS:There was a significant improvement of C-ACT, pulmonary function tests and sputum inflammatory markers with diet supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn (p < 0.001*). There was also significant improvement with the combined use of the three supplementations than single use of any one of them (p < 0.001*).
CONCLUSION:Diet supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, Zn and vitamin C significantly improved asthma control test, pulmonary function tests and pulmonary inflammatory markers in children with moderately persistent bronchial asthma either singly or in combination.
PMID:19154523[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Intern Med. 2000 Feb;39(2):107-11.
Effects of dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids compared with n-6 fatty acids on bronchial asthma.
AbstractOBJECTIVE:The effects of perilla seed oil (n-3 fatty acids) on bronchial asthma were compared with the effects of corn oil (n-6 fatty acids) in relation to the pulmonary function and the generation of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and C4 (LTC4) by leucocytes.
METHODS AND SUBJECTS:14 asthmatic subjects were divided randomly into two groups: one group (7 subjects) consumed perilla seed oil-rich supplementation and the other group (7 subjects) consumed corn oil-rich supplementation for 4 weeks. Generation of LTs by leucocytes and respiratory function were compared between the two groups.
RESULTS:The generation of LTB4 and LTC4 by leucocytes tended to increase in subjects (N=7) with corn oil-rich supplementation, and decrease in subjects (N=7) with perilla seed oil-rich supplementation. Significant differences between the two groups were observed in the generation of LTB4 at 2 weeks (p<0.05) and LTC4 at 2 weeks (p<0.05) after dietary supplementation. Significant increases in the value of PEF (p<0.05), FVC (p<0.01), FEV(1.0) (p<0.05) and V(25) (p<0.05) were found in subjects who received perilla seed oil supplementation for 4 weeks. And significant differences in the value of FVC (p<0.05) and FEV(1.0) (p<0.05) were observed between the two groups after 4 weeks of dietary supplementation.
CONCLUSION:These results suggest that perilla seed oil-rich supplementation is useful for the treatment of asthma in terms of suppression of LTB4 and LTC4 generation by leucocytes, and improvement of pulmonary function.
PMID:10732825[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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