Last Updated on February 23, 2024 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A social media post recommends that drinking fenugreek, ginger, and honey can cure asthma. We fact-checked and found the claim to be Mostly False.
The Claim
A Facebook post claims that fenugreek, ginger, and honey can cure asthma.
We have attached a screenshot of the post below:
Fact Check
What is asthma?
Asthma involves the respiratory tract, causing it to narrow and swell due to excess mucus. This narrowing and swelling make breathing challenging, often followed by wheezing sounds. Additionally, individuals with asthma may experience frequent coughing and difficulty breathing.
Can asthma be cured completely?
Not exactly. Asthma is considered a chronic condition, meaning it typically cannot be cured completely. However, with proper management, including medication and lifestyle adjustments, most people with asthma can control their symptoms effectively and lead normal lives. Individuals with asthma need to work closely with their doctors to develop a personalized treatment plan that meets their needs and helps them manage their symptoms effectively. Research into potential cures or more effective treatments for asthma continues. But as of now, there is no universally accepted cure.
We asked Pulmonologist Dr Muhammed Anas, NMC HealthCare if asthma can be cured completely. To this, he said “It is highly unlikely that asthma can be cured completely. It is a lifelong disease that can only be controlled with medicines and a healthy lifestyle. Once fully controlled, people can stop medicines and continue to control asthma with lifestyle changes. But anytime in life if people get exposed to their triggers again, asthma can come back, for which medicines will be required again. Triggering factors can be allergens like climate change or pollution and others”.
We further asked Dr Anas to explain if diet can cure asthma. To this, he said “It is unlikely that diet can cure asthma. As people can be allergic to certain food items, it is better to know your food triggers and avoid them completely. It is crucial to not believe that diet can cure asthma as it can delay the required line of treatment. In India, asthma is treated as per the global GINA guidelines.”
There is no one reason that makes the airway sensitive to asthma attacks. Due to this, it is difficult to confirm a single treatment for asthma. The existing treatments can only control the symptoms to help people with the condition live a normal and healthy life.
Even the ayurvedic treatment can manage asthma. However, ayurveda has started researching about controlling the disease rather than reducing the symptoms. Ayurveda is improving on herbal remedies and yoga to relax the airway.
It is important to understand that Ayurveda is not widely practiced in many countries. If you are considering Ayurvedic treatment for asthma, you may not typically be prescribed conventional medications like bronchodilators, nebulizers, or pills. This deviation from mainstream medical practices can raise concerns for some individuals who may prefer conventional treatments. Nevertheless, Ayurveda enjoys widespread practice in India, supported by the AYUSH ministry, which advocates for traditional medicine systems and healthcare.
Dr Sarthak Rastogi, Pulmonologist at Jaslok Hospital and Research Center, informs that some home remedies may help with asthma to a very limited extent. They cannot control your asthma symptoms or treat your asthma exacerbation episodes, and they definitely cannot cure it.
Can fenugreek, ginger, and honey cure asthma?
Not exactly. Eating fenugreek, ginger and honey cannot cure asthma. However, it may soothe the symptoms in some people.
The available evidence suggest that fenugreek has anti-inflammatory properties. But research on its effectiveness for asthma is inconclusive. Likewise honey may soothe a sore throat and cough, but there is no evidence it treats asthma itself.
Even ginger possess anti-inflammatory and bronchodilatory properties. But again, studies on its effectiveness for asthma are limited.
We further found that there is no definitive cause of asthma. The U.S. National Institue of Health website informs that environmental and genetic factors contributes to disease development.
- Genetic factors: Various genes have been linked to increased susceptibility to the risk factors of Asthma.
- Environmental factors: Many substances, called allergens, are present in the environment and cause airways inflammation. The most common triggers are pollen, dust, fungal spores, pet fur, etc.
Dietician Kamna Chauhan says “Fruits and vegetables can be helpful against asthma because the ingredients have nutrients, antioxidant, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties. Adding fruits and vegetables to your diet can reduce inflammation and ‘Free Radicals’ that stop cell damage. However, eating apples or any kind of fruit cannot cure asthma completely but may reduce the risk”.
What is the allopathic treatment for Asthma?
The treatment of Asthma depends on whether we are treating an attack or designing a long-term treatment:
- Treatment for an acute attack:
Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABA) like salbutamol can be given under the supervision of doctors. Steroids like Beclomethasone are prescribed to decrease inflammation on an immediate basis. (Both of these medications are given in the form of inhalers).
- Long-term preventative treatment:
Medicines which prevent the inflammatory chemical release like Mast cell stabilizers can be administered. Long-term bronchodilators are also prescribed.
Furthermore, attacks can be minimized by avoiding trigger allergens, avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, getting vaccinated with the latest flu shots, avoiding rigorous workouts in case of exercise-induced asthma and changing professions in case of occupational asthma.
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