Following are the methods through which asthma can be treated naturally.

Getting Rid of Constipation

Patients of asthma generally suffer from constipation. Most of them will tell you that their toilet habits are regular. In spite of this assertion a lot of fecal material remains inside the colon. As has been described before, the place of origin of asthma is the stomach and the intestines. If the colon is blocked, obviously the intestines and stomach will not function properly and tile patient will continue to suffer from asthma. The attacks may be suppressed temporarily by anti-spasmodic drugs but it can never get really cured.


According to the conventional form of medicine, doctors are not able to cure patients of asthma because of the lack of a holistic approach and their efforts are mostly directed to suppress the symptoms. If the patient of asthma takes a mild laxative daily, then he does not require more medicine and is likely to be cured for ever if other conditions are satisfied.



The best laxative for the patients of asthma is haritaki (Terminalia chebula). One teaspoonful of the powder of Terminalia chebula should be added with a quarter teaspoonful of powdered rock salt and given to the patient at bed time. This dose may be increased or decreased depending upon the requirement of the patient. It should be ensured that the bowels get cleared in the morning.

Fasting and Use of Digestive and Metabolic Stimulants

According to Ayurveda, asthma is essentially a disease of over-nourishment that is intake of food much in excess of one's ability to digest and metabolise. Therefore, patients of asthma 'Should generally observe periodic fasts. Instead of a heavy meal, the patient should take very light meals. At night, particularly, because of inactivity, when the body is at rest the power of digestion and metabolism become very sluggish. So asthma patients should as a rule be careful to take very light food at night or even avoid taking any food at all. Apart from ginger as described before, he should use some other digestive stimu¬lants such as black pepper and long pepper. A lighter load on the digestive enzymes and enzymes responsible for metabolism is better for asthma patients. Whenever and whatever he needs for sustenance should be properly, and as far as possible, quickly digested and metabolised.

Avoiding Curd or Yoghurt

Curd or yoghurt is considered to be abhi_yandj, that is, it obstructs the channels of circulation. Ayurveda there¬fore prohibits the use of curd or yoghurt at night even for healthy persons. At night, the process of circulation becomes very slow because of general inactivity and curd or yoghurt, if consumed, may further slow down the process 9f circulation thereby impairing the process of nourishment of the body. It also causes disturbance in sleep. Even though curd or yoghurt is very good for the stomach, it is like a poison for patients of asthma where the process of circulation is already slow, as a result of which there is inflammation and spasms or contriction in the bronchial tubes. It is, therefore, strictly prohibited.

Avoiding Ripe Banana

It is a nourishing food but for asthmatics, it acts as a poison because it is difficult to digest and produces more kapha or phlegm. Because it is considered a heavy food, it produces a lot of waste products both at the level of the gastro-intestinal tract and the tissues; and because of its phlegm-producing properties, it causes more spasms or constriction in the bronchial tubes. The patient struggles to throw out the phlegm from the lungs -by way of coughing but because of constriction in the tubes, he is unable to do so. Thus he suffers from agoniz¬ing discomfort. Raw green bananas and plantains are, however, exceptions. These can be used as vegetables without creating any problems.

Avoiding Cold Drinks and Sour Fruit Juices

To a healthy person, cold drinks, ice-cream and fruit juice are refreshing and nourishing.- But for asthmatics, they create a lot of pain because of their property to .cause inflammation and constriction in the bronchial .tubes. This they do, by suppressing the power of digestion and metabolism as a result of which more ama is formed. The patient should, therefore, strictly avoid cold drinks, ice-cream, and fruit juice particularly, the juice of citrus fruits if he wants to be cure of asthma.