Role of anti-oxidants in the treatment of bronchial asthma

In the airways of asthmatic subjects there is an increased production of reactive oxygen species and free radicals. The role of nutrition in asthma is correlated to antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E). Simple dietary interventions may significantly reduce oxidant stress, and should prove to be a new cost effective approach to asthma management in addition to current pharmacological strategies, even if at the moment this evidence is not supported by many randomized controlled supplementation trials.

Section editors:Roy Goldie – Faculty of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, AustraliaPeter Henry – School of Medicine & Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia