Asthma

Description

Asthma is a chronic airway condition driven by inflammation, immune overactivation, and metabolic dysfunction. The airways become overly sensitive and constrict too easily, making breathing difficult. At the core of asthma is an exaggerated immune response that keeps the airway lining in a constant state of irritation.

Inflammation: Mast cells, eosinophils, and Th2 immune cells release histamine, leukotrienes, and cytokines that swell the airway tissue.
Bronchoconstriction: The smooth muscles surrounding the airways contract sharply, narrowing airflow passages.
Mucus overproduction: Chronic inflammation triggers excess mucus that further blocks breathing.

In allergic asthma, IgE antibodies react to allergens like pollen, pets, or dust mites. In non-allergic asthma, triggers include cold air, exercise, infections, pollution, stress, and metabolic inflammation.

The key driver of asthma is metabolic and immune hyperreactivity. High carbohydrate intake and insulin spikes increase systemic inflammation (IL-6, TNF-α), raise histamine levels, and keep the airway immune cells activated. This creates a "primed" airway that overreacts to even harmless stimuli.

Ketosis (from fasting, ketogenic diet, or carnivore diet) can put asthma into complete remission because ketones strongly lower inflammation and stabilize the immune system. Ketosis reduces IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IgE activity, and eosinophil recruitment—the exact pathways that drive asthma. Ketones also suppress the NLRP3 inflammasome and reduce airway hyperresponsiveness, allowing the airways to relax and heal. Many people experience near-immediate improvement once blood sugar stabilizes and ketone levels rise.

Thus, asthma works when the airways are metabolically and immunologically inflamed—and it calms dramatically when inflammation, insulin, histamine, and cytokine activity are lowered through dietary or metabolic interventions.

Root Causes

Carbohydrate consumption

[ 1 ] Stephanie Musiol et al. (2022) DOI PMID [ 2 ] Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez et al. (2022) DOI PMCID PMID [ 3 ] Ziwen Qin et al. (2023) DOI PMID

Systemic Inflammation

[ 4 ] Matthew C Tattersall et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID [ 5 ] Leong Tung Ong et al. (2021) DOI [ 6 ] Cheng Peng et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 7 ] Cheng Peng et al. (2011) DOI PMID [ 8 ] S R Kim et al. (2014) DOI PMCID PMID [ 9 ] Hye Young Kim et al. (2013) DOI PMCID PMID

Treatment Options

Fasting

[ 10 ] James B Johnson et al. (2007) DOI PMCID PMID [ 11 ] Haris Younas et al. (2007) DOI PMCID PMID [ 12 ] Kim Han et al. (2018) DOI PMCID PMID

Ketogenic Diet

[ 11 ] Haris Younas et al. (2007) DOI PMCID PMID [ 13 ] Carolyn D Ekpruke et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 14 ] Muath Al-Rebdi et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 15 ] J. Mey1 et al. (2025) Link

Carnivore Diet

[ 11 ] Haris Younas et al. (2007) DOI PMCID PMID [ 13 ] Carolyn D Ekpruke et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 14 ] Muath Al-Rebdi et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 15 ] J. Mey1 et al. (2025) Link

Low Histamine Diet

[ 16 ] Emilia Vassilopoulou et al. (2020) DOI PMCID PMID

Sources

[1] Dietary digestible carbohydrates are associated with higher prevalence of asthma in humans and with aggravated lung allergic inflammation in mice

[ 1 ] Stephanie Musiol et al. (2022) DOI PMID

[2] Dietary dThe Burden of Carbohydrates in Health and Disease

[ 2 ] Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez et al. (2022) DOI PMCID PMID

[3] Obesity alters inflammatory response in the pathology of asthma (Review)

[ 3 ] Ziwen Qin et al. (2023) DOI PMID

[4] Systemic Inflammation in Asthma: What are the risks and impacts outside the airway?

[ 4 ] Matthew C Tattersall et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID

[5] High-Sensitivity Assays for C-Reactive Protein as a Systemic Inflammatory Marker in Assessing Asthma

[ 5 ] Leong Tung Ong et al. (2021) DOI

[6] The hidden connection: systemic immune-inflammation index and its role in asthma

[ 6 ] Cheng Peng et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[7] NLRP3 inflammasome is required in murine asthma in the absence of aluminum adjuvant

[ 7 ] Cheng Peng et al. (2011) DOI PMID

[8] NLRP3 inflammasome activation by mitochondrial ROS in bronchial epithelial cells is required for allergic inflammation

[ 8 ] S R Kim et al. (2014) DOI PMCID PMID

[9] Interleukin-17-producing innate lymphoid cells and the NLRP3 inflammasome facilitate obesity-associated airway hyperreactivity

[ 9 ] Hye Young Kim et al. (2013) DOI PMCID PMID

[10] Alternate Day Calorie Restriction Improves Clinical Findings and Reduces Markers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Overweight Adults with Moderate Asthma

[ 10 ] James B Johnson et al. (2007) DOI PMCID PMID

[11] Caloric restriction prevents the development of airway hyperresponsiveness in mice on a high fat diet

[ 11 ] Haris Younas et al. (2007) DOI PMCID PMID

[12] A pilot study to investigate the immune modulatory effects of fasting in steroid-naïve mild asthmatics

[ 12 ] Kim Han et al. (2018) DOI PMCID PMID

[13] Sex-Specific Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Ketogenic Diet in a Mouse Model of Allergic Airway Inflammation

[ 13 ] Carolyn D Ekpruke et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[14] Alleviation of Asthma Symptoms After Ketogenic Diet: A Case Report

[ 14 ] Muath Al-Rebdi et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[15] Ketogenic Strategies Improve Lung Function and Asthma Control in Women with Asthma and Obesity: A Pilot Multiple-crossover Feeding Trial

[ 15 ] J. Mey1 et al. (2025) Link

[16] The Impact of Food Histamine Intake on Asthma Activity: A Pilot Study

[ 16 ] Emilia Vassilopoulou et al. (2020) DOI PMCID PMID