Lung Disorders 131fi rst time since he began home schooling. Myron asked Kevin’s mother
what, out of everything he recommended, helped Kevin most. She
answered without hesitating: “The freeze-dried green vegetable
powder.”
Why is it that green vegetables, but not red, purple, orange, or
white, have worked miracles for people with asthma and other lung
conditions? Several studies show that pregnant women who eat lots of
green, leafy vegetables and fi sh during pregnancy are less likely to
have asthmatic children. Fish and green vegetables are two out of
three solid foods—the other is eggs—that contain omega-3 fatty acid.
Chlorophyll, the green coloring that is found in large amounts in dark
green leafy vegetables, is the repository for omega-3 fatty acid. Unsat-
urated omega-3 fatty acid is one of the building blocks of cell mem-
branes. The role of omega-3 fatty acid in assuring the integrity of the
cell membrane explains why omega-3 in green vegetables and fi sh is
so healing to the asthmatic’s lungs. Strengthening the membranes of
the lung cells helps prevent infl ammatory histamines from entering
the holes in weak cell membranes and triggering an attack of
asthma.
Asthma has also been associated with an immature immune system.
Protecting children against germs by using antibacterial agents, immu-
nization shots, and antibiotics may prevent a host of childhood ail-
ments, but it doesn’t give children’s immune cells the exposure to
harmful bacteria, viruses, and other parasites they need in order to
learn the difference between disease-causing germs and harmless or
friendly ones. Paoli Matricardi, an immunologist in the Italian Air
Force, conducted a study comparing two groups of male cadets, 240
subjects in all.^5 Allergies were rare among those who had been exposed
to three common foodborne pathogens, while the group that had no
exposure to these pathogens had elevated allergic responses. Support-
ing these fi ndings is the well-known fact that children living in rural
areas of developing countries who are exposed to parasites and bacteria
rarely develop asthma.
The modern world is a breeding ground for asthma wherever facto-
ries are built or processed foods are introduced. Medical interventions
also contribute to the increase in asthma. Antibiotics, by killing off
harmful bacteria, prevent the immune system from learning what