Mucus helps to trap and remove foreign particles, such as bacteria and allergens, to protect the body from infection and illness. However, excess mucus is a symptom of health conditions such as acid reflux, allergies, asthma, infections, such as the common cold, lung diseases, such as chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Eating certain foods can increase mucus production in the body, or exacerbate certain conditions, so if you have excess mucus, consider avoiding these types of foods:
1. Gluten
Gluten found in wheat, rye and barley can cause excessive mucus especially if you are gluten intolerant, have a gluten allergy or if you have cystic fibrosis. Bread consumption has been linked to chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (growths inside the nose) and has also been linked to asthma symptoms – wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
2. Processed meat
Processed meat (meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or addition of chemical preservatives) – sausage, hot dogs, bacon, ham, polony – was linked to an increased risk of
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
3. Alcohol
Wine, beer, and spirits contain histamine, a compound that elicits an allergic response – red wine having the highest histamine content. Not only does it contain histamines but also stimulates the body to release excess histamines, causing an inflammatory response. This can trigger asthma attacks in asthmatic patients and can cause wheezing and shortness of breath in non-asthmatic patients. Furthermore, some people also have lower levels of the enzymes the body needs to break alcohol (ethanol) into metabolites that it can process; when these by-products of alcohol aren’t broken down quickly enough, they accumulate to levels high enough to cause a mild allergic reaction.
4. Sugar
A study from 2014 found a link between sugar consumption and increased mucus production; looking at the effects of sugar on nasal mucus in healthy people and people with asthma, it found that both groups produced more mucus after eating sugar. The study also found that asthma sufferers had a greater response to sugar, producing more mucus than the healthy participants, suggesting that sugar may play a role in exacerbating asthma symptoms.
5. Greasy food
Excess mucus production is a symptom of asthma. One study found that for every extra serving of fast food eaten per week, the risk of asthma increased by 18%.
What about dairy…
Some people find that milk causes excess mucus, making it harder to swallow. Research has shown that this could be due to the texture of the fluid, as the same reaction occur with similar liquids of the same thickness. The symptoms of a cow’s milk allergy are also very different.
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy provided the following in their patient information resource: “Asthma and allergic rhinitis are normally triggered by inhaled substances, such as pollen, dust mites, mould spores or animal dander. Dairy products rarely trigger asthma or allergic rhinitis. When they do, nasal symptoms usually occur with symptoms of allergy, such as severe hives, throat or tongue swelling, or a drop in blood pressure. Studies have shown that milk has no effect on lung capacity, and does not trigger symptoms in patients with asthma. When people report coughing after having cold milk, it is usually due to breathing in cool air as they drink. This symptom generally disappears if the milk is warmed.”