People with exercise-induced asthma usually experience inflammation of the airway, called bronchoconstriction, immediately following exercise.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions, and affects both adults and children. Its prevalence has been noted to have increased significantly in Western nations with overall prevalence rates ranging from 7-15%.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) have defined asthma as a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways.

Despite many therapeutic advances over the last thirty years, asthma continues to result in significant childhood and adult morbidity.

Given the rapidity of the increase in asthma's prevalence, environmental factors rather than increased genetic susceptibility are more likely to be responsible for this trend. Thus, there has been increased interest in investigating various environmental factors that may contribute to this illness, including diet.

Over time, various therapeutic strategies have been developed to manage asthma, including the use of short acting beta-2 agonist bronchodilator medications as symptom relievers and anti-inflammatory preventer medications such as inhaled corticosteroids and oral leukotriene antagonists.

There has been considerable interest in the potential therapeutic and protective value of dietary supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acids.

A study at Indiana University found that adults with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma who took an omega-3-rich fish oil supplement daily for three weeks improved their post-exercise lung function by 64 percent, allowing a 31 percent decrease in their use of emergency inhalers.

Preliminary research suggests that omega-3 fatty acid supplements may decrease inflammation and improve lung function in adults with asthma.

Omega-6 fatty acids have the opposite effect: they tend to increase inflammation and worsen respiratory function.

The standard American diet is rich in pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acids and low in Omega-3 fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Horrobin hypothesized that the low incidence of asthma in the northern aboriginal population stems from their consumption of large quantities of oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Tom O'Connor, an expert on Omega-3, shares a wealth of information on his website