Just Coffee

Just Coffee

Don't rely on Just Coffee. You may have heard that a strong cup of coffee can get you through an emergency situation. Coffee and tea open up bronchial passages because theophylline, a close relative of caffeine, is a standard bronchodilating medication.

Don't let yourself count on it. Elise Solsin, a nutritionist at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, has asthma. When she was caught away from home without an inhaler, she drank a cup of coffee instead.

"It worked for me, " says Solsin. "It got me through the next couple of minutes. But this doesn't mean I would recommend it to my patients. In fact, I tell them not to use coffee or tea to control asthma."

Ask your doctor about caffeine, even as an emergency substitute, before using it. Chances are he or she won't endorse its use.