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2007/05/21
Based on earlier reporting by Health Day News
Researchers say first helps against asthma, while second works against eczema
Filling up on apples and fish during pregnancy might protect your child from developing asthma and allergic diseases, a new study shows.
Researchers from the Netherlands and Scotland have found that eating apples throughout pregnancy may protect against wheezing and asthma in 5-year-old children, while fish consumption may lower the risk of eczema, an allergic skin condition. The findings were to be presented at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference in San Francisco.
"To our knowledge, we are one of the first studies evaluating the influence of maternal consumption of so many different foods and food groups during pregnancy on childhood asthma and allergic disease," said study author Saskia Willers of Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Previous studies in the same group of children found that maternal intake of vitamins E and D, and zinc during pregnancy may also lower the risk of asthma, wheezing and eczema. For this study, the researchers looked at how eating different foods, rather than individual nutrients, during pregnancy impacted these children.
The study found that children of women who ate more apples and fish during their pregnancy were less likely to develop asthma or allergic disease.
The study speculated that apples may be beneficial because they contain flavonoids, which have been associated with a reduced risk of asthma in other studies, while fish's protective effect may be due to their omega-3 fatty acids.