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Diet
May Raise Asthma Risk in Children
By
Suzanne Rostler
NEW YORK (Reuters
Health) - Toddlers who consume large amounts of margarine and
foods fried in vegetable oil may be twice as likely to develop
asthma as their peers who eat less of these foods, preliminary
research suggests.
This finding
comes from an Australian study in which researchers interviewed
parents of 974 children aged 3 to 5 years living in two cities
with different climates and allergens. Overall, about one fifth
of children in each city had asthma.
According
to a report in the August issue of Thorax, diets high in polyunsaturated
fat--found in margarine, vegetable and sunflower oils--boost levels
of omega-6 fatty acids in relation to levels of omega-3 fatty
acids. Omega-6 fatty acids contribute to the production of compounds
involved in inflammation and may therefore contribute to inflammation
of the airways. Omega-3 fatty acids--found in salmon, mackerel
and other types of fish--inhibit inflammation.
But at this
point, it is too soon to make any dietary recommendations to children,
cautioned Dr. Michelle Haby of Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne,
Australia
``We have
not shown that polyunsaturated fats cause asthma, nor do we know
whether changing the diet will reduce the risk or severity of
asthma. That is the subject of ongoing investigation,'' she told
Reuters Health.
Studies that
begin in pregnancy and follow children until they are at least
8 years old are needed, she said.
Haby and colleagues
also found that children who were breast-fed in the first weeks
of life had a lower asthma risk. They note that previous studies
have also linked breast-feeding with lower asthma risk, possibly
because breast milk provides immune factors not present in formula.
The authors
estimate that a high intake of polyunsaturated fat accounts for
17% of asthma cases in the study, and not breast-feeding can be
blamed for 16% of cases.
Other findings
from the study show that allergies, having parents with asthma
and having had a serious respiratory infection in the first 2
years of life also increased the risk of childhood asthma. Children
with at least three older siblings had a lower risk of developing
asthma.
SOURCE:
Thorax 2001;56:589-595.
Reference
Source 89
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