How a Mediterranean diet strengthens an unborn child against asthma and allergies

A study suggests mothers-to-be who eat a diet rich in olive oil, fruit, vegetables and fish may prime their unborn children for better health.

The Mediterranean diet has long been recommended to improve heart health and stave off cancer.

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The latest research shows children whose mothers had a high-quality Mediterranean diet during pregnancy were up to 50 per cent less likely to suffer from complaints such as wheeze and allergic skin problems.

The team behind the Greek-based study recruited 468 women on the Spanish island of Menorca and followed them during pregnancy, scoring their eating habits.

They monitored-their children for six years, tracking diet and testing them with six common allergens, the triggers for allergies.

Two-thirds of the women had a high Mediterranean diet score during pregnancy - and their children got the most benefit.

There was a reduction in wheeze of around 30 per cent while allergic skin reactions were 50 per cent less common.

Eating vegetables more than eight times a week, fish more than three times a week and legumes, such as beans, more than once a week seemed to offer the best protection.

Eating red meat more than three or four times a week, however, appeared to increase the risks, according to the study published online by the medical journal Thorax-The researchers believe children's lung function may be helped by exposing them to a high level of antioxidants before birth.

They say: "Cereals, particularly wholegrains, are rich in antioxidant compounds of vitamin E, phenolic acids and phytic acid and they have all been shown to have a protective effect against asthma in children.

"Similarly, fruits, vegetables and legumes are known to be high sources of antioxidants and may therefore help to protect the airways against oxidative damage."

More than 1.4million children in the UK have asthma and rates have shot up four-fold since the 1970s.

At the same time experts have charted a steady decline in key vitamins and minerals in children's diets in line with the trend from natural, fresh foods to fast food.

Leanne Male, assistant director of research at Asthma UK, said: "This study adds to previous research showing that a Mediterranean diet, which traditionally contains higher levels of fresh fruit and vegetables, can have a beneficial effect on asthma symptoms, and specifically in this study that these benefits can be passed to the pregnant mother's unborn child.

"It is of particular significance to mothers in Britain as we have one of the highest rates of childhood asthma worldwide with one in ten children suffering."

Previous research from a team at St George's Hospital Medical School in London found good lung function was linked to high intakes of vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, citrus fruits, apples and fruit juice.

It is thought that high intake of salt and fatty acids - such as those found in margarines - could induce asthma.