Eating Fish And Nuts Might Reduce Allergy Risks In Kids

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that the presence of high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blood stream of children can lead to a reduced risk of asthma or rhinitis while growing up. The study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology involved research of the levels of long-chain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the blood and their link with development of diseases like asthma and other allergies.

The Findings

The result of this study showed clearly that kids who had a high blood-levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids when they are 8 years of age, they have a lesser chance of developing asthma and rhinitis when they turn 16. “Since allergies often debut during childhood it is of particular interest to study if children’s environment and lifestyle affect the development of these diseases,” said study leader Anna Bergström, researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet to Science Daily.

The long chain of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are something that our body doesn’t produce and need to be consumed. One can consider nuts and particular vegetable oil along with consumption of fish. “These new results and those of a previous study we carried out support the current dietary guidelines to eat fish two to three times a week and to vary between oily and lean fish,” adds Bergström. A previous study had also claimed that if a pregnant woman eats fish, the risk of the child developing asthma can reduce.