MedWire News: An increased intake of vitamin C and calcium may have a protective effect against wheeze in young children, results of a Greek study suggest.
Many countries have experienced an increase in the prevalence of asthma in recent decades, which has been attributed, among other factors, to environmental exposures during fetal life and infancy, explain lead researcher Evdokia Emmanouil (University of Athens) and team.
To investigate whether dietary factors in infancy may play a role in asthma risk, the researchers assessed data on 1964 children, aged 24–72 months, living in five different areas of Greece who participated in the Growth, Exercise and Nutrition Epidemiological Study In pre-Schoolers.
Parental questionnaires were used to assess asthma symptoms and nutrient intake among the children.
Overall, 37.7% of the children had suffered wheeze at some point in their lives, 27.5% suffered from current wheeze, and 10.5% had diagnosed asthma.
After accounting for parental educational level, parental smoking, body mass index, age, and gender, the researchers found that an increased intake of vitamin C was associated with a corresponding decrease in the risk for ever and current wheeze. An increased intake of calcium was also associated with a slight decrease in the risk for current wheeze.
In contrast, increased dietary intake of magnesium was associated with an increased risk for current wheeze and diagnosed asthma. Similarly, an increased intake of monounsaturated fatty acid was associated with an increased risk for ever and current wheeze.
Emmanouil and team conclude in the journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology: “Dietary intake of vitamin C and calcium seem to have a protective effect on the incidence of wheeze in pre-school children, whereas magnesium and mono-unsaturated fatty acid may have a harmful role.”
They add that the findings “suggest further examination with prospective, or even interventional studies.”
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