Health Information

Lifestyle, diet and asthma
An interesting observational study published in Thorax found that neither food nor drink influenced the chance of developing allergies in children. Diet, however, did correlate with the prevalence of asthma and wheezing. The study involved 50,000 children between the ages of 8 and 12 from 20 countries and was the second phase of the International Study on Allergies and Asthma in Childhood (ISAAC).

High burger consumption was associated with a higher prevalence of asthma. Children who consumed three or more hamburgers a week along with sodas had a significantly higher risk (OR 1.42) in rich countries, but not in poorer countries.

Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated with a lower lifetime prevalence of asthma. The Mediterranean diet is not only beneficial for asthma but also reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, depression and diabetes.

The researchers indicated that a diet heavy in meat has, in itself, no bearing on the prevalence of asthma but could be an indicator of lifestyle factors that raise the risk of asthma. Lifestyle and environmental factors, obesity and lack of exercise contribute to the risk of asthma.