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Mediterraan dieet tegen allergie en astma.*

Een mediterraan dieet, met veel groenten, fruit, volkoren granen, noten en olijfolie blijkt volgens een onderzoek op Kreta goed te zijn tegen astma, rinitis en andere allergieën. Gekeken werd naar het voedingspatroon van 700 kinderen in de leeftijd van 7 tot 18 jaar. Vooral bij allergische rinitis bleek dat zij, die voor 60% of meer een mediterraan dieet volgden, de kans hierop wel 66% lager te liggen in vergelijking met zij die het die dit dieet slechts voor 40% volgden. Zij die minimaal drie keer per week noten aten hadden duidelijk minder kans op een moeilijke, piepende ademhaling. Opvallend was dat het vaak eten van margarine de kans op astma en rinitis deed verdubbelen.

Mediterranean Diet Wards Off Childhood Respiratory Allergies

A "Mediterranean" diet rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts protects against allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms, suggests research published ahead of print in Thorax.
The researchers assessed the dietary habits, respiratory symptoms, and allergic reactions of almost 700 children living in four rural areas on the Greek island of Crete.
The children were all aged between 7 and 18 years of age.
Skin allergies are relatively common in Crete, but respiratory allergies, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis are relatively rare.
Parents completed detailed questionnaires on their children's allergic and respiratory symptoms and dietary habits.
Whether the children ate a "Mediterranean" diet was measured against a set of 12 foodstuffs, including fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil.
Eight out of 10 children ate fresh fruit, and over two thirds of them ate fresh vegetables, at least twice a day.
The effect of diet was strongest on allergic rhinitis, but it also afforded protection against asthma symptoms and skin allergy. Children with an optimal Mediterranean diet – defined as a score of 6 or more out of 10 – were 66% less likely to have allergic rhinitis than children with an average diet – who scored 4 or 5.
Children who ate nuts at least three times a week were less likely to wheeze.
Nuts are a rich source of vitamin E, the body's primary defence against cellular damage caused by free radicals. And they contain high levels of magnesium, which other research suggests, may protect against asthma and boost lung power.
And a daily diet of oranges, apples, and tomatoes also protected against wheezing and allergic rhinitis.
Grapes in particular seemed to protect against current and previous wheezing and allergic rhinitis, even after adjusting for other potentially influential factors.
Red grape skin contains high levels of antioxidants as well as resveratrol, a potent polyphenol, known to curb inflammatory activity, say the authors.
But high consumption of margarine doubled the chances of asthma and allergic rhinitis, the findings showed.
Protective effect of fruits, vegetables and the Mediterranean diet on asthma and allergies among children in Crete
Online First Thorax 2007; doi:10.1136/thx.2006.69419
Abstract

Introduction: Atopy is not uncommon among children living in rural Crete; but wheeze and rhinitis are rare. We examined whether this discrepancy could be attributed to a high consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables or adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed in 690 children aged 7-18 years in rural Crete. Parents completed a questionnaire on the child's respiratory and allergic symptoms, and a 58-item food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet was measured through a scale on 12 dietary items. Children underwent skin prick tests with 10 common aeroallergens.

Results: 80% of children ate fresh fruit (and 68% vegetables) at least twice a day. The intake of grapes, oranges, apples, and fresh tomatoes - the main local products in Crete - had no association with atopy but was protective for wheezing and rhinitis. High consumption of nuts was found to be inversely associated with wheezing (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.20-0.98), whereas margarine increased the risk of both wheeze (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.01-4.82) and allergic rhinitis (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.31-3.37). A high level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet was protective for allergic rhinitis (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.18-0.64) while a more modest protection was observed for wheezing and atopy.

Conclusion: Our data suggest a beneficial effect of commonly consumed fruits, vegetables and nuts, and of a high adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet during childhood on symptoms of asthma and rhinitis. Diet may explain the relative lack of allergic symptoms in this population. (April 2007)